Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• 14. Jacob's blessing of his sons 49:1-28
  Jacob blessed all 12 of his sons and foretold what would become of each of them and their descendants. He disqualified Reuben, Simeon, and Levi from leadership and gave that blessing to Judah. He granted the double portion to...
• Outline
  I. The reason for Israel's apostasy 1:1-3:6A. Hostilities between the Israelites and the Canaanites after Joshua's death 1:1-2:51. Initial successes and failures ch. 12. The announcement of God's discipline 2:1-5B. Israel's c...
• I. THE REASONS FOR ISRAEL'S APOSTASY 1:1--3:6
  The first major section in the book (1:1-3:6) explains very clearly why the period of the judges was a dark chapter in Israel's history. God revealed the reasons for Israel's apostasy and consequent national problems in terms...
• II. THE RECORD OF ISRAEL'S APOSTASY 3:7--16:31
  Israel's JudgesJudgeScriptureIsrael's OppressorsLength in YearsNation(s)King(s)OppressionJudgeshipPeaceOthniel3:7-11MesopotamiaCushan-rishathaim8(ca. 1358-1350 B.C.)40(ca. 1350-1310 B.C.)Ehud3:12-30Moab (with Ammon & Amal...
• C. The third apostasy chs. 4-5
  Chapters 4 and 5 are complementary versions of the victory God gave Israel over the Canaanites, first in prose and then in poetry (cf. Exod. 14-15).91...
• 1. The victory over Jabin and Sisera ch. 4
  4:1-3 As long as Ehud lived he kept Israel faithful to God (v. 1). However after he died, God's people again turned from the Lord. In discipline God allowed the Canaanites in the North to gain strength and dominate the Israel...
• The final chorus 5:31
  The song concludes with a reminder that those who oppose Yahweh will perish. Those who love Him will prosper, as Israel did in this battle through His intervention for her.130Following this victory and the battles that follow...
• D. The fourth apostasy 6:1-10:5
  The writer of Judges structured this book so the story of Gideon would be its focal center."Within the main body of the book, seven major narrative blocks can be noted. Moreover, there are certain parallel features between th...
• Gideon's initial victory 7:19-22
  Gideon commenced his "attack"at the beginning of the middle watch, which was evidently midnight.169Many of the Midianites would have been sound asleep and upon awakening would have felt confused by the sights and sounds of th...
• 2. Oppression under the Ammonites 10:8-18
  The Israelites felt the main influence of the Ammonites on the east side of the Jordan River that bordered Ammon (v. 8). However the Ammonites also attacked the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim west of the Jordan (v. 9)...
• Samson and Delilah 16:4-21
  The first three verses present Samson sowing "wild oats."Verses 4-21 picture him reaping a bitter harvest (cf. Gal. 6:7).Samson allowed a woman to seduce him again. She lived in the Sorek Valley between Samson's home area of ...
• III. THE RESULTS OF ISRAEL'S APOSTASY chs. 17--21
  The following two extended incidents (ch. 17-21) differ from the records of the judges just completed (chs. 3-16). They are not accounts of the activities of any of Israel's judges. They are the record of events that took pla...
• The establishment of idolatry at Dan 18:27-31
  The Danites' defeat of the inhabitants of Laish appears cruel and unjustified (cf. 9:45-49). The town that seemed so desirable to the spies was really vulnerable and isolated. Its advantages proved to be weaknesses. Since God...
• The background of the incident 19:1-15
  We meet another Levite in verse 1 who was paying no attention to God's directions concerning where the Levites should live (cf. 17:7). Since monogamy was God's standard for marriage the Levite should not have married a concub...
• Conclusion
  The Book of Joshua recorded Israel's victory over her enemies through trust in and obedience to God. The Book of Judges shows the defeat of the nation by its enemies from without and within due to refusal to trust and obey Go...
• Bibliography
  Aharoni, Yohanan. Land of the Bible. Phildelphia: Westminster Press, 1962.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwell. The...
• The death of Samuel 25:1
  Samuel's years of being a blessing to all Israel ended at this time. David took his place as God's major channel of blessing to the nation. It is appropriate that the notice of Samuel's death occurs here since Saul had just a...
• 2. The assurance of the king 20:6-8
  20:6 David was confident he would be successful in the coming conflict because he was the Lord's anointed. Of course, if David had been guilty of sin God might not have given him the victory. However the king believed that he...
• 2. The desire for deliverance 83:9-18
  83:9-12 Asaph prayed that God would deliver His people as He had in the past during the judges' period. God had destroyed the Midianites with Gideon's small band of soldiers (Judg. 7-8). Oreb and Zeeb were the Midianite comma...
• 2. Petition for present victory 144:3-11
  144:3-4 The exalted description of God in verses 1 and 2 led David to reflect in amazement that God would take interest in mere mortals. Man's existence is very brief compared to God who abides forever.144:5-8 The psalmist de...
• The meeting with the Rechabites 35:1-11
  35:1 This oracle came to Jeremiah during King Jehoiakim's reign (609-598 B.C.) after the Babylonians had begun to invade Judah (v. 11). Second Kings 24:1-2 reads, "In his [Jehoiakim's] days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came...
• B. Jonah's lack of compassion 1:4-6
  1:4 Jonah subjected himself to dangers that Israel and the entire ancient Near East viewed as directly under divine control when he launched out on the sea. The sea to them was the embodiment of the chaotic forces that humans...
• 2. The restoration of the true people ch. 10
  The first part of this oracle focused particularly on the true King who would come and exercise sovereignty over the nations (ch. 9). Now the emphasis changes to the people of the King, the Israelites, who will return to the ...
• The final deliverance of Israel and the return of Messiah 14:1-8
  14:1 The Lord announced through His prophet that a day was coming, for His benefit primarily, when the nations that had plundered Israel victoriously would divide their spoil among themselves in Jerusalem. This would be the L...
• III. Women in Old Testament Times Until the Time of Jesus
  A. Women served in the doorway of the Tabernacle (Exod. 38:8; 1 Sam. 2:22).The same word (saba) is used of their work as that of the Levites. These women were probably widows who devoted themselves to the service of God.B. Mi...
• 8. The sixth bowl 16:12-16
  The final three bowl judgments all have political consequences.16:12 The problem that this judgment poses for earth-dwellers is not a result of the judgment itself but its consequences, namely, war. It does not inflict a plag...