Wickedness of the Men of Gibeah

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 19:1) And it came to pass in those days, when no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of Mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah.

In the last chapter and post, prior to the raising up of the judges in Israel, without any spiritual leader or guidance, we saw how everyone began doing what was right in his own eyes.  We began to see the worshipping of idols, and even theft and murder attributed to the name of the Lord.  Once again in Judges 19, we are told there was no king in Israel.  During those days, there was a certain Levite who was dwelling on the side of Mount Ephraim.  He took a concubine out of Bethlehem in Judah.

(2) And his concubine played the whore against him and went away from him to her father's house to Bethlehem Judah and was there four whole months.

His concubine was unfaithful to him and committed adultery against him.  She went away from him to her father's house where she stayed for four months.

(3) And her husband arose and went after her to speak friendly to her to bring her again, having his servant with him and a couple of asses, and she brought him into her father's house, and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

After four months, the man went after his concubine with the intention of speaking kindly to her and bringing her back.  He took a servant with him and a couple of donkeys, one of which was to bring her back.  She brought him into her father's house, and her father was very glad to meet him.

(4) And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him, and he abode with him three days; so they did eat and drink and lodged there.

The concubine's father, the Levite's father-in-law, asked him to stay with them, and he and his servant did for three days, eating and drinking and lodging there.

(5) And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart, and the damsel's father said to his son-in-law, "Comfort your heart with a morsel of bread and afterward go your way."

The Levite and his servant rose early in the morning on the fourth day to leave, but his concubine's father asked him to stay to eat some bread and then he could go his way.

(6) And they sat down and ate and drank, both of them together, for the damsel's father had said to the man, "Be content, I pray you, and tarry all night, and let your heart be merry."

The man did indeed sit down and eat with his father-in-law and even stayed on longer to eat and drink because his father-in-law had further encouraged him to stay on all night and enjoy himself.

(7) And when the man rose up to depart, his father-in-law urged him, therefore he lodged there again.

When the man rose up to leave that night, his father-in-law again encouraged him to stay on, and he lodged there another night.

(8) And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart, and the damsel's father said, "Comfort your heart, I pray you." And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.

The man rose up early on the fifth day planning to depart, but again his father-in-law encouraged him to stay and eat, which he did until the afternoon.

(9) And when the man rose up to depart, and his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel's father, said to him, "Behold, now the day draws toward evening; I pray you tarry all night. Behold, the day grows to an end; lodge here that your heart may be merry and tomorrow get up early on your way that you may go home."

The man rose up that afternoon to depart with his concubine and his servant.  His father-in-law once again encouraged him to stay on through the night because the day was drawing to an end and night was approaching.  He encouraged him to enjoy good company one more night and then he could leave for his home early the next morning.

(10) But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem, and with him two donkeys saddled, his concubine also with him.

The man refused to tarry any further and rose up and departed with his concubine (and his servant) and with his two donkeys saddled.  He came across from Jebus, which is Jerusalem, but it was then called Jebus and was inhabited by the Jebusites.

(11) When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent, and the servant said to his master, "Come, I pray you, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites and lodge in it."

When they were by Jebus, the day was over and evening upon them.  The man's servant urged him to let them turn into Jebus and lodge there.

(12) And his master said to him, "We will not turn aside here into the city of a stranger that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah."

However, the man said they would not stay in the city of a stranger, that is, Gentiles, who were not of the children of Israel.  He said they would go on to Gibeah, which was in the tribe of Benjamin.

(13) And he said to his servant, "Come and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah or in Ramah."

The man said to his servant that they should go on to Gibeah or even Ramah, which was also in the tribe of Benjamin, and lodge in one of those places.

(14) And they passed on and went their way, and the sun went down upon them by Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin.

They passed by Jebus and went on to Gibeah in the tribe of Benjamin where the sun went down on them.

(15) And they turned aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah, and when he went in, he sat down in a street of the city, for there was no man who took them into his house to lodge.

The man, with his concubine and his servant, turned in to Gibeah to lodge.  However, he wound up sitting down in a street of the city because no one took them in to lodge with them.  It seems the spirit of hospitality which had been the norm among the Israelites had gone from Gibeah.

(16) And behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at evening, which was also at Mount Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites.

At that time of the evening, an old man came from his work out of the field.  He was also from Mount Ephraim as was the man and his servant.  He lodged in Gibeah where Benjamites lived, although he was not from that place.

(17) And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city, and the old man said, "Where are you going and where do you come from?"

The old man saw the Levite sitting in the street of the city and asked him where he was going and from where did he come.

(18) And he said to him, "We are passing from Bethlehem Judah toward the side of Mount Ephraim from where I am, and I went to Bethlehem Judah, but I go to the house of the Lord, and there is no man who received me into his house."

The Levite explained that he had come from Bethlehem Judah to go back to his home on the side of Mount Ephraim.  He said he was going to the house of the Lord, meaning either that the Lord's tabernacle was in the tribe of Ephraim where was his home, or perhaps he meant he was going to the tabernacle at Shiloh in Ephraim before he actually went to his own house.  Meanwhile, there was no man in Gibeah who received him into his home that evening.

(19) "Yet there is both straw and provender for our donkeys, and there is bread and wine also for me and for your handmaid and for the young man with your servants; there is no want of anything."

The Levite went on to add that he had both straw and feed for his donkeys and bread and wine for himself and his concubine, whom he called the old man's servants, being polite, and also his servant with them.  He said they had no need for anything.

(20) And the old man said, "Peace be with you; however, let all your wants lie upon me; only do not lodge in the street."

The old man offered peace to the Levite but urged him to allow him to provide his wants for the night and not lodge in the street.

(21) So he brought him into his house and gave provender to the donkeys, and they washed their feet and ate and drank.

The old man brought the Levite, his concubine, and his servant, into his house, and he gave their donkeys food.  They washed their feet and then ate and drank with the old man.

(22) As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, beat at the door, and spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring forth the man who came into your house that we may know him."

As they were enjoying the old man's company and hospitality, some men in the city, called sons of Belial, meaning evil wicked men, came and surrounded the house, beating on the door, and telling the old man to send out the man who had come into his house, so that they might "know him," a phrase in the Bible that meant to know him carnally, to sodomize him.  It is noteworthy to recall that the Levite had passed by Jebus because he did not want to lodge in a land of Gentiles but had chosen to stay in Gibeah with his Israelite brethren.  And these, his "brethren," were up to more wickedness than he may have witnessed in a city of Gentiles.

(23) And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, "No, my brethren, I pray you, do not so wickedly! Seeing that this man has come into my house; do not this folly."

The old man, the master of the house, went out to the men and pleaded with them not to do such wickedness.  The man was a guest in his house, and he was obliged to protect him from such abomination.

(24) "Behold, my daughter, a maiden, and his concubine, them I will bring out now, and you humble them and do with them what seems good to you, but to this man do not so vile a thing."

The man actually offered his maiden daughter and his guest's concubine, which he had no right to do, to the men to do to them whatever they wished!  That was horrible, but he felt he was choosing the lesser of two evils as he considered sodomy much more the evil.  The problem with choosing the lesser of two evils is that you still get evil.  This man did what Lot had done in Sodom when he offered his two daughters to the men of Sodom so that they would not do similarly to his male guests (Genesis 19:8).  Israel had become as wicked as Sodom.

(25) But the men would not hearken to him, so the man took his concubine and brought her forth to them, and they knew her and abused her all the night until the morning, and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

The men outside his house would not listen to him and still clamored for his male guest.  So the Levite brought his concubine to them.  To save himself from the men, he gave them his concubine.  He obviously had no great love for her to sacrifice her as he did.  Perhaps the fact she had committed adultery against him already (verse 2) made him have little respect for her.  The men of Gibeah abused her all night long and finally let her go as the next day began to break.

(26) Then the woman came in the dawning of the day and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.

As the day began to dawn, the woman came to the old man's house and fell down at his door where she lay until it was light.

(27) And her lord rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way, and behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.

The Levite rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house to go on his way.  There his concubine lay at the door with her hands upon the threshold.

(28) And he said to her, "Up, and let us be going." But none answered. Then the man took her upon a donkey, and the man rose up and went to his place.

The man told his concubine to get up as they were to get going, but there was no answer.  The woman had died.  He put her body up on one of the donkeys he had brought with him (verse 3) and went to his home on the side of Mount Ephraim (verse 1).

(29) And when he had come into his house, he took a knife and laid hold of his concubine and divided her with her bones into twelve pieces and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.

When the man had come into his house with his dead concubine, he took a knife and divided her body into twelve parts.  He sent the twelve parts of her body to each of the twelve tribes in Israel, no doubt, surely with an explanation of what had happened within Israel.  Whether he had done it expecting justice from his brethren for the death of his wife or to demonstrate what had become of Israel, I'm not sure.  But there is symbology in the latter.  His wife had played the whore (verse 2) as Israel had begun to do in its worshipping of idols.  Idolatry always leads to more wickedness and evil as demonstrated by what had become of the Benjamites in Gibeah; they were as the men in Sodom and Gomorrah.  In the end came the death of the woman signifying what would happen to Israel.

(30) And it was so that all who saw it said, "There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, take advice, and speak!"

All who saw the dismembered body said there had never been such a deed done or seen in their land since they had come out of Egypt until that day.  They may have meant the dismembering of the woman sent to all the tribes, or perhaps more likely the act in Gibeah that resulted in the dismembering and sending of the man's concubine throughout Israel.  It was Sodom and Gomorrah all over again which had not happened in their new promised land, and the man made sure everyone in Israel knew it.  All were encouraged to consider what had happened, consult with one another, and speak up about what should be done.

It all started with no spiritual leadership and people doing what was right in their own eyes.  It started with just a little falling away from the laws of God, as with Micah in the last chapter.  However, a little sin always leads to more and more sin until it reaches the magnitude of Sodom and Gomorrah's sin.  Such is the case of man's corrupt nature ever since the fall of Adam.  What a blessing are the laws of God to keep us from destroying ourselves!

Micah's Idolatry

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 17:1) And there was a man of Mount Ephraim whose name was Micah.

At the end of the last chapter and post, the life and reign of Samson as the last judge of Israel, ended.  Now begins the story of a man named Micah from Mount Ephraim.  Biblical scholars say that Micah's life did not follow chronologically after the life of Samson, but this chapter and the following four chapters of Judges contain a history of facts that probably occurred right after the time of Joshua before the time of the judges in Israel.  I have been disappointed in this particular chronological Bible study proposed by Skip Andrews as it does not always actually follow chronologically, but as I started with it, I must finish with it so as not to miss any part of the Bible.  As even Skip Andrews said, "there are several good ways to read the Bible each year. Choose a reliable version and stick with it all the way through."

(2) And he said to his mother, "The eleven hundred of silver that were taken from you, about which you cursed, and spoke of also in my ears, behold the silver is with me; I took it." And his mother said, "Blessed of the Lord, my son!"

Micah spoke to his mother about eleven hundred pieces of silver that had been taken from her which she had cursed when she realized it had been stolen from her.  It is interesting that it was exactly eleven hundred silver, the same amount that was given to Delilah in Judges 16:5.  I wonder if speculation that it could be the same silver is what caused confusion in the chronological order of events.  However, scholars are pretty certain these events with Micah happened long before the incident with Delilah.  Both events seem to have involved cursed silver.

Anyway, Micah had heard his mother speak of the silver that had been taken from her, and he heard that she had cursed it.  He now confessed to his mother that he had her silver, and she now blessed him, perhaps reversing her curse against the thief, realizing it was her own son.

(3) And when he had restored the eleven hundred silver to his mother, his mother said, "I had wholly dedicated the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son to make a graven image and a molten image; now therefore, I will restore it to you."

When Micah had restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, she in turn, told him that she had dedicated the silver to the Lord and had intended it be used to have her son make engraved and molded images.  Therefore, she gave the silver back to her son.

(4) Yet he restored the money to his mother, and his mother took two hundred silver and gave them to the founder who made of it a graven and molten image, and they were in the house of Micah.

However, Micah, apparently wishing to be completely absolved from the initial taking of the silver, gave it back to his mother again.  She then took two hundred silver of it and gave it to a silversmith to make a molded and engraved image or images, and they were put in the house of Micah.

(5) And the man Micah had a house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

Micah had a house of idols, and he made an ephod, a priestly garment, and teraphim, other household idols.  He consecrated one of his sons to be his priest.  This he did, perhaps not out of idolatry against his Lord, but maybe because the Levites had become corrupted at this time and neglected their duties.  For, as the next verse tells us:

(6) In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did right in his own eyes.

The people had no spiritual leadership, so everyone did what was right in their own eyes.  That may account for Micah's idolatry.

(7) And there was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah of the family of Judah, a Levite, and he sojourned there.

There was a young man in Bethlehem in Judah, distinguishing it from Bethlehem in Zebulun.  He was a Levite in the family of Judah, and he sojourned there in Bethlehem Judah.

(8) And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehem Judah to sojourn where he could find, and he came to Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

The man left Bethlehem Judah and came to Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah.

(9) And Micah said to him, "Where do you come from?" And he said to him, "I am a Levite of Bethlehem Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find."

Micah asked the man where he was from, and the man answered that he was a Levite from Bethlehem Judah, and he journeyed to find a place in which to dwell.

(10) And Micah said to him, "Dwell with me and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and your victuals." So the Levite went in.

Micah asked the man to stay with him and be as a father and priest to him to instruct him in the knowledge of spiritual things.  He would pay him ten pieces of silver a year and would give him priestly garments and meals.  The Levite agreed and went in to stay with Micah.

(11) And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was to him as one of his sons.

The Levite was content to live with Micah and became as one of Micah's sons.

(12) And Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest and was in the house of Micah.

So Micah then consecrated the Levite to be his priest as he had once done with his son (verse 5).  The man lived in the house of Micah.

(13) Then Micah said, "Now I know that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite as priest."

Micah felt confident that he was doing the right thing and that he would be blessed by the Lord because he had a proper Levite priest.  I can't help but relate this to the present time when we have strayed so far from the things of God, but God knows our hearts, and He will guide us toward the right things.  It seems as if Micah had repented from taking his mother's silver and was trying to live in worship to God, although it was at that present time a mixture of the worship of God and the worship of idols.  God knew his heart and perhaps sent him a priest.

(Judges 18:1) In those days there was no king in Israel, and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought an inheritance to dwell in, for until that day their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel.

We are told again that there was no king in Israel during this time, no political or spiritual leader in Israel.  A tribe of Danites at that time sought a place in which to dwell because they had not received an inheritance for themselves.  The whole tribe of Dan had received their lot during the time of Joshua (Joshua 19:40), but this particular Danite family was looking for an inheritance of their own.

(2) And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valor, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it, and they said to them, "Go, search the land," who when they came to Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, they lodged there.

This family of Danites sent five men from their territory, considered men of valor, men from Zorah and Eshtaol.  Again, there is a coincidence from the time of Samson, as this is where he was from.  Both these narratives were probably written at the same time which is why they are found next to each other in the book of Judges even though they did not happen chronologically at the same time.  These men of the tribe of Dan were instructed to search out the land, and they subsequently came to Mount Ephraim where the house of Micah was located, and they lodged there.

(3) When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man, the Levite, and they turned in there, and said to him, "Who brought you here? And what are you doing here? And what do you have here?"

When the Danite men were near to the house of Micah, they heard the voice of the young Levite and recognized it.  They turned in to the house of Micah and asked him questions about how he came to be there and what he was doing there.

(4) And he said to them, "Thus and thus Micah dealt with me and has hired me, and I am his priest."

The young man told them that all answers were in Micah.  He had hired him to be his priest.

(5) And they said to him, "Ask counsel, we pray you, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous."

Learning he was a priest, and probably because they saw the ephod which traditionally held the Urim and Thummim, which when consulted, would reveal the will of God, they asked the man to consult God and ask if their way was going to be prosperous.

(6) And the priest said to them, "Go in peace, before the Lord is your way in which you go."

Presuming it was after he had consulted God, the priest told them to go their way in peace as the way they were going was before the Lord, or in His presence, suggesting they were on the right path.

(7) Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people there, how they dwelt careless after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure, and no magistrate in the land that might put to shame anything, and they were far from the Sidonians and had no business with anyone.

The five Danites departed from the house of Micah and went to Laish where they observed the people there who lived without care after the manner of the Sidonians.  They probably had been a part of the Sidonians but were now far from them with no business with them, but living as they did, with no cares, quiet and secure, with no magistrate or law in the land to put to shame anything they did.

(8) And they came to their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said to them, "What do you say?" (9) And they said, "Arise, that we may go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good; and are you still? Do not be slothful to go, to enter to possess the land."

The five men went back to their brethren in Zorah and Eshtaol where their brethren asked them for a report of what they had seen.  They told them to rise up and go against the present occupants of the land for the land was very good.  They asked how they could sit still when there was such a good land available for them to possess.

(10) "When you go, you will come to a people secure and to a large land, for God has given it into your hands, a place with no want of anything that is in the earth."

They told the people that they would find a large land with people secure or without care, insinuating that it would be easy to catch them off guard and capture their land.  They told them that God had given the land into their hands, a fruitful land with everything they wanted.  They apparently concluded that from the message they received from Micah's priest, that they were going the way of the Lord (verse 6).

(11) And there went from there of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. (12) And they went up and pitched in Kirjath Jearim in Judah; therefore they called that place Mahaneh Dan to this day; behold, it is behind Kirjath Jearim.

So there went from the Danites six hundred armed men out of Zorah and Eshtaol.  They pitched a camp in Kirjath Jearim, or actually very near behind it.  To the day of the writing of this account, the place where they camped was called Mahaneh Dan, which literally meant "camp of Dan."

(13) And they passed from there to Mount Ephraim and came to the house of Micah. (14) Then answered the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish, and said to their brethren, "Do you know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you have to do."

The Danites came to Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah.  The five men who had spied out the land told them that there was an ephod, teraphim, and engraved and molded images within those houses of that village or area, specifically in the house of Micah.  They said they should consider what they should do at that point.  I'm not sure what they thought they should do, perhaps consult the priest further?

(15) And they turned there and came to the house of the young man the Levite, to the house of Micah and saluted him. (16) And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.

The Danites turned in to the house of Micah where they saw the young Levite man, and they greeted him.  The six hundred armed Danites stood by the entrance of the gate.

(17) And the five men who went to spy out the land went up, came in, took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.

The five spies went in the house and took out the ephod, teraphim, and engraved and molded images, and the priest stood at the gate with the six hundred armed men.

(18) And these went into Micah's house and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image.  Then the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"

It seems the five spies had gone into Micah's house and took the things without the priest's knowledge.  When he saw what they had done, he asked what they were doing.

(19) And they said to him, "Hold your peace; lay your hand upon your mouth and go with us and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?"

The Danites told the priest to be quiet and go with them to be their father and priest.  They asked him if it was better to be a priest to one man or to an entire body of people, called a tribe here, although these six hundred didn't represent the entire tribe of Dan.

(20) And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

The priest was happy at the opportunity to serve more than just one man, and he took the spiritual things and went among the people.  However, didn't those things belong to Micah?

(21) So they turned and departed and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.

The Danites departed from Micah's house.  It appears they had been traveling with their wives, children, and livestock, as they were in search of a new land, never planning to return from where they came.  They let their children and cattle go before them.

(22) When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.

However, when Micah and his neighbors realized what the Danites had done, they gathered together and went after the Danites and caught up with them.

(23) And they cried to the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said to Micah, "What ails you, that you come with such a company?"

When Micah and his neighbors caught up to the Danites, they cried out to them.  Hearing them, they turned and directed their question to Micah, incredibly asking why he had come after them with so many people.

(24) And he said, "You have taken away my gods which I made and the priest, and you have gone away, and what more do I have? And what is this you say to me, 'What ails you?'"

Micah told them they had taken away his gods and his priest, leaving him with none of his spiritual things, and they had the audacity to ask him what ailed him.

(25) And the children of Dan said to him, "Let not your voice be heard among us, lest angry men run upon you and you lose your life with the lives of your household."

The Danites told Micah he should quit complaining in the ears of their men, as one of them might get angry and kill him and his household.

(26) And the children of Dan went their way, and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

The Danites went on their way.  Micah realized they were too strong for him, so he went back to his house.  The silver Micah had once stolen from his mother was made into idols that were stolen from him.  If Micah had truly repented and was trying to live for the Lord, then it was a good thing that his idols had been stolen, and he could return to the proper worship of his Lord.

(27) And they took what Micah had made and the priest whom he had and came to Laish to a people quiet and secure, and they killed them with the edge of the sword and burnt the city with fire.

They went their way with the things they had taken from Micah, including the priest, and they went to Laish where they found the people quiet and feeling secure, meaning not on guard against any enemies, and they killed them and burnt their city.

(28) And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no business with anyone, and it was in the valley by Beth Rehob. And they built a city and dwelt in it.

There had been no one to save the people in Laish because they were far from the Sidonians under whose government they had appeared to be (verse 7), and they had no interactions with any other people.  It was in the valley by Beth Rehob, and the Danites rebuilt the city.

(29) And they called the name of the city Dan after the name of Dan their father who was born to Israel. However, the name of the city was Laish at first.

The Danites called the name of their rebuilt city Dan, after the son of Jacob or Israel.  The name of the city was Laish at first, which meant "lion."  As it turns out, this was the detailed story of how Dan came to enlarge its territory as we were told it did in Joshua 19:47.  In that account, the city was called Leshem which must have been the same place as Laish, as we were told there that the Danites took the city and renamed it Dan after their father, the son of Jacob.  The name of the place may have had something to do with the prophetic blessing Jacob gave Dan in Deuteronomy 33:22, that Dan, as a lion's whelp, would leap from Bashan, which it did when some of the tribe went from their original allotted inheritance to the far northeast corner of Israel, as seen in the map borrowed from Unique Sites of Israel Blog:

(30) And the children of Dan set up the graven image, and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

The Danites set up the graven image, and probably the other spiritual things they had taken from Micah, and set those up in their new city.  Whether it was one or all the idols they set up, it was, no doubt, in veneration for the idol(s) to which they attributed their success.  They set up Jonathan, said to be the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, as priest, and his sons to continue as priests for this particular tribe of Dan until the captivity of the land, which probably refers to the Assyrian captivity (2 Kings 17:6).  

There is no consensus about who this Jonathan was.  Most agree that it was probably the same Levite whom Micah had set as priest of his house.  But was he the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh?  Maybe only if these were a different Gershom and Manasseh than the ones we have come to know.  Manasseh, the son of Joseph, did not have a son named Gershom.  However, supposedly the only thing in the original spelling of the name Manasseh that made it indeed Manasseh, was a small "N" placed over the other letters.  With the N, it's Manasseh.  Without the N which may have been added at some subsequent time, it's Moses, and Moses did have a son named Gershom.  I don't think it really matters who this Levite was.  I believe the purpose of these two chapters was to demonstrate how far Israel had strayed from their original worship of their one true God.  Every man did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6).  We were initially told that the Levite who became Micah's priest was from the tribe of Judah (Judges 17:7).  Even from that point, we see that the Levite was not living as he should, as Bethlehem was not a Levitical city.  Whether he was the grandson of Manasseh or Moses or some other Levite, he had strayed from his original purpose and worship.  And he allowed himself to be a part of a theft of Micah's belongings and continued in the worship of idols.  He may have thought he was worshipping the one true God, as Micah probably did.  The Danites may have sincerely thought they were doing proper worship by having a priest and the spiritual things they believed to be from God.  However, they had stolen and destroyed a peaceful city to get it.  But with no proper spiritual leadership and instruction, everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes and straying further and further from the true God.

(31) And they set them up Micah's graven image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

Again we are told that these Danites set up Micah's engraved image, and it remained as long as the tabernacle of God was in Shiloh, which according to some Jewish writers, was three hundred and sixty years.

Samson and Delilah, and Samson's Death

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 16:1) Then Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there and went in to her.

At the end of the last chapter, we were told that Samson judged Israel for twenty years, so this chapter appears to take place at the end of his reign.  Samson went to Gaza, one of the five principalities of the Philistines, where he saw a harlot and he went in to her.

(2) It was told the Gazites, saying, "Samson has come here." And they surrounded him and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city and were quiet all the night, saying, "In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him."

The Philistines of Gaza heard that Samson was there, and they quietly surrounded him all night, lying in wait in the gate of the city, planning to kill him the next morning.

(3) And Samson lay till midnight and arose at midnight and took the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts and went away with them, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of a hill before Hebron.

Samson lay there until midnight, when he arose.  He did not stop at the gate of the city where men had gathered to surround him, but he took the doors of the gate with their posts and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of a hill before Hebron.

(4) And it came to pass afterward that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

Some time after this, Samson came to love a woman in a valley called Sorek, named Delilah.

(5) And the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, "Entice him and see where his great strength lies and how we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him, and we will give you every one of us eleven hundred of silver."

The lords of the Philistines saw another chance to get Samson.  They went to Delilah and asked her to entice Samson and find out where his great strength lay, for it must have seemed to them to be supernatural.  They wanted Delilah to find out how they might be able to overcome Samson and bind him, and for that information, they would give Delilah eleven hundred pieces of silver.

(6) And Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me, I pray you, where your great strength lies and with what you might be bound to afflict you."

Delilah very directly asked Samson to tell her where his great strength lay and with what might he be bound to afflict him.

(7) And Samson said to her, "If they bind me with seven green vines that were never dried, then I shall be weak and be as another man."

Samson lied to Delilah, telling her that if he were bound with seven green vines that had never been dried, that would make him weak and as any other man.

(8) Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green vines which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

So the lords of the Philistines brought to Delilah seven green vines, and she bound Samson with them.

(9) Now were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson." And he broke the vines as a thread is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known.

While Delilah bound Samson with the seven green vines, there were men lying in wait in her chamber.  She then told Samson that the Philistines were upon him.  She may have said this to pretend to warn him.  He immediately broke the vines as if they were but a single broken thread burnt by fire.  Therefore, the real secret of his strength was not known.

(10) And Delilah said to Samson, "Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies; now tell me, I pray you, with what might you be bound."

Delilah told Samson he had mocked her and lied to her, and she asked him again to tell her how he might be bound.

(11) And he said to her, "If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then I shall be weak and be as another man."

Samson, appearing to be toying with Delilah, told her that if he were bound with new ropes that had never been used, he would then be as weak as any man and able to be overcome.

(12) Delilah therefore took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson." And liers in wait were abiding in the chamber. And he broke them from off his arms like a thread.

So Delilah proceeded to bind Samson with new ropes and told him that the Philistines were upon him.  It must have seemed as a game to Samson.  Although there were men lying in wait to bind Samson, it doesn't appear that he ever saw them, as he broke his bonds as soon as Delilah told him that Philistines were upon him.

(13) And Delilah said to Samson, "Until now, you have mocked me and told me lies; tell me with what you might be bound." And he said to her, "If you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom."

Once again Delilah lamented that Samson only told her lies, and she asked again how he might be bound.  This time he told her that if she wove seven locks of his hair into the fabric on the loom, he would be bound.

(14) And she fastened it with the pin and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson." And he awoke out of his sleep and went away with the pin of the beam and with the web.

It appears that Delilah did, in fact, weave Samson's hair into the web of fabric on the loom and fastened it with a pin.  But when she told Samson that the Philistines were upon him, he awoke from his sleep and went away with the pin and the web and all.

(15) And she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me where your great strength lies."

Delilah asked Samson how he could say he loved her when he only mocked her.  She had asked him three times where his great strength lay, but he only mocked and lied to her.

(16) And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was vexed to death, (17) That he told her all his heart and said to her, "There has not come a razor upon my head for I am a Nazarite to God from my mother's womb; if I am shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak and be like any man."

Delilah continued to press Samson for the truth about his strength until he could stand it no more, and he told her that he had been a Nazarite to God from his mother's womb, and no razor had ever touched his head.  He told her that if he was shaven, his strength would leave him, and he would become as weak as any man.  Actually, it wasn't really his hair that gave him strength, but because he was a Nazarite to God, God blessed him with great strength.  Once he broke his vow as a Nazarite and shaved his head, his strength would leave him, and that he believed in his heart, and he told Delilah that truth.

(18) And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come up this once, for he has showed me all his heart." Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought money in their hand.

Delilah felt confident that Samson had told her the truth this time, as he seemed to reveal his heart to her.  She called for the lords of the Philistines and told them.  They came and brought her the money they had promised in the beginning.  It's a wonder that Samson never suspected Delilah of deceiving him, but then he had never seen that she had called any Philistines to her chamber to bind him.  It probably only seemed a game to him, that she would attempt to bind him and call out that the Philistines were about to get him, and he would break free.  He obviously didn't believe there was any real threat that the Philistines would get him if he told Delilah the truth.

(19) And she made him sleep on her knees, and she called for a man and caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head, and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

Delilah had Samson fall asleep on her knees and then called for a man to come and shave off the locks of his hair.  In this, Delilah began to afflict Samson, and his strength went out from him.

(20) And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson." And he awoke out of his sleep and said, "I will go out as at other times before and shake myself." And he did not know that the Lord was departed from him.

Delilah told Samson that the Philistines were upon him, just as she had several times before.  He woke up and said he'd shake himself and go out as he had always played the game before, but he did not realize that the Lord had departed from him this time.

(21) But the Philistines took him and put out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

The Philistines were able to take Samson, and they gouged out his eyes.  They brought him down to Gaza and bound him with brass fetters in a prison house where he was forced to grind grain.

(22) However, the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

While in prison, Samson's hair began to grow again.

(23) Then the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice, for they said, "Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand."

The lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a sacrifice to their god for delivering Samson to them.  

(24) And when the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said, "Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy and the destroyer of our country, who killed many of us." (25) And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, "Call for Samson that he may make us sport." And they called for Samson out of the prison house, and he made them sport; and they set him between the pillars.

When the Philistine people saw Samson in the prison house, they praised their god for delivering him into their hands.  It came to pass at a time when their hearts were merry with wine and strong drink, that they called for Samson that they might make sport of him as he was blind.  They brought him out between two pillars and probably taunted and tormented him.

(26) And Samson said to the lad that held him by the hand, "Allow me to feel the pillars upon which the house stands, that I may lean upon them."

Samson asked the young man who had led him out of the prison house to allow him to feel the pillars of the house and lean against them for support.

(27) Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines there, and upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.

The house with the pillars to which Samson was brought was full with many people, including all the lords of the Philistines, and there were an additional three thousand people on the roof of the house, all making sport of Samson.

(28) And Samson called to the Lord, and said, "O Lord God, remember me, I pray You, and strengthen me, I pray You, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes."

Samson called out to the Lord in prayer, asking that He remember Samson as His servant and have mercy on him.  He asked that the Lord strengthen him just one more time to bring vengeance on the Philistines for blinding him.  Samson may have been asking for personal revenge, but God all along was planning opportunities to avenge His people Israel.

(29) And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand and of the other with his left. (30) And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." And he bowed himself with might, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead which he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.

Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, his right hand on one pillar and his left on the other.  At the end of his prayer or as a part of it, he asked that he die with the Philistines.  Although his prayer may have had a selfish slant to it in wanting to take revenge on the Philistines for his two eyes, he did not ask for strength and healing for himself, but to bring vengeance on the Philistines, which was certainly part of God's plan.  He bowed himself and pushed with his arms against the pillars with all his might and brought the house down.  Samson asked God for this one last gift of strength and acted in faith that it had been given him, and it certainly was.  Samson is listed as one of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 (Hebrews 11:32).  In that act, Samson killed all the people in that house, including all the lords of the Philistines, more people in that last act than he had killed in his lifetime.  Of course, Samson died, too.

(31) Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

Samson's family came and retrieved his body and took him back to his native place, Zorah, and buried him between there and Eshtaol, in his father's tomb.  Once again, we are told that Samson judged Israel for twenty years.

Samson was a greatly flawed hero.  He was selfish, impulsive, and had a weakness for the wrong women.  If he had taken his vow as a Nazarite more seriously and solemnly, he could have perhaps done a great deal more for the kingdom of God.  But then again, God knew Samson from the womb, and He used him for His purposes.  Samson's life could have been better with a proper wife, and he could have had descendants, and it certainly could have lasted longer than it did if he had lived differently.  He could have had his best life living for the Lord.  And that is what God desires for us, His best, and He lays it all out for us in His word.  However, even when we choose selfishly and unwisely, He can still use us, and that should give us all encouragement.  Even though Samson's end was a tragic one, God listened to and favorably answered his last prayer, and he went on to be remembered in God's word as one of the great heroes of faith.

Samson Judges Israel Twenty Years

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 15:1) But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid, and he said, "I will go into my wife into the chamber." But her father would not allow him to go in.

In the last chapter and post, Samson, feeling betrayed by his new wife, left after the marriage feast, and his wife was given in marriage to his best man.  His anger now subsided, Samson thought he would return to his wife, and he brought a kid goat to eat as a meal with her.  He sought to go into her chamber, but her father stopped him and would not allow him to go in to her.

(2) And her father said, "I verily thought that you had utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to your companion. Isn't her younger sister fairer than she? Take her, I pray you, instead of her."

The woman's father told Samson that he figured Samson was totally disgusted with his new wife and hated her, so he had given her in marriage to his best man, which we now see Samsom did not know.  The woman's father asked him to behold her younger sister, that she was fairer than his wife and encouraged him to take her instead.

(3) And Samson said concerning them, "Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure?"

Samson became angry and signified to her father and his people, the Philistines, that if he were to do an ill thing to them, he should be considered blameless, or at least more so than the Philistines, because of what they had done to him, by giving his wife to another man.

(4) And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes and took firebrands and turned tail to tail and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. (5) And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.

Samson went and caught three hundred foxes.  He took a torch of some kind and tied it to the tails of two foxes tied end to end and did so with all three hundred foxes.  Then he set the torches on fire and let the foxes go.  One can imagine the chaos of three hundred foxes tied together by their tails trying to run from the fire.  Samson released them into the cornfields of the Philistines, as well as in their vineyards and olive groves.  Fire destroyed the standing stalks in their fields, as well as shocks or sheaves that had already been gathered and piled, as it was the time of harvest.

(6) Then the Philistines said, "Who has done this?" And they answered, "Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife and given her to his companion." And the Philistines came up and burnt her and her father with fire.

The Philistines asked among themselves who had done that to their fields.  Those who knew told that it had been Samson, the son-in-law of the man from Timnath, and that he had done it because the man had given Samson's wife to another man.  The Philistines then took revenge on the man and his daughter who had been Samson's wife and burned them with fire.  It is ironic that they suffered the same fate as the wife was trying to avoid when she betrayed Samson's secret and told the answer to his riddle (Judges 14:15).  God's plan to use Samson to begin to destroy the Philistines (Judges 14:4) would not be thwarted.

(7) And Samson said to them, "Though you have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that, I will cease."

The Philistines probably thought they might appease Samson's anger by burning his wife and her father for what they had done to him, but Samson said he wouldn't cease until he had taken his revenge on the Philistines.  Samson may have insisted on revenge because of what they had done to his wife, but it was part of God's plan that he should avenge the injuries done to Israel.

(8) And he struck them hip and thigh with a great slaughter, and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.

Samson struck the Philistines "hip and thigh," either meaning literally he struck them with his great strength in the hips and thighs, making them incapacitated and fatally injured, or he struck them here and there and everywhere in a great slaughter.  Then he went and dwelt in the cleft of the strong rock Etam, a natural fortress.

(9) Then the Philistines went up and pitched in Judah and spread themselves in Lehi.

Then an army of Philistines went and pitched camp in Judah and spread their forces to a place called Lehi, from a word meaning "jaw bone" which was named that later by what would take place there.

(10) And the men of Judah said, "Why have you come up against us?" And they answered, "To bind Samson have we come up, to do to him as he has done to us."

The men of Judah asked the Philistines why they had come up against them.  The Philistines answered that they had come just to capture Samson, indicating they had no plan to make war against Judah if they would deliver Samson to them.

(11) Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this that you have done to us?" And he said to them, "As they did to me, so have I done to them."

Three thousand men of Judah then went to Samson at the top of the rock Etam, demanding to know what he had done to them by provoking the Philistines who were at that time rulers over the Israelites.  Samson said he had only exacted revenge on them for what they had done to him.  Once again, what Samson may have thought was personal revenge, was part of God's plan to exact revenge for Israel.

(12) And they said to him, "We have come down to bind you that we may deliver you into the hand of the Philistines." And Samson said to them, "Swear to me that you will not fall upon me yourselves."

The men of Judah told Samson that they had come to bind him and deliver him to the Philistines.  Samson seemed to consent to that as long as they did not try to attack him themselves.

(13) And they spoke to him, saying, "No, but we will bind you fast and deliver you into their hand, but surely we will not kill you." And they bound him with two new cords and brought him up from the rock.

The men of Judah assured Samson they would not try to kill him, but they would bind him securely and deliver him to the Philistines.  They indeed bound him with two new cords and brought him out from the rock.

(14) When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him, and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.

When Samson was brought down to Lehi where the Philistines had spread their army (verse 9), the Philistines shouted at him.  Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson with great strength, and the cords that bound him became as weak as burnt flax, and his hands were loosed from his bonds.

(15) And he found a new jawbone of an ass and put forth his hand and took it and killed a thousand men with it. (16) And Samson said, "With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass I have slain a thousand men."

Samson found a fresh jawbone of a donkey and took it and killed a thousand men with it.  Then Samson in a sort of triumphant song, said he had killed heaps upon heaps of men with the jawbone of a donkey.

(17) And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand and called that place Ramath Lehi.

When Samson ended his words of triumph, he cast away the jawbone, and he called that place Ramath Lehi, which meant literally "height of a jawbone."

(18) And he was very thirsty and called on the Lord, and said, "You have given this great deliverance into the hand of your servant, and now shall I die from thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?"

Samson was then very thirsty, and he called upon the Lord for water.  Some Biblical commentators, along with the historian Josephus, believed that the great thirst that suddenly came upon Samson might have been a rebuke for claiming victory in song to himself and not acknowledging God in it.  That may or may not be; I would think it would be natural for Samson to be very thirsty after what he had just been through.  However, we do see Samson now acknowledging that God had given him the victory, but wondering if he should then die from thirst and fall into the hands of the Philistines, after all.

(19) But God cleaved a hollow space in the jaw and there came water out of it, and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived. Therefore he called the name of it En Hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day.

The KJV translators wrote that God cleaved a hollow space in the jawbone where water sprang out for Samson to drink.  That could very well be, but other translations wrote that the word that meant "jawbone" that was the same as the place called Lehi, might mean the place Lehi was meant here instead.  God may have cleaved a rock there in Lehi and water sprang from that.  Samson drank the water and was revived, and he named that cleft rock in Lehi, En Hakkore, which meant "fountain of one calling," and that does perhaps make more sense than calling the jawbone by that name.  Whether it was a rock or the jawbone, it remained in Lehi to the time of the writing of this book.

(20) And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

Samson judged Israel for twenty years during the oppression of the Philistines.  Israel was not totally delivered from the Philistines during the time of Samson, but as had been prophesied before his birth, he would begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines (Judges 13:5).

Samson's Marriage

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 14:1) And Samson went down to Timnath and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

In the last chapter and post, Samson was born and was prophesied to be a Nazarite from birth, and he would begin to deliver the Israelites from the hand of the Philistines who had oppressed them for forty years.  Samson had now grown to adulthood and went to Timnath, a city within the tribe of Dan which was now in the hands of the Philistines.  He took special notice of a Philistine woman there.

(2) And he came up and told his father and his mother, and said, "I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore get her for me to wife."

Samson told his parents about the woman he had seen and asked that they get her for him as a wife, which seems to have been the custom at that time.

(3) Then his father and his mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?" And Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she pleases me well."

Samson's mother and father asked him if he could not find a wife among the daughters of his brethren or of his father's people, that he had to go to the uncircumcised and pagan Philistines to find a wife.  Samson told his father that he wanted that particular Philistine woman as she was the one who pleased him.

(4) But his father and his mother did not know that it was of the Lord, that He sought an occasion against the Philistines, for at that time, the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

However, Samson's parents did not realize that his desire for a Philistine woman was being used by the Lord for an occasion against the Philistines, for as we have already learned, the Philistines had dominion over Israel at that time.

(5) Then Samson went down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath, and behold, a young lion roared against him.

Therefore, Samson and his parents went to Timnath.  They came into vineyards in Timnath where a young lion roared against Samson.

(6) And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and nothing in his hand, but he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson mightily and he tore apart the lion with his bare hands as easily as he might have torn apart a baby goat.  He must have been some distance away from his parents when he did this as they did not see him, and he did not tell them about it.

(7) And he went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well. 

Samson then went down to the woman and talked with her.  After conversation, she indeed still pleased Samson well.

(8) And after a time, he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion.

After some time, Samson returned to take the woman with him, and he turned aside a bit to see the carcass of the lion he had killed the time before.  He did, in fact, find it, and inside the carcass, which was surely dry bones by then, was a swarm of bees and honey.  This would seem to be a symbol of God's abundance and sweetness.

(9) And he took of it in his hands and went on, eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat, but he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

However, it appears that Samson disregarded the Nazarite vow that he should not touch any dead thing, when he took the honey out of the lion's carcass and ate it.  He gave of the honey to his parents, but he did not tell them where it had come from.

(10) So his father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, for young men used to do so.

Samson's father went on to the woman Samson desired as wife while Samson prepared a feast there.

(11) And it came to pass when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

When the woman's family and companions saw Samson, they brought thirty companions to him, probably to be as groomsmen, children of the bridechamber (Matthew 9:15).

(12) And Samson said to them, "I will now put forth a riddle to you; if you can certainly declare it to me within the seven days of the feast and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty changes of garments, (13) But if you cannot declare it to me, then you shall give me thirty sheets and thirty changes of garments." And they said to him, "Put forth your riddle that we may hear it."

Samson put forth a proposal to his groomsmen, probably just meant to be a form of entertainment in the seven days that the marriage feast would last.  He told them he would put forth a riddle and if they could answer it within the seven feast days, he would give them thirty sheets, bed clothes or linens, and thirty changes of garments for the day.  However, if they could not correctly answer the riddle, then they were to give him thirty sheets and thirty changes of garments.  It appears they accepted the challenge when they asked him to tell them his riddle.

(14) And he said to them "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness." And they could not in three days explain the riddle.

Samson told them his riddle, that out of the eater (the devouring lion) came forth meat (food, something to eat), and out of the strong (strong in body, but in this instance, might refer to strong ill smell of the dead carcass), came forth sweetness (of course, the honey).  The groomsmen could not figure out the riddle for three days.  How could they, really?  It was not a common occurrence; it was something they would have had to see for themselves.

(15) And it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you called us to take what we have?"

On the seventh day, the men still had not figured out the riddle.  They went to Samson's new wife and told her to get Samson to tell the answer to the riddle, or else they would burn her and her father's house.  They had decided that she must have been a part of designing the riddle in a way to take from the groomsmen.

(16) And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, "You do but hate me and do not love me; you have put forth a riddle to the children of my people and have not told me." And he said to her, "Behold, I have not told my father nor my mother, and I shall tell you?"

Samson's wife cried before him, declaring that he must hate her and not love her, that he would put forth a secret riddle to her people and not tell her, his beloved, the answer.  However, he told her he had not revealed it to anyone, not his father or mother, so why should he feel compelled to tell her?  It wasn't personal.

(17) And she wept before him the seven days while their feast lasted, and it came to pass on the seventh day that he told her because she lay sore upon him, and she told the riddle to the children of her people.

Samson's wife wept before him for seven days, the whole seven days of the wedding feast.  The seventh day that the groomsmen had been trying to figure out the riddle (verse 15) must have been seven days before the actual wedding feast began.  But now, definitely feeling pressure as she had been threatened by the men, she therefore pressured Samson to tell her the answer to the riddle, which he eventually did tell her on the seventh day of the feast, and she told it to the groomsmen of her people.

(18) And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, "What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?" And he said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle."

The men of the city, at least the thirty of them to whom Samson had proposed the riddle, came to him before the end of that seventh day and gave him the answer to his riddle, honey and a lion.  He said that if they had not plied the answer out of his wife (whom he called a heifer), they would have never known the answer to his riddle.

(19) And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments to them who explained the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house. (20) But Samson's wife was given to his companion whom he had used as his friend.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, giving him the might and the strength, as it had been God's plan all along to use Samson to begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines (Judges 13:5).  He went to Ashkelon, one of the principal cities of the Philistines, and killed thirty men, and took their spoil, their linens and clothing, and gave them to the men who had answered the riddle, as he had promised.  Samson's anger against his wife and the thirty groomsmen had then subsided, and he went back to his father's house.  However, his wife was given to the companion closest to Samson, the best man at his wedding.

In this chapter, we begin to see a flawed individual in Samson.  He was a Nazarite, devoted to God, yet he chose a Philistine pagan to be his wife and ate from a dead carcass.  He felt betrayed by his wife, yet he himself had betrayed his secret by telling her.  Then, in a fit of anger, he killed thirty different men than the ones he felt had deceived him.  However, we were told in verse 4, that this was from the Lord.  The Lord would not have someone purposely disobey his Nazarite vows, but the Lord used such a man as He knew would act as Samson did in order to begin to begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines.  The Spirit of the Lord gave Samson strength, in verse 6, to tear a lion apart, and in verse 19, to kill thirty men.  The Lord gave Samson strength, but how he used and abused it, was all Samson.  God often used flawed individuals for His purposes.  Actually, He always used flawed individuals, as we are all flawed and sinful, but it should give us hope and encouragement that He can even use our own sinful selves.

The Birth of Samson

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 13:1) And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

In the last chapter and post, the Israelites had lived in relative peace under the successors of Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon.  However, it seems they turned back to their evil ways, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines who oppressed them for forty years.

(2) And there was a certain man of Zorah of the family of the Danites whose name was Manoah, and his wife was barren and bore not.

There was a man from Zorah in the tribe of Dan whose name was Manoah.  His wife was barren and had borne him no children.

(3) And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold now, you are barren and do not bear, but you shall conceive and bear a son."

An angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah's wife and told her that although she was barren and had borne no children, she would, in fact, conceive and bear a son.

(4) "Now therefore, beware, I pray you, and do not drink wine or strong drink and do not eat any unclean thing."

The angel went on to tell the woman to be careful and not drink any intoxicating drink nor eat any unclean food.

(5) "For, lo, you shall conceive and bear a son, and no razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."

The angel told her she would bear a special son dedicated to the Lord from her womb.  Nazarites were people who took a vow to be set apart from others for the service of God.  Chapter 6 of Numbers defined the life of a Nazarite.  They were to abstain from any wine or strong drink, never to cut their hair, and keep away from any unclean dead body even if a member of their family died.  Taking the vow of a Nazarite was usually a voluntary vow someone made, but in the case of Manoah's wife's child, he was to be a Nazarite from the womb, and he would begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

(6) Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A man of God came to me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very awesome, but I did not ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name."

Manoah's wife went to Manoah and told him about the man of God who seemed like an angel who came to her.  She described him as very awesome, but she had not asked him where he came from, nor did the man tell her his name.

(7) "But he said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son, and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death."

The woman went on to tell her husband how the man of God had told her she would bear a son who would be a Nazarite all his life from the womb to his death, and she was to drink no wine or strong drink or eat any unclean thing while she carried him.

(8) Then Manoah intreated the Lord, and said, "O my Lord, let the man of God whom You sent come again to us and teach us what we shall do to the child that shall be born."

Manoah then prayed to the Lord that He send the man of God to them again to teach them how they were to raise their son.

(9) And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her. (10) And the woman made haste and ran and showed her husband, and said to him, "Behold, the man has appeared to me who came to me the other day."

God answered Manoah's prayer and did indeed send the angel of God to his wife again while she sat in the field.  However, her husband was not with her.  But she hurried and ran to Manoah to tell him that the man of God who had come to her before had come to her again.

(11) And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man, and said to him, "Are you the man who spoke to the woman?" And he said, "I am." (12) And Manoah said, "Now let your words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do to him?"

Manoah immediately rose up and followed his wife to the man.  He asked him if he was indeed the man who had appeared to his wife before, and the man confirmed that he was.  Manoah had no problem believing that this man was indeed delivering a message from God, but he wanted to know what he and his wife were to do regarding the raising of their son, seeing he was to be entirely dedicated to the Lord.

(13) And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, "Of all that I said to the woman, let her beware. (14) She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her, let her observe."

The angel of the Lord told Manoah that his wife should be careful to do all that he had told her, and he repeated it to Manoah.  She was not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat the fruit of the vine, nor eat any unclean thing.  The things he had already told to her, she was to observe.  However, it is notable that the angel of God did not repeat that their son was to begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.  I imagine that was purposely to be kept secret so as not to endanger the pregnant woman or her baby son.

(15) And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, "I pray you, let us detain you until we shall have made ready a kid for you."

Manoah then asked the angel of the Lord to stay until he and his wife had prepared a meal for him, I'm sure just being gracious hosts and surely in gratitude that he had brought such a message to them.

(16) And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, "Though you detain me, I will not eat of your bread, and if you will offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the Lord." For Manoah did not know that he was an angel of the Lord.

The angel of the Lord told Manoah that even though he and his wife detained him, he would not eat their meal.  However, if they were preparing the kid for sacrifice, then they must offer it to the Lord God, and not to him or any false god as seems was probably the practice in Israel at that time (verse 1).  Manoah did not realize that the man was an angel of God.  He understood him to be a man of God delivering a prophesy to him but did not know he was an angel.

(17) And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, "What is your name, that when your sayings come to pass, we may do you honor."

Manoah then asked the angel what his name was so that when his prophesy came true, Manoah and his wife would know to whom they should give honor.

(18) And the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why do you ask after my name, seeing it is secret?"

The angel asked why Manoah should want to know his name, seeing that it was secret.  One definition of "secret" is "beyond ordinary human understanding," and I believe that is what is meant here.  The original word that was translated as "secret" was "paliy."  It also meant "wonderful" which is how the word was translated in Psalm 139:6.  Some scholars take that to mean that this angel was Jesus Himself, as one of His names is Wonderful (Isaiah 9:6).

(19) So Manoah took a kid with a grain offering and offered it upon a rock to the Lord, and he did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on. (20) For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on and fell on their faces to the ground.

Manoah took a kid goat with a grain offering and offered it on a rock to the Lord.  And then the angel did a remarkable thing as Manoah and his wife looked on.  When the flame went up toward heaven from off the rock altar, the angel of the Lord ascended with it to heaven.  That does possibly suggest that it might have been Jesus who ascended to heaven.  When Manoah and his wife saw that, they fell on their faces to the ground.

(21) But the angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the Lord.

The angel did not return back to Manoah and his wife, and Manoah perceived that he was indeed an angel of the Lord and not a mere man.

(22) And Manoah said to his wife, "We shall surely die because we have seen God!"

Then Manoah, believing they must have just seen God, told his wife that they would surely die, because no man could see the face of God and live (Exodus 33:20).

(23) But his wife said to him, "If the Lord were pleased to kill us, He would not have received a burnt offering and a grain offering at our hands, neither would He have showed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such as these."

Manoah's wife correctly discerned that if God had planned to kill them, He would not have received their offering as He had done, nor would He have given them the message that He did.

(24) And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson, and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.

Manoah's wife indeed bore a son as the angel had told her she would, and she called him Samson.  The child grew and the Lord blessed him.

(25) And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

As he grew, the Spirit of the Lord began to move upon Samson within the tribe of Dan between the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol.

In this chapter, we have the birth of Samson.  His was a miraculous birth, as his mother had been barren.  However, his mother received a divine message from the Lord that she would bear a son, and he was to be a Nazarite from the womb, to be set apart for God's purposes.

Jephthah and His Successors

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 12:1) And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and went northward and said to Jephthah, "Why did you pass over to fight against the children of Ammon and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house upon you with fire!"

In the last chapter and post, the Spirit of the Lord had led Jephthah to pass over Gilead to the Ammonites to fight them.  Now the men of Ephraim gathered together and went to Jephthah asking why he had passed over to fight the Ammonites and did not call them to go with him.  They had done this same thing with Gideon (Judges 8:1).  It is clear they said this not out of concern and a desire to help their brethren, but out of a selfish desire for the glory of the victory over their enemy.  Why else would they have threatened to burn Jephthah and his house because he went without them?

(2) And Jephthah said to them, "I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon, and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands."

Apparently when the Ammonites had been in Jephthah's country, he had called on Ephraim to help him, but they refused to help.  That is another proof that the tribe of Ephraim only cared about the glory of a victory and not about helping their brethren.

(3) "And when I saw that you did not deliver me, I put my life in my hands and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why then are you come up to me this day to fight against me?"

Jephthah went on to add that when he saw that the Ephraimites would not help him, he put his own life at risk to go into the enemy's country with only a few troops, but the Lord did indeed deliver his enemy into his hand.  Why would they now come to him to fight against him when they had once refused to help him, and he had now delivered them and all Israel from their enemy?

(4) Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim, and the men of Gilead struck Ephraim because they said, "You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites."

Then Jephthah gathered together the Gileadites, and they struck the Ephraimites because they had insulted the Gileadites, saying that they had deserted their brethren on the west side of the Jordan, the tribes of Ephraim and the western half tribe of Manasseh, to have their own tribe east of the Jordan River.

(5) And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites, and it was so that when those Ephraimites who had escaped said, "Let me over," that the men of Gilead said to him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No," (6) Then they said to him, "Say now Shibboleth," and he said, "Sibboleth," for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him and killed him at the passages of Jordan, and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites, forty-two thousand.

The Gileadites took control of the passages of the Jordan River so that the Ephraimites who had run away had to ask permission of the Gileadites to pass back over the Jordan.  The Gileadites would ask the person asking permission to cross if he was an Ephraimite, and if he answered, "No," they would test him by asking him to say, "Shibboleth."  Apparently, the Ephraimite dialect or accent was different from the Gileadites, and they could not pronounce it properly and would say rather, "Sibboleth."  The Gileadites would then know the Ephraimite was lying, and they would take and kill him at the passages of the Jordan River.  42,000 Ephraimites were killed!  It is really sad that Israelite brethren would kill so many of each other, but the most prideful of the Ephraimites had been cleansed out of the tribe, and perhaps another such mutiny was avoided.

(7) And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried among the cities of Gilead.

Jephthah continued to judge Israel for six years, and then he died and was buried in Gilead.

(8) And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. (9) And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.

After Jephthah died, Ibzan of Bethlehem rose up to judge Israel.  He had sixty children, thirty sons and thirty daughters.  He sent his daughters abroad to marry and live with their husbands, and he took in thirty wives from abroad for his sons.  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, wrote that his daughters were sent "to persons not of another nation, nor of another tribe, but of another family of the same tribe."  I suppose this is probably true as scripture does not indicate that Ibzan was wrong in sending his daughters away to marry outside their country.  Ibzan judged Israel for seven years.

(10) Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.

After judging Israel for seven years, Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem where he was from.

(11) And after him, Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years. (12) And Elon the Zebulonite died and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

After Ibzan, Elon rose up and judged Israel for ten years, and then he died and was buried in his country of Zebulun.

(13) And after him, Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. (14) And he had forty sons and thirty nephews who rode on seventy donkey colts, and he judged Israel eight years.

After Elon died, Abdon the son of Hillel, from Pirathon in Ephraim, judged Israel.  He had forty sons and thirty nephews who rode on seventy donkeys and acted as circuit judges throughout the land (Judges 5:10).  Abdon judged Israel for eight years.

(15) And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim in the mount of the Amalekites.

After judging Israel for eight years, Abdon died and was buried in Pirathon where he was from, in the land of Ephraim in the mountains of the Amalekites, so called because the Amalekites formerly dwelt there, or more likely, say some scholars, because of some remarkable exploit either done by them or done to them in that place.

It doesn't appear that anything of consequence occurred during the time of these successors of Jephthah.  It can be assumed that Israel dwelt in relative peace during those twenty-five years.

Jephthah the Ninth Judge

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Judges 10:1) And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in Mount Ephraim.

In the last chapter and post, Abimelech, the son of Gideon's concubine, set himself up as a king in Israel, but after three years, he was killed.  After his death, God raised up Tola, son of Puah, grandson of Dodo, to defend and deliver Israel.  He was from the tribe of Issachar, but as judge, he dwelt in Shamir in Mount Ephraim.

(2) And he judged Israel twenty-three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

Tola was judge of Israel for twenty-three years, and it can be assumed that the land was at rest during this time.  He eventually died and was buried in Shamir.

(3) And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and he judged Israel twenty-two years.

After Tola died, God raised up Jair from the land of Gilead on the east side of the Jordan River.  He judged Israel for twenty-two years.  It is reasonable to assume that the land was at rest during this time, as well.

(4) And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts, and they had thirty cities which are called Havoth Jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

Jair had thirty sons who probably rode on white donkeys (Judges 5:10), acting as circuit judges.  It appears that Jair gave each of his sons a city in the land of Gilead, and the thirty cities were called Havoth Jair, meaning the villages of Jair.

(5) And Jair died and was buried in Camon.

After twenty-two years as judge, Jair died and was buried in Camon, a city in Gilead.

(6) And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord and served Baalim and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord and did not serve Him.

After Jair died, the children of Israel once again turned to evil ways and served a multitude of false gods, forsaking their Lord God and not serving Him.

(7) And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

The anger of the Lord grew hot against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites.

(8) And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel, eighteen years, all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

That year the Philistines and the Ammonites began oppressing the Israelites for the next eighteen years.  Or perhaps what is meant is that by that present time, the Philistines and the Ammonites had been oppressing the Israelites for eighteen years.  It appears that the Israelites who were oppressed were the ones living on the east side of the Jordan River, the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

(9) Moreover, the children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was sorely distressed.

The Ammonites also crossed over to the west side of the Jordan River to fight against the Israelites in the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim.  All of Israel became severely distressed.

(10) And the children of Israel cried to the Lord, saying, "We have sinned against You, both because we have forsaken our God and also served Baalim."

The Israelites then cried out to the Lord, acknowledging that they had sinned against Him, in forsaking the worship of Him and going to serve the Baals.

(11) And the Lord said to the children of Israel, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? (12) The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, oppressed you, and you cried to Me, and I delivered you out of their hand."

The Lord reminded the children of Israel how many times He had delivered them from their enemies.  Every time they cried out to Him, He delivered them from the hands of their enemies.

(13) "Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will deliver you no more."

After all the many times the Lord had delivered them from their enemies, they still forsook Him and served multiple false gods.  Therefore, He determined not to deliver them from their enemies anymore.  What a scary thought!  To never again have salvation from the Lord God!

(14) "Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation."

God fittingly told them to go cry to the gods they had chosen.  Perhaps it would be a more well-remembered lesson if they saw that their feeble false gods could not deliver them from their tribulation.

(15) And the children of Israel said to the Lord, "We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to You; only deliver us, we pray, this day."

The Israelites acknowledged their sins before God and asked that He inflict on them whatever punishment He thought appropriate, but to please deliver them from their enemies.

(16) And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the Lord, and His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

In addition, the Israelites immediately put away all their false gods and began serving only their Lord God.  The Lord, seeing their true repentance, looked upon His people with love and mercy.

(17) Then the children of Ammon were gathered together and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together and encamped in Mizpeh.

Then the Ammonites gathered together and camped in Gilead on the eastern side of the Jordan River.  The Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpeh, which appears to be a place on the eastern side of the Jordan.  Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, wrote that it was usually written as "The Mizpeh" and it meant "watch tower" or "lookout" and was located on Mount Gilead.

(18) And the people, princes of Gilead, said to one another, "What man who will begin to fight against the children of Ammon, he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."

The leaders of the Israelites in Gilead had assembled together but did not have a commander.  They decided among themselves that whatever man would set out to fight against the Ammonites, he would naturally become their head leader or commander.

(Judges 11:1) Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a harlot, and Gilead begat Jephthah.

There was a man named Jephthah who was a Gileadite from the line of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.  It seems Jephthah's father was also named Gilead, and Jephthah was the son of that Gilead and a harlot.  He was apparently known as a mighty man of valor. 

(2) And Gilead's wife bore him sons, and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah and said to him, "You shall not inherit in our father's house for you are the son of a strange woman."

Gilead's wife had borne him sons and when they grew up, they kicked Jephthah out of their father's house and said that he would never inherit anything of their father's because he was the son of someone other than their mother, Gilead's wife.

(3) Then Jephthah fled from his brethren and dwelt in the land of Tob, and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah and went out with him.

Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in a place called Tob or perhaps it was a land belonging to a man called Tob.  There men gathered themselves to Jephthah and went around with him.  They are called vain men, the original word being "rake" meaning empty or worthless.  I don't know that they were worthless in the sense they were bad men, but they were probably poor men with no real purpose in life.

(4) And it came to pass in process of time that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.  

It was during this time that the Ammonites made war against the Israelites.

(5) And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob. (6) And they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our captain that we may fight with the children of Ammon."

When the Ammonites had made war with Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah in the land of Tob and asked him to go back with them to be captain over them and fight against the Ammonites.

(7) And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me and expel me out of my father's house? And why are you come to me now when you are in distress?"

Jephthah asked the elders why they now wanted him back in their time of distress when they had once hated him and expelled him out of his father's house.

(8) And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "Therefore we turn again to you now that you may go with us and fight against the children of Ammon and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."

They were in agreement that they had acted that way against him, but they now came to him with full confidence and asked that he lead them against the Ammonites and actually be the head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

(9) And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them before me, shall I be your head?"

Jephthah asked the elders that if they brought him back home to fight against the Ammonites and the Lord indeed delivered them into his hand, would they make him head over them, meaning not just captain of their army, but chief ruler over them.

(10) And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The Lord be witness between us if we do not so according to your words."

The elders of Gilead agreed that Jephthah would indeed be their ruler, and the Lord was their witness that they had agreed to do what he had said.

(11) Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them, and Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh.

Jephthah went back with the elders of Gilead where the people made him head and captain over them.  It appears that Jephthah confirmed his plans to the Lord in prayer to be sure he was acting within the will of the Lord.

(12) And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, "What have you to do with me that you are come against me to fight in my land?"

Jephthah then sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and speaking as Israel's ruler, asked why they were invading his land and making war against his people.

(13) And the king of the children of Ammon answered to the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt from Arnon even to Jabbok and to Jordan; now therefore restore those again peaceably."

The king of Ammon sent a message back that he sought to fight against Israel because they had taken his land from the River Arnon to the Jabbok River to the Jordan River from him when they came from Egypt.  This map borrowed from Bible History shows the rivers in Old Testament Israel, and the Ammonite king's land is clearly visible by the above description:

The king told Jephthah to restore his lands peaceably.

(14) And Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon, (15) And said to him, "Thus says Jephthah, 'Israel did not take away the land of Moab nor the land of the children of Ammon, (16) But when Israel came up from Egypt and walked through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh, (17) Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, "Let me, I pray you, pass through your land," but the king of Edom would not hearken. And in like manner, they sent to the king of Moab, but he would not, and Israel abode in Kadesh.'"

Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of Ammon telling him that Israel had not taken away the land of Moab or the land of Ammon.  He explained how Israel had come from Egypt and in order to get to the land of Canaan, they sent messengers to the king of Edom asking permission to cross through the land of Edom (Numbers 20:17), but the king had refused them passage.  Likewise, the king of Moab would not allow them passage (Deuteronomy 2:30).  Therefore the children of Israel abode in Kadesh and did not attempt to force their way through either country.

(18) "'Then they went along through the wilderness and compassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab and came by the east side of the land of Moab and pitched on the other side of Arnon but did not come within the border of Moab for Arnon was the border of Moab.'"

Jephthah's messengers continued with the words of Jephthah explaining how the Israelites then went around Edom and Moab and camped on the east side of Moab on the other side of their border at the Arnon River (Numbers 21:13).

(19) "'And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, "Let us pass, we pray you, through your land into our place." (20) But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his coast, but Sihon gathered all his people together and pitched in Jahaz and fought against Israel.'"

Israel had then sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, in Heshbon, the royal city, and asked that they be allowed to pass through his land to get to their land in Canaan.  However, Sihon refused, and then gathered his people to fight against Israel (Numbers 21:23).

(21) "'And the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they killed him, so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.'"

It was Sihon who instigated war against Israel, and the Lord delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of the Israelites so that being victors in the war, they lawfully possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country at that time.

(22) "'And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even to Jabbok and from the wilderness even to Jordan.'"

Therefore the Israelites possessed all the land of the Amorites from the Jabbok to the Arnon River, north to south, and from the Arabian wilderness to the Jordan River, east to west.

(23) "'So now the Lord God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel, and should you possess it?'"

Jephthah summed up his words in his message to the king of Ammon, saying that since the Lord God of Israel had lawfully dispossessed the Amorites from their land and had given it to His people Israel, could he, the Ammonite king, really expect to possess it?

(24) "'Will you now possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whoever the Lord our God shall drive out from before us, them we will possess.'"

Jephthah's message went on to say that although the Ammonites believed that because they had been given that land by their false god Chemosh, and they had a divine right to the land and should never have to relinquish it, Jephthah's claim was that whomever their Lord God of Israel drove out from before them was Israel's to rightfully possess.

(25) "'And now are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them, (26) While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that are along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? Why therefore did you not recover them within that time?'"

Jephthah posed the question of whether this king of Ammon thought he was better and wiser than his predecessor Balak, the son of Zippor, who had been the king of Moab and the former possessor of the land that the Israelites took from Sihon.  Balak had never assumed claim or entered into any dispute or war over the land Israel had possessed and inhabited which they had now inhabited for almost 300 years.  Why had he not put in his claim sooner and tried to recover the land before this time?

(27) "'Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me; the Lord the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.'"

Having explained the history of the disputed land, Jephthah pointed out that he and Israel had not sinned against the king of Ammon and his people, but the king was wrong in commencing a war with Israel when he had no just cause.  Therefore he called on the Lord God of Israel, the righteous Judge of all the earth, to be judge between Israel and the Ammonites and give victory to the party which was right.

(28) However, the king of the children of Ammon did not heed the words of Jephthah which he sent them.

However, the king of Ammon was not moved by the words of Jephthah which had been sent by messenger to him, nor did he regard the appeal Jephthah had made to the Lord God of the universe.

(29) Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon.

The Spirit of the Lord came over Jephthah and led him to pass over Gilead and Manasseh, the countries that belonged to Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.  He also passed over Mizpeh in Gilead where the Israelites had originally camped against the Ammonites in Gilead (Judges 10:17) and where Jephthah had been made head and captain over the Israelites (Judges 11:11).  From there Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord.

(30) And Jephthah vowed a vow to the Lord, and said, "If You shall without fail deliver the children of Ammon into my hands, (31) Then it shall be that whatever comes forth of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering."

Jephthah then vowed a vow to the Lord.  Although he had seemed assured of the justness of his cause, he appears to have had some doubt about his success, and he felt the need to make a tragic vow.  He vowed that if the Lord delivered the Ammonites into his hands, then he would offer up as a burnt offering to the Lord whatever came forth out of the door of his house to meet him when he returned from a victorious war with the Ammonites.  This seems to be a very rash, ill-considered vow, coming forth from a level of doubt or fear, as logically, what would come out of his house to meet him other than a loved one?  A dog, perhaps?  But unlikely.

(32) So Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands. (33) And he struck them from Aroer, even till you come to Minnith, twenty cities, and to the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

Of course, the Lord delivered the Ammonites into Jephthah's hand!  He was the one who led Jephthah to the Ammonites (verse 29).  He and his army struck the Ammonites all across their country, twenty cities and the plain, in a great slaughter, and the Ammonites were fully subdued before the Israelites.

(34) And Jephthah came to Mizpeh to his house, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances, and she his only child; besides her, he had neither son nor daughter.

Of course, Jephthah's daughter would run out to meet her father!  What had Jephthah been thinking when he vowed his vow?  Perhaps he expected a servant whom he was willing to sacrifice.  Apparently, it was a custom for women to go out to meet returning conquerors with musical instruments, songs, and dances.  There would have been a group of women, so any one of them could have come out first.  But it was his daughter who came out first to meet him, dancing with tambourines.  She was his only child.

(35) And it came to pass, when he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of them who troubles me, for I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot go back!"

When Jephthah saw it was his only daughter who came out to meet him first, he tore his clothes in a sign of grief and anguish.  He told his daughter how much it grieved and troubled him to see her because he had opened his mouth in a rash vow concerning her, and he could not go back on his word to the Lord.  Actually, in truth, I believe he could have.  Child sacrifice was never acceptable to the Lord.  Even when the Lord tested Abraham's faith by asking him to sacrifice his son, once Abraham had proved his faith in the Lord, the Lord provided another sacrifice.  It would have been a great sin for Jephthah to go back on his word to the Lord, but I believe it was equally great a sin for him to kill his daughter, a sacrifice God never wanted.  However, the Lord knows the heart of man, and I'm sure he judged Jephthah righteous because he put his Lord first.  But what a tragic loss of an innocent life!  I believe this incident was meant as a lesson for us about the consequences of impulsive vows.  Making a vow to the Lord is a very serious matter, and it should only be made after serious consideration.  Words carry great power and moral responsibility, most especially words to our Lord God.  Actually, Jesus said:

"...you have heard that it has been said by those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord your oaths,' but I say to you, 'Swear not at all neither by heaven for it is God's throne, nor by the earth for it is His footstool, neither by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great King...But let your communication be 'Yes' for yes, and 'No' for no, for whatever is more than these comes of evil." (Matthew 5:33-35,37)

Jesus said not to swear a vow at all because any more than "yes" or "no" came from evil, or the evil one, the devil, as he would have one swear a vow as Jephthah did so that an innocent life be destroyed, because his purposes are only to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).

(36) And she said to him, "My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, forasmuch as the Lord has taken vengeance for you of your enemies of the children of Ammon."

Jephthah's daughter, in remarkable submission and obedience to her father and great reverence for the Lord, agreed that her father must do as he had vowed to the Lord because the Lord had given him victory over the Ammonites as he had asked of Him.  She willingly consented to his vow.

(37) And she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months that I may go up and down on the mountains and bewail my virginity, I and my companions."

She only asked that her father give her two months to mourn the fact that she would die unmarried and childless.  She wished for time to go up and down the mountains, probably first telling her friends she would pass on the way about her coming demise, and then perhaps they would accompany her as she bewailed her virginity.

(38) And he said, "Go." And he sent her away two months, and she went with her companions and bewailed her virginity on the mountains.

Jephthah granted his daughter's request and sent her away for two months.  She went with her companions and friends and bewailed on the mountains the fact that she would die a virgin, unmarried and childless.

(39) And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned to her father who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed, and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, (40) The daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

At the end of two months Jephthah's daughter returned to her father, and he did with her according to his vow, "and she knew no man."  Some Biblical scholars take this to mean Jephthah did not actually sacrifice his daughter, but gave her to the Lord or dedicated her to the Lord.  The verse did not state specifically that Jephthah offered her as a burnt sacrifice as was his vow (verse 31), but states that she was a virgin.  And Jephthah was listed as one of the heroes of faith in Hebrews (Hebrews 11:32).  However, because God did not approve of human sacrifice, I'm sure that act was not the object of his faith that made him one of the heroes of faith.  I believe he was listed for his faith because he did as the Lord directed him (verse 29) and delivered Israel, and it was despite his tragic vow.  The Lord would have delivered Israel, regardless.  However, as stated before, God knows the heart of man, and Jephthah's was purely toward his Lord and above his only daughter, if he did indeed sacrifice her.  Why wouldn't God have stopped Jephthah from sacrificing his daughter as he had stopped Abraham?  Well, the main reason is that God had told Abraham to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22:2).  He did no such thing in this case.  This was the sole doing of Jephthah.  If it seems cruel to allow an innocent young woman to be killed because of her father's rash vow, we must realize that if she was indeed innocent, then she was faithful in fulfilling her purpose in life, as providing an important everlasting lesson in the Bible, and she forever resides with Jesus.