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Bible Commentaries
Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments Benson's Commentary
Partial Conquests; Israel Fails to Drive Out Canaanites.Chapter 2
Angel Rebukes Israel; Cycle of Sin Begins.Chapter 3
Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar Deliver Israel.Chapter 4
Deborah and Barak Defeat Sisera.Chapter 5
Deborah and Barak's Victory Song.Chapter 6
Gideon Called to Deliver Israel from Midian.Chapter 7
Gideon Defeats Midianites with 300 Men.Chapter 8
Gideon's Pursuit of Kings; Israel's Temporary Peace.Chapter 9
Abimelech's Rise and Fall as King.Chapter 10
Tola and Jair Judge Israel; Israel Oppressed.Chapter 11
Jephthah's Vow and Victory Over Ammon.Chapter 12
Jephthah's Conflict with Ephraim; Ibzan, Elon, Abdon.Chapter 13
Samson's Birth Announced by an Angel.Chapter 14
Samson's Marriage; His Riddle and Revenge.Chapter 15
Samson's Vengeance on the Philistines.Chapter 16
Samson and Delilah; Samson's Death.Chapter 17
Micah's Idolatry and Hired Levite.Chapter 18
Danites Steal Micah's Idol and Priest.Chapter 19
Levite's Concubine Abused and Murdered.Chapter 20
Israel's War Against Benjamin Over the Crime.Chapter 21
Wives Provided for the Surviving Benjamites.
- Judges
by Joseph Benson
THE BOOK OF JUDGES.
ARGUMENT.
THIS book contains the history of the Israelites under the judges, which lasted two hundred and ninety-nine years: under Othniel, forty; under Ehud, eighty; under Barak, forty; under Gideon, forty; under Abimelek, three; under Tola, twenty-three; under Jair, twenty-two; under Jephtha, six; under Ibsan, seven; under Elon, ten; under Abdon, eight; under Samson, twenty. As for the years of their servitude, they coincide with the years of some or other of the judges. In the last five chapters we have an account of some memorable events, which happened in the days when the judges ruled. As to the state of Israel during this period, 1, They were miserably corrupted, and miserably oppressed. Yet we may hope the tabernacle service was kept up, and that many attended it. 2. It seems each tribe had its government within itself, and acted separately, without any common head. This occasioned many differences among themselves. 3. The government of the judges was not constant, but occasional. By their judging Israel is meant chiefly, their avenging Israel of their enemies, and purging them from their idolatries. 4. During the government of the judges, GOD was in an especial manner the king of Israel. It is not improbably supposed, that the Prophet Samuel was the penman of this book.
