Judges 1:7
thumbs ... big toes <0931> [their thumbs. Heb. the thumbs of their hands and of their feet.]
This was not an unusual act of cruelty in ancient times towards enemies.--’lian informs us, that in after ages "the Athenians, at the instigation of Cleon, son of Cleoenetus, made a decree that all the inhabitants of the island of ’gina should have the thumb cut off from the right hand, so that they might ever after be disabled from holding a spear, yet might handle an oar." It was a custom among those Romans who did not like a military life, to cut off their thumbs, that they might be incapable of serving in the army; and for the same reason, parents sometimes cut off the thumbs of their children.
lick up <03950> [gathered. or, gleaned. as I have.]
Judges 18:2-3
Danites ........... men <0582 01121> [men. Heb. sons. Zorah.]
spy out <07270> [to spy.]
hill country <02022> [mount.]
recognized <05234> [they knew.]
They knew by his dialect or mode of pronunciation, that he was not an Ephraimite: see the parallel texts.
[and what hast.]
Judges 18:10
unsuspecting <0982> [secure.]
God ... handing ... over <0430 05414> [God hath.]
lacks <04270> [where there.]
Judges 20:26
Israelites <01121> [all the children.]
wept <01058> [wept.]
Judges 21:10
kill <03212 05221> [Go and smite.]
As they had sworn to destroy those who would not assist in the war (ver. 5,) they determined to destroy the men of Jabesh, and to leave none except the virgins; and to give these to the 600 Benjamites who had escaped to the rock of Rimmon. The whole account is dreadful. The crime of the men of Gibeah was of the deepest dye; the punishment involving both the guilty and innocent, was extended to the most criminal excess, and their mode of remedying the evil they had occasioned was equally abominable.
