CHAPTER ONE

 

 

1:3:  “Judah said unto Simeon his brother” = Judah and Simeon were blood brothers because Leah was their mother.  And Simeon had inheritance within the tribe of Judah (see Jos. 19:1).

 

1:6:  “cut off his thumbs and his great toes” = The reasoning and message to other leaders was, without thumbs one couldn’t wield a weapon and without the largest toe one could not run very well, either in pursuit or in retreat.

 

1:8:  “Jerusalem, and had taken it” = Although they had conquered Jerusalem, they didn’t occupy it until verse 21.  And it does not become the national capital until Second Samuel 5:7.

 

1:10:  “Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai” = Arba was the father of the giant Anak (Jos. 15:13), who was the father of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.  Anak fathered the Nephilim, who had frightened 10 of the 12 spies who first explored the land of Israel (Num. 13:22 & 28 & 33).  Goliath and his four brothers were from the line of Anak.

 

1:13:  “Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother” = The blood relationship is obscured.  Being the “son of Kenaz,” yet being given Caleb’s daughter, which would make him his son-in-law, was Othniel the “younger brother,” or the son-in-law, or both?  First Chronicles 4:13 indicates that Othniel was the “son of Kenaz.”  However, in Hebrew, the word “H1121; ben,” for “son,” can take upon it many forms, such as “male child; son-in-law; grandson; great grandson.”  More than likely “Caleb’s nephew” is meant base upon First Chronicles 4:13.

 

“Achsah” = Here is my Joshua 15:17 Note:  This is also recorded in Joshua 15:17-19.  What is interesting, is that at this point in the Book of Judges, Joshua is already dead.  Therefore, the importance of this event cannot be overlooked, else God would not have had it recorded here again.  What we are not told specifically in the Book of Joshua is all the land that Judah inherited.  Whereas here, in the Book of Judges, we are given the exact territory that the tribe of Judah inherited.  The bottom line is, that because of Caleb’s faithfulness when spying out the land of Israel, he is given the best of the land of Israel.  And if we are faithful, as was Caleb (and Joshua), we will inherit Heaven.

 

1:15:  “water” = Water, in that area, is more precious than oil, and to this day is a major issue between Israel and Jordan.

 

1:16:  “father in law” = The Kenites were descended from Moses’ “brother-in-law,” and as such, were allies of Israel.  The Hebrew words for “brother-in-law” and “father-in-law” use the same Hebrew letters.  Thus, we have problems such as Jethro being also Reuel and Hobab (see Exo. 2:18; 3:1; Num. 10:29; Jud. 4:11).

 

“city of palm trees” = Which was Jericho (Deu. 34:3; Jos. 6:26).

 

1:19:  “chariots of iron” = Because the Philistines’ had access to a sea-based trade route, that gave them a monopoly on iron with which to made iron weapons.  Too heavy for mountain use; but perfect for level ground.

 

1:25:  “let go the man and all his family” = Reminiscent of Israel’s mercy given to Rahab at Jericho (Joshua, Chapters 2 & 6).

 

1:27 & 29 & 30 & 31 & 33:  “Neither did” = Compromise for the Christian never works when dealing with evil.  This series of tribal defeats is the first indication that Israel was no longer walking by faith and trusting God to give them the victory over their enemies.  In the Book of Deuteronomy, the priests were Commanded to read that Book publicly to the nation of Israel every Sabbatical year during the Feast of Tabernacles (Deu. 31:9-13).  In Deuteronomy, Chapter Seven, the Israelites were warned NOT to spare their pagan neighbors.  And in Deuteronomy 31:1-8, God promised to help defeat their enemies IF faithful.  See Joshua 1:8; Judges 2:2; Second Timothy 4:3-4.

 

 

CHAPTER TWO

 

 

2:1:  “Angel of the LORD” = That this is Jesus and is known as a “Theophany,” the appearance of Christ in the Old Testament, because it was He Who “I [Jesus] made you to go up out of Egypt,” and “I [Jesus] will never break My Covenant.”  Plus, the Hebrew for “LORD” is God’s Name “H3068; Jehovah.”  New Testament references that the “Angel of the LORD,” is Christ are John 8:56; 12:31; First Corinthians 10:4; Hebrews 11:26.

 

“This Angel. . . was no less a personage than the Son of God.”  ST, June 2, 1881; ST, April 15, 1897; TA:113; BEcho, March 8, 1897.

 

2:5:  “Bochim” = Meaning, “weepers.”

 

2:11:  “Baalim” = Baalim is the plural of “Baal,” and should be spelled and pronounced, “Ba-al.”  The name has many variations, but primarily means, “god of storms,” and often “god of Mars.”  This could explain why Elijah challenged the priests of Ba-al to produce rain.

 

2:11-15:  Psalm 106:34-42 is a poetic paraphrase of these verses.

 

Judges 2:18; Exodus 32:14; First Samuel 15:11, 35; First Chronicles 21:15; Jeremiah 42:10; Joel 2:13; Amos 7:3; Jonah 3:10; 4:2:  “repented” = This is not a change of mind (Num. 23:19; 1Sa. 15:29).  For God allows Himself to take either course of action in that Divine warnings (and that is precisely what this is -- a warning) are always conditional based upon the response of the people (Jer. 18:8).  While His judgments are sure (Gen. 6:6), “His mercy endures for ever,” First Chronicles 16:34.  For God even “repents” of the warnings of forecasted events despite the desired response of the people (Deu. 32:36; Hos. 11:8).

 

2:19:  “they returned, and corrupted themselves more” = See Proverbs 26:11.

 

 

CHAPTER THREE

 

 

3:ALL:  The “LORD,” i.e., “YHWH,” is named 15 times in these 30 verses.

 

3:2:  “teach them war” = Had they obeyed the “LORD,” this would not have been necessary.

 

3:3:  “Sidonians” = These were also known as the Phoenicians.

 

3:8:  “king of Mesopotamia” = Literally, “Syria of the Two Rivers.”  This distant king reached all the way down to the tribe of Judah (“Othniel,” verse 9, was from that tribe), before God decided to intervene, lest Israel be totally destroyed.

 

3:9:  “Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother” = See my Judges 1:13 Note.

 

3:13:  “city of palm trees” = Which was Jericho (Deu. 34:3; Jos. 6:26).

 

3:15:  “lefthanded” = This could be translated as “a man handicapped in the right hand.”  The Hebrew implies left-handedness; but the grammar structure implies that Ehud was impeded on the right.

 

In Israelite culture the right hand is a symbol of power; whereas a “lefthanded” man is considered to be a weakness and eschewed as if being handy-capped; thus showing Israel that God can use the least vessel for His glory.  However, a more correct rendering of this passage would be that Ehud was indeed handy-capped.  If we go to verse 16, we can see that Ehud had a special “dagger” made in which could be drawn from the “right thigh,” the “left thigh” being the normal place a weapon was placed, even if you were left-handed.

 

Also, verse 21 shows us that “Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh.”  Also, in those days and these persons would be frisked before being allowed into the presence of a king.  However, most likely, because Ehud was crippled, they did not search him, or, as was customary, they checked only his normal weapon covering side, the left thigh; which would also indicate that this “dagger” was made especially for this occasion.

 

By contrast, we also learn that the Benjamite’s were known LATER for their ambidexterity (Jud. 20:16; 1Ch. 1:2).

 

3:19:  “quarries” = Hebrew, “H6456; pesyil,” meaning “idols; images; graven image.”

 

“Keep silence” = By Ehud telling Eglon that he had a “secret” for him, Ehud was able to have everyone leave so that he would have the king all to himself.

 

3:22:  “dirt” = Hebrew, “H6574; parshedon,” meaning, “excrement; feces; poop.”

 

3:24:  “covereth his feet” = The true meaning here is that when one would sit down his clothing would touch the floor thus covering ones’ feet.  The interpretation is that he was going to the potty.

 

3:28:  “took the fords of Jordan” = Such that the Moabites could not pass over the River Jordan; nor could they receive help from their allies.

 

 

CHAPTER FOUR

 

 

4:2:  “Hazor” = Located about 8 1/2 miles north of the Sea of Galilee.  Joshua had burned Hazor (Jos. 11:13).  Therefore, the Canaanites must have rebuilt it.

 

4:4:  “Deborah” = Meaning, “honeybee.”

 

4:5:  “between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim” = About 9 miles north of Jerusalem.

 

4:6:  “Barak” = Barak did not live up to his name, which meant, “lightning.”  However, he is listed in the hero and faith Chapter (Heb. 11:32).  Therefore, once he gets going, he must have moved with speed.

 

4:11:  “Hobab” = Another name for Jethro, Moses’ “father in law.”

 

4:15:  “Sisera lighted down off his chariot and fled away on his feet” = It is not clear here why he would leave a perfectly good and powerful instrument until we learn in Judges 5:4 & 20-22 that the Lord sent a fierce rainstorm that would make the Kishon River overflow and turn the battlefield into a sea of mud.  We can notice in in the phrase that starts this sentence, “And the LORD discomfited Sisera.”  The Hebrew for “discomfited” is “H2000; hamam,” meaning, “confused; to move noisily; discomfort; trouble.”

 

Plus, this had to be the LORD, for Sisera would never take his chariots to this field during the rainy season.  But this was the dry season (June-September) when there was never that much if any rain.  Also, the Canaanites worshipped the “god of storms,” i.e., Ba-al.  Surely he would protect them?

 

4:17:  “Heber” = “Heber, one of the descendants of Jethro.”  ST, June 16, 1881; DG:38.

 

4:18-21:  “turn in to me; fear not” = See Judges 5:24.

 

“Jael was at first ignorant of the character of her guest, and she resolved to conceal him; but when she afterward learned that he was Sisera, the enemy of God and of His people, her purpose changed.”  ST, June 16, 1881; DG:38; 2BC:1002.

 

 

CHAPTER FIVE

 

 

5:2:  “Praise ye the LORD” = “The greatest praise that men can bring to God is to become consecrated channels through whom He can work.”  AA:566.

 

5:19:  “Taanach” = Located about 5 miles South East of Megiddo.

 

5:23:  “the Angel of the LORD” = Notice that this is not Deborah cursing, but Jesus.  It wasn’t for failing to assist Israel in the battle.  But rather, they failed to trust the LORD to give them the victory.

 

5:26:  “smote off his head” = Here we are given more detail that she even cut his head off.

 

 

CHAPTER SIX

 

 

6:1:  “Midian” = Remember that the Midianites were descendants of Abraham and Keturah (Gen. 25:1-2).

 

6:8:  “I brought you up from Egypt” = One might take note how often God uses His deliverance of Israel from Egypt to reason with His people.  It’s almost as if He considers that to be His greatest achievement for Israel.  Or at least He wants them to consider and always remember that event in order to turn to and worship the true God.  It also could be to show His commitment to them.  Lastly, Israel was considered as being born as a nation when they came out of Egypt.

 

6:11:  “Angel of the LORD” = Christ.  See verse 14.

 

6:12:  “thou mighty man of valour” = God always sees us as a finished product.

 

6:16:  “as one man” = As if they were only “one man” in strength.

 

6:17:  “shew me a sign” = “Gideon desired some token that the one now addressing him was the same that spoke to Moses in the burning bush.  The Angel had vailed the Divine glory of His presence, but it was no other than Christ, the Son of God {We as Christians call this a “Theophany,” which is a manifestation of Christ before becoming humankind}.  When a prophet or an angel delivered a Divine message, his words were ‘The Lord saith, I will do this,’ but it is stated of the Person Who talked with Gideon, “The Lord said unto him, I will be with thee.’ ”  ST, June 23, 1881.

 

6:20:  “lay them upon this rock” = What may not be obvious at first reading, is the fact that “this Rock” is a symbol of the true “Rock,” Matthew 16:18; Acts 4:11, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will die for our sins that we might live.

 

6:24:  “Jehovahshalom” = In the previous verse our Lord had stated, “Peace be unto thee.”  The Hebrew word “shalom” means “peace.”  Therefore, Gideon had named his altar, “God [of] peace.”

 

6:25:  “throw down the altar of Baal” = Notice that our Lord would not perform a miracle or work with Gideon while there were Satanic objects in his household.  The same is true today.  If there are objects that are objectionable to our Lord in your house you must get rid of them before God can bless you and your household.

 

“cut down” = Gideon, whose name means, “smiter, hewer,” was told to (Hebrew) “H3772; karat,” literally meaning, “to cut off, to cut down.”  Thus, his name has true Hebrew meaning.  He was not only to “cut down” the sin in Israel, but to totally “cut [it] off” from Israel.

 

6:29:  “Joash” = The Hebrew is “H3101; yoash,” and literally means, “Given by the Lord.”  The Question Is, “Were his parents praising God for this son, or was this a future prophecy of what their son would do, i.e., Joash would give Gideon as a servant to the Lord?”  Based upon these events, it would appear to be a dual prophecy, for both Joash (see verse 31) and later Gideon stand up for our Lord.

 

6:32:  “Jerubbaal” = Meaning, “H3378; Let Ba-al defend himself.”  See Judges 7:1.

 

6:33:  “Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east” = Again, Midian is the son of Abraham and Keturah, which would be now relatives to the south, while Amalek was the grandson of Esau, which were relatives to the east.  They were “gathered together” “in the valley of Jezreel.”  According to Judges 7:12 & 8:10, their armies would equal 135,000 men against Gideons 32,000 (4 to one odds; God eventually takes them down to 300 [Jud. 7:6] lest they take credit for God’s glory; see Jud. 7:2).

 

Many battles took place in the valley of Jezreel.  It was part of territory given to the Israelite tribe of Manasseh when they entered into the promised land.  In ancient times this area had great strategic value since the valley was the only east-west access between the coast and the Jordan Valley.  It was also the most fertile agricultural land in Palestine, which is reflected in the name Jezreel, meaning, “God will sow.”

 

In a side note, Megiddo, which is within the valley of Jezreel, is translated from the Hebrew word “gadad,” meaning, “to slaughter,” or “cut off.”  There was so much bloodshed in these plains that both Jezreel and Megiddo became synonyms for violence and bloodshed.

 

6:34:  “Abiezer” = Meaning, “H44; My father is help.”

 

 

CHAPTER SEVEN

 

 

7:2:  “The people that are with thee are too many” = “Aroused by the stirring appeals of Gideon, they had readily enlisted; but many were filled with fear when they saw the multitudes of the Midianites.”  ST, June 30, 1881; PP:549; CC:127.

 

7:3:  “twenty and two thousand” = The odds are now 12 to one.

 

7:4:  “try them” = “There is a lesson for us in the experience of Gideon’s army.  Those whose hearts were in the work were so earnest that they would not stop to kneel by the brook to drink, but dipped up the water in their hands, as they hurried on to battle, and these are the ones God used.  Those who made deliberate preparations to drink, and took their time for it, were sent back to their homes.”  ARA:204; PUR, June 22, 1905; GW:92:296.

 

“Here we see the simple means by which character is often tested.  Those who in a time of great peril were intent upon supplying their own wants, were not the men to be trusted in an emergency.  The men of God’s choice were the few who would not permit their own wants to hinder them in the discharge of duty.  Not only did they possess courage and self-control, but they were men of faith.  They had not defiled themselves by idolatry.”  ST, June 30, 1881; PP:549; CC:128.

 

7:6:  “three hundred men” = Josephus argues that it was the 300 that were the less watchful, to cause an even greater recognition of God’s power.  The odds are now 450 to one.

 

7:10:  “Phurah” = Meaning, “H6513; bough.”

 

7:16:  “lamps” = The Hebrew is “H3940; lappiyd; lappid,” meaning “torch; firebrand.”

 

7:19:  “the middle watch” = The “First Watch” would be from 6 P.M. to 10 P.M.; the “Middle Watch” would be from 10 P.M. to 2 A.M.; while the “Morning Watch” would be from 2 A.M. to 6 A.M.  From here, 6 to 7 A.M. would be the “First Hour;” the “Third Hour” would be about 9 A.M.; etcetera.

 

7:20:  “held the lamps” = “The light of three hundred lamps, piercing the midnight darkness, and that mighty shout from three hundred voices, suddenly aroused the sleeping army.  Believing themselves at the mercy of an overwhelming force, the Midianites were panic-stricken.  A terrible scene of confusion ensued.  In their fright they fled in all directions, and mistaking their own companions for enemies they slew one another.”  ST, July 14, 1881.

 

7:25:  “Oreb” meaning “raven.”

 

“Zeeb” meaning “wolf.”

 

 

CHAPTER EIGHT

 

 

8:12:  “discomfited” = The Hebrew is “H2729; charad,” meaning, “to make tremble; quake; move about; be afraid; be startled; be terrified; to drive to terror; routed.”  Apparently, Gideon must have orchestrated a surprise attack.  More information here would have been nice to know.

 

8:16:  “taught” = The Hebrew is “H3045; yada,” meaning, “made to know.”

 

8:18:  “What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor” = Herein we are given insight into why Gideon was hiding in the winepress (Jud. 6:11), for these two kings, “Zebah and Zalmunna,” were ravaging the area where Gideon lived.  According to the Law, the family (verse 19) was to avenge those responsible for murder (Num. 35:9-34; Deu. 19:6 & 12).

 

8:20:  “firstborn” = How one dies in battle was important.  Gideon was attempting to put them to even more shame.

 

8:21:  “ornaments” = The Hebrew is “H7720; saharon,” literally meaning, “ornaments of the Crescent Moon.”  These Midianites were worshipping “Al-llah, the moon god.”  Here is where Muslims of the eighth century (not seventh) get their worship from.  See my Bible Study:  “MUSLIM RELIGION, EVALUATION OF.”

 

8:31:  “Abimelech” = Meaning, “My father is king.”  Abimelech is a very popular ancient (Biblical) name; used four times.  Three times of Kings that Abraham dealt with, and here, as Gideon’s son.  What is interesting is that verse 30tells us that Gideon “had many wives.”  Yet this one is called a “concubine.”  The reason may be that she was a Shechemite, and therefore was not of Israeli origin, meaning that she could never reach the status of being one of his “wives.”

 

 

CHAPTER NINE

 

 

9:1:  “Abimelech” = “The worthless bramble, grasping for honor, and destroying that which was better than itself, was a fitting symbol of the vile and cruel Abimelech.  Millo was the name of the senate-house, or town-hall, and by the house of Millo are meant the chief men of Shechem, who had united in making Abimelech their king, but who, according to Jotham’s prophecy, were to destroy Abimelech, and to be destroyed by him.”  ST, August 4, 1881.

 

9:4:  “Baalberith” = Meaning, “lord of the covenant.”  This was the god of the Philistines.

 

9:6:  “house of Millo” = “Beth Millo” means, “house of the fortress.”  This is thought to be where the upper classes lived.

 

“by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem” = The Hebrew for “plain” is “H436; elon,” meaning, “plain; a tree; a great tree; terebinth or oak.”  This is most probably the well-known tree, the “Oak of Moreh,” as in Genesis 12:6; 35:4.

 

9:14:  “bramble” = A thornbush.  The point is, it produces no fruit and no shade.  It is good only as fuel for the fire.  Jotham is saying Abimelech is worthless for you as a king.

 

9:23:  “God sent an evil spirit” = Here is my First Samuel 16:14-16 & 23 Note:  The key to understanding this verse is to consider the first part:  “But the Spirit of the Lord departed.”  There are two forces at work in this world and you must choose between them.  Evidently (in this case, and this could be us) Saul decided not to serve God.  And when the Holy Spirit departs that opens the door for Satan and his demons to come in (see Mat. 12:43-45).  God will not force Himself upon us, but He does allow Satan some ground especially if that is our own choice.  Another key to understanding “an evil spirit from the Lord,” is to see James 1:13-15.

 

9:27:  “went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards” = The time of the grape harvest would be June through July, the Feast of Ingathering (Lev. 23:15-22).

 

9:45:  “sowed it with salt” = This would prevent anything from ever growing there.  See Jeremiah 48:9.  Archaeology has confirmed this 12th century destruction of Shechem, which remained a ruin until it was rebuilt by Jeroboam I as his capital (1Ki. 12:25).

 

9:46:  “tower of Shechem” = This may be the same as “the house of Millo,” Judges 9:6, hoping against hope that their false god would help them.

 

9:49:  “fire upon them” = Thus, the Lord avenged the blood of Gideon’s sons as prophesied in Judges 9:15.

 

9:50:  “Thebez” = About 10 Miles North East of Shechem on the road to Beth Shean.

 

Judges 9:54; 16:29; First Samuel 31:4; Second Samuel 17:23; First Kings 16:18; Jonah 1:11; Matthew 27:5; Acts 16:27:  “Draw thy sword, and slay me” = The Romans and the Greeks were sanguine about suicide.  They believed that the human body belonged to the gods.  Thus, killing oneself was an offence against them.  They were not far off from the truth.

 

This did not work so well, as Abimelech’s shameful death was remembered years later in Second Samuel 11:21.

 

 

CHAPTER TEN

 

 

10:1:  “Tola” = Meaning, “worm.”  The implication is that he was humble; which is why we don’t have much information on him.

 

“Puah” = Meaning, “splendid.”

 

“Dodo” = Meaning, “The beloved one.”

 

Tola’s “peaceful reign presented a happy contrast to the stormy scenes through which the nation had been passing.  It was not his work to lead armies to battle and to achieve victories over the enemies of Israel, as the former rulers had done; but his influence effected a closer union among the people, and established the government upon a firmer basis. He restored order, law, and justice.  Unlike the proud and envious Abimelech, Tola’s great desire was, not to secure position of honor for himself, but to improve the condition of his people.  A man of deep humility, he felt that he could accomplish no great work, but he determined to perform with faithfulness his duty to God and to the people.  He highly valued the privilege of Divine worship, and chose to dwell near the tabernacle, that he might oftener attend upon the services there performed.”  ST, August 11, 1881; 2BC:1005.

 

10:3:  “Jair” = Jair “feared the Lord and endeavored to maintain His worship among the people.  In conducting the affairs of the government he was assisted by his sons, who acted as magistrates, and went from place to place to administer justice.”  ST, Aug. 11, 1881; 2BC:1005.

 

10:6:  “Baalim” = Ba-al, the god of the Canaanites and Phoenicians.

 

“Ashtaroth” = Also known as Easter, or Esther; or Ishtar, which originated in Babylon, the god of the Canaanites and Phoenicians = The bare-breasted goddess of fertility.  See my Bible Study:  “EASTER.”

 

“the gods of Syria” = Asher, which originated with the grandson of Noah (Nimrod, who built Nineveh; whom Jonah had to deal with later), which happened after the confusion of the languages.  Asher = Assyria = Syria.

 

“the gods of Moab” = Chemosh & Moloch,  a Canaanite deity associated with the practice of child sacrifice.  When you think of abortion, think of this false deity and Satan behind it.  The Moabites remember, sprung from Abraham’s nephew Lot and his oldest daughter (Gen. 19:37; Psa. 83:6).

 

“the gods of the children of Ammon” = Milcom & Molech.  The Ammonites remember, sprung from Abraham’s nephew Lot and his younger daughter (Gen. 19:38; Psa. 83:7-8).

 

“the gods of the Philistines” = Dagon.

 

“and forsook the LORD, and served not Him” = Any explanation would be to give any kind of credence for this behavior.

 

10:12:  “Maonites” = Probably another name for the Midianites.

 

10:14:  “let them deliver you” = It is bizarre that they would be worshipping the gods of the nations they had defeated.  The greatest judgement that our God can give to us is to let us have our own way.  See Romans 1:24 & 26 & 28, where we learn that “God gave them up” to their own lusts.

 

10:17:  “Mizpeh” = Meaning “watchtower.”  East of the Jordan River, above the Jabbok River, which was the 

Northern border of the Ammonites, close to what is now Jordan.

 

10:18:  “people and princes of Gilead” = In the Hebrew, (‘am sar”), there is no “and.”  The literal translation would be, “the assembly of the chiefs of Gilead.”

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