Attributed commentary excerpt
Keil & Delitzsch on Judges 3:7
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Commentary on the Old Testament
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · 19th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
II. History of the People of Israel under the Judges - Judges 3:7-16:31 In order that we may be able to take a distinct survey of the development of the Israelites in the three different stages of the their history duringthe times of the judges, the first thing of importance to be done is to determine the chronology of the period of the judges, inasmuch as not only have greatly divergent opinions prevailed upon this point, but hypotheses have been set up, which endanger and to some extent directly overthrow the historical character of the accounts which the book of Judges contains. (Note: Rud. Chr. v. Bennigsen, for example, reckons up fifty different calculations, and the list might be still further increased by the addition of both older and more recent attempts (see Winer, Bibl. Real-Wrterb. ii. pp. 327-8). Lepsius (Chronol. der. Aeg. i. 315-6, 365ff. and 377-8) and Bunsen (Aegypten, i. pp. 209ff. iv. 318ff., and Bibelwerk, i. pp. 237ff.), starting from the position maintained by Ewald and Bertheau, that the chronological data of the book of Judges are for the most part to be regarded as round numbers, have sought for light to explain the chronology of the Bible in the darkness of the history of ancient Egypt, and with their usual confidence pronounce it an indisputable truth that the whole of the period of the Judges did not last longer than from 169 to 187 years.) If we take a superficial glance at the chronological data contained in the book, it appears a very simple matter to make the calculation required, inasmuch as the duration of the different hostile oppressions, and also the length of time that most of the judges held their office, or at all events the duration of the peace which they secured for the nation, are distinctly given. The following are the numbers that we find: - 1\. Oppression by Chushan-rishathaim, ( Jdg 3:8), 8 years. Deliverance by Othniel, and rest, ( Jdg 3:11), 40 years. 2. Oppression by the Moabites, ( Jdg 3:14), 18 years. Deliverance by Ehud, and rest, ( Jdg 3:30), 80 years. 3. Oppression by the Canaanitish king Jabin, ( Jdg 4:3), 20 years. Deliverance by Deborah and Barak, and rest, ( Jdg 5:31), 40 years. 4. Oppression by the Midianites, ( Jdg 6:1), 7 years. Deliverance by Gideion, and rest, ( Jdg 8:28) 40 years. Abimelech's reign, ( Jdg 9:22), 3 years. Tola, judge, ( Jdg 10:2), 23 years. Jair, judge, ( Jdg 10:3), 22 years. Total, 301 years. 5. Oppression by the Ammonites, ( Jdg 10:8), 18 years. Deliveance by Jephthah, who judged Israel, ( Jdg 12:7), 6 years. Ibzan, judge, ( Jdg 12:9), 7 years. Elon, judge, ( Jdg 12:11), 10 years. Abdon, judge, ( Jdg 12:14), 8 years. 6. Oppression by the Philistines, ( Jdg 13:1), 40 years. At this time Samson judged Israel for 20 years ( Jdg 15:20; Jdg 16:31 Total, 390 years. For if to this we add - (a.) the time of Joshua, which is not distinctly mentioned, and 20 years. (b.) the time during which Eli was judge ( Sa1 4:18) 40 years. We obtain 450 years. (Note: The earlier chronologists discovered a confirmation of this as the length of time that the period of the judges actually lasted in Act 13:20, where Paul in his speech at Antioch in Pisidia says, according to the textus receptus, "After that He gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years until Samuel the prophet." The discrepancy between this verse and the statement in Kg1 6:1, that Solomon built the temple in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come o…
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