Judges 7:3
fear <03373> [Whosoever.]
Mount Gilead <01568 02022> [mount Gilead.]
Gideon was certainly not at mount Gilead, east of Jordan at this time; but rather near mount Gilboa, west of Jordan. Calmet thinks there must either have been two Gileads, which does not appear from Scripture to have been the case, or that the Hebrew text is corrupt, and that for Gilead we should read Gilboa. This reading, though adopted by Houbigant, is not confirmed by an MS. or version. Dr. Hales endeavours to reconcile the whole, by the supposition that in Gideon's army there were many eastern Manassites from mount Gilead, near the Midianites; and therefore proposes to read, "Whosoever from mount Gilead is fearful and afraid, let him return (home) and depart early."
Twenty-two <06242> [twenty.]
Judges 7:25
two ... generals <08147 08269> [two princes.]
rock <06697> [rock.]
Oreb ...... Oreb ...... Oreb .................. Oreb <06159> [Oreb.]
Eusebius and Jerome speak of a small place called Araba, three miles west from Scythopolis, which is supposed by some to have had its name from Oreb.
brought <0935> [and brought.]
Among ancient nations, the head of the conquered chief was usually brought to the conqueror. Thus Pompey's head was brought to C‘sar, Cicero's head to Mark Anthony, and the heads of Ahab's children to Jehu. These barbarities are seldom practised now, except among the Mahommedans, or the savages of Africa and America; and for the credit of human nature, it is to be wished that such atrocities had never been committed.
side <05676> [on the other side.]
The words {maiaiver lyyarden,} may denote at the passage of Jordan, or from beyond Jordan. Gideon does not appear to have yet passed the Jordan.
Judges 11:37
walk <03381 03212> [go up and down. Heb. go and go down. bewail.]
Judges 11:39
did ....... vowed <06213 05088> [did with.]
That Jephthah did not sacrifice his daughter, but consecrated her to the service of God in the tabernacle, in a state of celibacy, will we imagine be evident from the following consideration:--1. Human sacrifices were ever an abomination to Jehovah, of which Jephthah could not be ignorant; and consequently he would neither have made such a vow, nor carried it into execution. 2. We are expressly told (ver. 29) that Jephthah was under the influence of the Spirit of God, which would effectually prevent him from embruing his hands in the blood of his own child. 3. He had it in his power to redeem his daughter, (Le 27:4;) and surely his only child must have been of more value than thirty shekles. 4. Besides, who was to perform the horrid rite? Not Jephthah himself, who was no priest, and in whom it would have been most unnatural and inhuman; and the priests would certainly have dissuaded him from it. 5. The sacred historian informs us, that she bewailed her virginity, that she knew no man, and that the Israelitish women went yearly to comfort or lament with her.
vowed <05088> [to his vow.]
custom <02706> [custom. or, ordinance.]
Judges 12:6
said .... Say Shibboleth .... said <0559 07641> [Say now.]
Shibboleth <07641> [Shibboleth. which signifieth a stream, or flood.]
{Shibboleth} also means an ear of corn, (Job 24:24,) and {sibboleth} signifies a burden, (Ex 6:6;) and a heavy burden they were obliged to bear who could not pronounce this test letter. It is well known that several nations cannot pronounce certain letters. The sound of th cannot be pronounced by the Persians, no more than by some of our Continental neighbours; though it is a common sound among the Arabians. To this day, many of the German Jews cannot articulate [t] th, for which they substitute ss; thus for {baith,} a house, they say {baiss.}
fell dead <05307> [there fell.]
forty-two <0705> [forty.]
{Arb„im ooshenayim aleph,} "forty and two thousand." Here the [w,] and, may mean simple addition; and this number may denote 2,040 and not 42,000. At the last census of the Israelites (Nu 26:37) the whole tribe of Ephraim only amounted to 32,500, compared with which this last number appears far too great.
Judges 15:4
captured three <07969 03920> [caught three.]
Dr. Kennicott and others contend, that for {shÂÆ’lim,} "foxes," we should read {shâ€Æ’lim,} "handfuls," or sheaves of corn. But, 1. The word {lachad,} rendered caught, never signifies simply to get or take but always to catch, seize, or take by assault or stratagem. 2. Though the proposed alteration is sanctioned by seven MSS., yet all the versions are on the other side. 3. Admitting this alteration, it will be difficult to prove that the word {shâ€Æ’l} means either a sheaf or a handful of corn in the ear, and straw. It occurs but thrice in Scriptures (1 Ki 20:10. Isa 40:12. Eze 13:9): where it evidently means as much as can be contained in the hollow of the hand; but when handfuls of grain in the shock, or sheaves are intended, very different words are used. See Ru 2.15, 16, etc. 4. It is not hinted that Samson collected them alone, or in one day; he might have employed many hands and several days in the work. 5. The word {shÂÆ’l} properly denotes the jackal, which travellers describe as an animal in size between the wolf and fox, gregarious, as many as 200 having been seen together, and the most numerous of any in eastern countries; so that Samson might have caught many of them together in nets.
torches ............... torch <03940> [firebrands. or, torches.]
Judges 15:13
Judges 16:3
grabbed <0270> [took.]
bar ..... put <01280 07760> [bar and all. Heb. with the bar.]
Judges 16:28
called <07121> [called.]
remember ... Strengthen <02142 02388> [remember me.]
swift <0259> [that I may.]
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.
