Judges 3:11

“And the land had rest forty years, etc.] As it should seem from the time of this deliverance; though, according to Ben Gersom and Abarbinel, the eight years’ servitude are to be included in them; and Bishop Usher f51 reckons these forty years from the rest first settled in the land by Joshua; but the former sense seems best: and Othniel the son of Kenaz died: not at the end of the forty years; it is not likely he should live so long, but when he died is not certain; Eusebius f52 says he judged Israel fifty years.”

“Othniel . . . died--How powerful the influence of one good man is, in church or state, is best found in his loss [BISHOP HALL].”

“The land - means here, as in Judges 1:2, not the whole land of Canaan, but the part concerned, probably the land of the tribe of Judah. Forty years, here and elsewhere, is (like fourscore years, Judges 3:30) a round number, perhaps equivalent to a generation. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Forty years - It rested about forty years, or the greatest part of forty years: it being most frequent in scripture to use numbers in such a latitude. Nor is it unusual either in scripture, or in other authors, for things to be denominated from the greater part; especially, when they enjoyed some degrees of rest and peace even in their times of slavery. Judges 3:12”

“the land: Jdg 3:30, Jdg 5:31, Jdg 8:28; Jos 11:23; Est 9:22 Othniel: Jdg 3:9; Jos 15:17; Ch1 4:13 Judges 3:12”