AN ANGEL OF THE LORD] RV 'the angel.' Cp. Judges 6:11; Judges 6:22; Judges 13:3; Judges 13:21, where it is plain (from Judges 6:14; Judges 6:16; Judges 13:22) that the angel is thought of as God Himself (see on Judges 6:14). The word translated 'angel,' however, means simply 'messenger': cp.... [ Continue Reading ]
INTRODUCTORY (JUDGES 1:1 TO JUDGES 3:4) Division 1, Judges 1:1 to Judges 2:5. This section of the book contains a brief recapitulation of the early conquest of Palestine, told from a somewhat different point of view from that of Joshua 7-21, and supplying much that is there not mentioned. From thes... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. Joshua 24:28. Evidently the beginning and not the end of conquest is here referred to. In the OT. Canaan is never regarded as a land of rest.... [ Continue Reading ]
TIMNATHHERES] 'territory of the sun': probably near Shechem. In Joshua 24:30 the letters of 'heres' are transposed, to avoid the suggestion of idolatrous association (cp. also Judges 8:13 and RV there). GAASH] unknown. 11-23. The religious interpretation of the history of the Judges.... [ Continue Reading ]
BAALIM] RV 'the Baalim,' i.e. the local gods worshipped by the Canaanites. Baalim is” the plural of Baal, which means 'lord' (cp. Judges 8:33). Each place might thus have its patron god. Jehovah was never thought of by the Hebrews as a local deity in this sense.... [ Continue Reading ]
ASHTAROTH] RV 'the Ashtaroth,' properly the feminine counterpart of 'the Baalim.' In Babylon, the goddess Ashtoreth appears as Ishtar (with attributes corresponding in part to Aphrodite or Venus). How easily the worship of the native deities, the Baals, the Ashtoreths, in their sacred groves, would... [ Continue Reading ]
A WHORING] Adultery and fornication are common figures for unfaithfulness to Israel's 'lord,' Jehovah, cp. Hosea 1-3; Ezekiel 16:20; Matthew 12:39. The succeeding stories make it clear that it was by uniting the Hebrews in a religious war that the Judges caused the local cults to be put aside.... [ Continue Reading ]
IT REPENTED THE LORD] cp. 1 Samuel 15:11; Psalms 90:13; Zechariah 8:14 : on the other HAND, 1 Samuel 15:29; Jeremiah 4:28; Ezekiel 24:14. Here the word really means'pity.'... [ Continue Reading ]
COVENANT] Joshua 23:16 chapter Judges 2:1. In Joshua the ark is constantly called 'the ark of the covenant' (Joshua 3:3, etc.).... [ Continue Reading ]
PROVE] cp. Judges 3:1; Judges 3:2. Such an expression shows how easily a test may become a temptation.... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER DELIVERED HE, etc.] a later addition: the whole passage deals with what occurred after the death of Joshua.... [ Continue Reading ]