Category: Biblical Reflections

The children of Israel did evil, and the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.  Manoah, of the tribe of Dan, had no son.  His wife was barren.  The Angel of the Lord came to her and told her she would have a son, and that he would be a … Continue reading The Birth and Young Life of Samson (Judges 13 – 14)

The Ephraimites took humbrage against Jephthah and the Gileadites for not including them in their conquest of Ammon.  Jephthat contended that he asked for their help, and they refused.  This led to a military conflict.  Gilead was a family of the tribe of Ephraim, and they were considered fugitives by the rest of Ephraim.  The … Continue reading Jephthah v. Ephraim (Judges 12)

After the victory over the Ammonites, Jephthah returned home to Mizpah.  As he arrived at his house, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and dancing.  She was his only child.  When he saw her, he tore his clothes because of his vow.  She told him that she understood, and asked for two … Continue reading Jephthah’s Daughter (Judges 11:34 – 40)

Jephthah was a mighty man of valor, born to a harlot.  His half-brothers in Gilead's house drove him out, denying his right to an inheritance.  He fled and dwelt in Tob.  When the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their leader.  He reminded them … Continue reading Jephthah (Judges 11:1 – 33)

Jair, a Gileadite, judged Israel twenty-two years.  His unique feature was that he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys and had thirty towns.  After twenty-two years of peace, Jair died and was buried in Camon. After the death of Jair, Israel did evil in the sight of God, serving the Baals and Ashtoreths, … Continue reading Jair and the Oppression of the Israelites by the Philistines and Ammonites (Judges 10:3 – 18)

After three years of being king, a spirit of ill will was sent by God between Abimelech and the men of Shechem.  They dealt harshly with their King.  Shechem began to work against Abimelech, and then began to follow Gaal, the son of Ebed.  They made wine and got drunk, cursing Abimelech.  Gaal seized the … Continue reading Down with Abimelech, Up With Tola (Judges 9:22 – 10:2)

Abimelech, one of the sons of Gideon, convinced his brothers that he should be the ruler of their household and the household of Shechem, his mother's father.  They agreed, and gave him money to rule.  Even though they endorsed him to rule, he still plotted with unsavory men to have all his brothers killed.  Only … Continue reading Abimelech’s Treachery (Judges 9:1 – 21)

As mentioned earlier, the Midianites were descended from Ishmael.  Gideon asked for their traditional gold earrings from the plunder, but declined the call for him to rule over Israel.  The weight of the earrings was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold (nearly 43 pounds), and he also received crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes. … Continue reading Gideon’s Victory and Death (Judges 8:22 – 35)

Some of the Israelites who pursued Midian after Gideon's initial attack was the tribe of Ephraim.  They were the ones who captured Oreb and Zeeb.  They scolded Gideon for not including them in the initial attack.  Gideon offered his humility and praised Ephraim as being greater than Gideon's family.  They relented in their scolding, and … Continue reading Gideon Finishes the Job (Judges 8:1 – 21)