The Defeat of the Canaanites
5: 19-23

The defeat of the Canaanites DIG: What had YHVH promised Isra’el? Why did the Canaanites think they had the advantage? Who were the stars from heaven? How did the sovereignty of ADONAI turn the tide of the battle? Why did Sisera flee on foot? Who was the Angel of ADONAI? Why was Meroz cursed?

REFLECT: When did the sovereignty of ADONAI show up in your life? When have you thought, “This is a God thing!” Who are the “Canaanites” you are fighting in your life today? Who are the people in your life who are aiding the enemy that you need to stay away from? How can you pray for them this week?

Suddenly, what had previously been an immeasurable advantage became a death trap.

As Deborah’s victory song continues (to see link click At – Deborah’s Victory Song), we have a poetic account of the battle described in 4:13-16. It’s one thing to show up for duty and quite something else to go into battle. Sisera had organized an alliance of the Canaanite kings, and their united forces (with 900 chariots) met the Jewish army at Megiddo on the plain of Jezreel. Since it was the dry season of the year, the charioteers expected to annihilate the army of Isra’el. But ADONAI had other plans. He sent a tremendous rainstorm that turned the Kishon River to overflow and it turned the battlefield into a swamp. The army of Isra’el trusted YHVH to give them the victory because that is what He promised in 4:6-9.¹¹⁹

The Sixth Stanza (5:19-23): Sisera undoubtedly expected a swift and easy victory for his vastly superior military forces. The kings of Canaan came and fought at Taanach near Megiddo’s springs at the western end of the Jezreel Valley. This shows that Barak’s forces crossed the whole valley from the eastern side. But there was no way that Sisera could have prepared for what actually happened. Suddenly, what had previously seemed to be an immeasurable advantage became a death trap. Sisera and all his chariots and all his army were slain with the edge of the sword before Barak. The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their orbits fought against Sisera (5:19a-20 NLT). Heaven and stars are used here symbolically, meaning angels engaged in a war on behalf of Isra’el in the heavenly realms (see the commentary on Ephesians Ca – The Spiritual Battle). The Canaanites thought of the stars as heavenly powers that controlled the weather. Here, they are pictured as a heavenly army which fought against Sisera in a most unusual way. At the western end flowed the Kishon River, which would prove to be the Canaanites undoing. The Kishon River swept them away – that ancient river, the river Kishon (5:21a Hebrew). This is the equivalent of the avalanche of water that did the same thing to Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and charioteers in the Sea of Reeds.¹²⁰

The Kishon River overflowed its banks, causing the battlefield to become muddy. This neutralized the chariot force, which was the primary military advantage that the Canaanites had over Isra’el. The flooding would also explain why Sisera fled on foot (4:17), since normally he could escape faster if he had a chariot, but not if his chariot was stuck in the mud.¹²¹ The phrase: March on, o my soul, with courage (5:21b Hebrew), is likened to: Bless ADONAI, o my soul, of Psalm 103:1, and is an indication of the strong encouragement that the singer, probably Barak, felt as he recalled the marvelous victory. Then the rhythm and sound of the stampeding Canaanite horses is captured in the next verse. The horses’ hooves hammered the ground, the galloping, galloping of mighty steeds of Sisera’s calvary fleeing the scene (5:22 NLT).¹²²

But Isra’el’s enemies took no plunder of silver (5:19b NLT). The “taking” the plunder of silver is the poetic equivalent of what is described more matter-of-factly in 5:30. Stripping defeated enemies of anything of value was normal practice, except in Isra’el, where the plunder of a God-given victory was presented to Ha’Shem as its rightful owner. The Canaanites took no plunder in this case because they were either dead or fleeing the battlefield as the following verse describes.

“Curse Meroz,” said the Angel of ADONAI. Anywhere the Angel of ADONAI is mentioned in the TaNaKh, it is always the Second Person of the Trinity, the Pre-incarnate Yeshua Messiah. Then the reason is given. Let them be utterly cursed, because they did not come to help the LORD, to help YHVH against mighty warriors (5:23 NLT). This is the only mention of the town of Meroz in Scripture. It was an Israelite city that failed to do its duty. They sided with the Canaanites and let those fleeing through Meroz to escape when they should have blocked their path and killed them on the spot.¹²³ The cursing of Meroz is deliberately contrasted with the blessing of Ja’el (see Ax – Blessed by Ja’el).

ADONAI continually demonstrates that He will not give up on His people. Even though this was the fourth time that they had apostatized, He was utterly consistent with them. He would not allow them to do as they pleased. As a result of His rich compassion, He would not leave them in prolonged oppression. While there is a decrease in the quality of the type of people He could use; nevertheless, He was able to bring restoration to His people. In fact, He used those who, in the ancient world, were deemed insufficient to fulfill the task.

The entire account is deliberately constructed to emphasize the deliverance provided by YHVH. He was the One behind the scenes, raising the generals, deploying the armies (even the enemy was indirectly controlled by him), dictating strategy, and effecting the victory. In the end, both the story and the song celebrate the saving work of the LORD. The text stresses God’s sovereignty over human events. Therefore, this passage encourages us to perceive ADONAI’s sovereignty over history and our own lives. Whether it is His discipline, in His compassionate deliverance, in His financial provision, or in His leading and guiding decisions, Ha’Shem is sovereign over our lives, and He’s working to complete His plan.¹²⁴

But this wasn’t the only time that ADONAI’s sovereignty saved Isra’el. Within hours of becoming a state from UN General Assembly Resolution 181 on November 29, 1947, they were attacked by hostile Arab nations surrounding Isra’el on almost every side. However, Isra’el’s military and governmental systems were not fully organized. The main road to Jerusalem was blocked, trapping Jewish residents in the City without enough food or water. So the new state of Isra’el faced severe disadvantages, including a much smaller population, a severe lack of tanks, heavy artillery, or anti-tank weapons, no air force, while Arab nations used bombers and fighter jets, or navy to protect its coasts or stop naval blockades, and an economy that was not ready for total war against multiple professional Arab armies attacking all at once. Ammunition was so low that soldiers were often restricted to just a few rounds per day, or told to hold their fire entirely until the enemy was at point blank range, rather than receiving a standardized daily number of bullets . . . and they still won. Isra’el is still battling and defeating the “Canaanites” of today.

Dear heavenly Father, praise You for caring so deeply for Isra’el and for helping her win battles against all odds. Battles are not won by the number of men fighting, nor by the amount of artillery. A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from ADONAI (Proverbs 21:31). You defeated Pharoah’s army without any army from Isra’el. I will sing to ADONAI, for He is highly exalted! The horse and its rider have been thrown into the sea. ADONAI is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will glorify Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. ADONAI is a warrior – ADONAI is His Name (Exodus 15:1-3)!

You defeated the great giant Goliath without any conventional weapons! Then David said to the Philistine, “You are coming to me with a sword, a spear and a javelin, but I am coming to you in the Name of ADONAI-Tzva’ot, God of the armies of Isra’el, whom you have defied. . .  So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, struck the Philistine down and killed him (First Samuel 17:45, 50).

Even when all the armies of the world come against Messiah, Messiah will be victorious by the sword of His mouth. No need to fight; He wins without even a fight. And the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.  From His mouth comes a sharp sword – so that with it He may strike down the nations – and He shall rule them with an iron rod, and He treads the winepress of the furious wrath of Elohei-Tzva’ot.  On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “King of kings, and Lord of lords (Rev 19:11b-16).

Then the beast was captured, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs before him by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast, as well as those who had worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.  The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the One riding on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh (Revelation 19:20-21).

Preparation for battle is necessary, but confidence must rest in Almighty ADONAI. He will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright (Psalms 20:6c-8).

Thank you, almighty heavenly Father, that You rule over everyone and over every battle. You grant the victory that serves Your purpose. We put our trust in You and bow before You in love and worship! Knowing Your presence is within me (Hebrews 13:5), gives me the strength to proceed into the battle with my hand held tight in Yours and peace in my heart that You are in control. In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Response of the Tribes
5: 12-18

The response of the tribes DIG: Which six tribes responded positively to Debrah’s call to war? Which four tribes responded negatively? Why were Judah and Simeon not involved at all? How different was the response to Deborah’s call and Joshua’s call? Why did Ephraim enlist first and Ruben resist?

REFLECT: Some of the tribes responded to Debrah’s call to help, while others did not. How have you responded to God’s call on your life? How are you using your spiritual gifts? In your life, who is responding to your need for help? Who is not? How so? Where are you feeling somewhat abandoned? 

Isra’el had no king, and everyone did whatever seemed right in their own eyes (21:25).

As Deborah’s victory song continues (to see link click At – Deborah’s Victory Song), Warren Wiersbe summarizes in his commentary on Judges. Deborah was grateful that the people offered themselves willingly in the service of ADONAI (5:2 and 9), and that the leaders offered did their share in recruiting soldiers from the tribes (5:13). Six tribes united in sending volunteers. Except for the people in the town of Meroz (5:23), the men of Naphtali responded, as did the men of Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh west (Makir), Zebulun, and Issachar. The phrase in verse 14: those who bear the staff of the scribe, may refer to the recruiting officers who wrote down the names of the soldiers. Zebulun and Naphtali are especially praised for risking their lives in the service of God and country.

However, there were four tribes that didn’t volunteer and do their share of fighting. The tribe of Reuben pondered the call to arms, but finally stayed home. They were probably considering Isra’el’s mitzvah of warfare, and examining their hearts to see whether they were exempt from going to war (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Dp – Regulations for a Holy War: Four military exemptions). Since Manasseh east (Gilead) was safe on the other side of the Jordan River, they also stayed home (5:17). Dan and Asher on the coast elected not to heed the call to battle.

Keeping in mind that during this period, Isra’el had no king, and everyone did whatever seemed right in their own eyes (21:25). When Joshua was the commander of Isra’el’s armies, ALL of the tribes participated, but when Barak summoned the forces, only half of them went to war against Jabin and Sisera (see As – The Fourth Cycle: Deborah – The Defeat of the Canaanites). The people of God today are not unlike the people of Isra’el when it comes to the call of ADONAI for service: Some immediately volunteer and follow the Lord; some risk their lives; some give the call serious consideration, but say no; while others keep to themselves as though the call had never been given.¹¹¹

The Fifth Stanza (5:12-18): This first verse of the fifth stanza introduces two leaders: Deborah and Barak. Wake up, Deborah, wake up! Wake up, wake up, and sing a song! Arise, Barak! Lead your captives away, son of Abinoam (5:12 NLT)! It has become clear by this point that Deborah and Barak are not the only singers. In verse 11 we have heard others remembering (perhaps in song) the righteous deeds of ADONAI and His people. Now it seems that these common people address Deborah and Barak, urging them to more enthusiastic praise.¹¹² This verse, then, serves as an introduction to the second part of the song. Deborah is called upon to strike up a song again, and calls upon Barak to lead away his prisoners of war. It is Barak who is called to arise because he is the deliverer. But Deborah plays the most important role, not as the deliverer, but as the prophetess; for as the prophetess, she represents the voice of God.

The second verse of the fifth stanza records the response of Isra’el and ADONAI to the call to go to war. Then down came a remnant of the nobles and the people. ADONAI came down for me against the mighty enemy (5:13 Hebrew). ADONAI is viewed here as summoning the enemies of Isra’el for this war. This marks the turning point in the struggle against the oppressor. Ha’Shem is viewed here as summoning the enemies of Isra’el for this war. This marks the turning point in the struggle against the oppressor.¹¹³

In verses 14 to 18 of the fifth stanza, Deborah describes the specific responses of the tribes, both positively and negatively. The list of troops is divided into three groups: the volunteers in verses 14-15a; the resistors in verses 15b-17; and the award winners in verse 18. She begins the volunteers with her own tribe of Ephraim: Some came from Ephraim, in the spirit of the Amalekites (see the commentary on Exodus Cv – The Amalekites Attacked the Israelites at Rephidim). Throughout the book of Judges, Ephraim is presented as the leader of the northern tribes (5:14a). However, while the volunteers did come from Ephraim, they displayed some “Amalekite” characteristics; that is, they were hostile and quarrelsome. At this stage of the book such a mixed report on the Ephraimites seems puzzling, but the negative aspect of it will be confirmed by the way they act in both the Gideon (see Be – Gideon’s call to Ephraim: The Complaint of Ephraim) and Jephthah (see Bs – The Judgeship of Jephthah: The War with Ephraim) episodes which follow.¹¹⁴

Benjamin is mentioned next. The Benjaminites were with the people who followed you, followed by Manasseh west. From Makir captains came down. Makir here does not just stand for the family of Makir, but for the tribe of Manasseh, because Makir was Manasseh’s only son. More specifically, Makir stands for part of the main branch of Manasseh located on the west side of the Jordan River (Joshua 17:1). From Zebulun those who bear the staff of the scribe. This tribe contributed the military leaders and was assigned territory in the Jezreel Valley where the battle took place. The leaders of Issachar were with Deborah and Barak (5:14b-15a Hebrew).¹¹⁵ There is no inference that Deborah took an active part in the battle; rather, those from Issachar were with her in the sense that they were supportive of her, responsive to her call. It was Barak who, in the next line, led the charge into battle. They also followed Barak, rushing, without hesitation, into the valley of Jezreel and staying close to him during the attack. The general impression is that Issachar, especially, distinguished itself by the wholehearted support it gave Deborah and Barak . . . which makes the contrast with Reuben in the second part of the verse particularly damning.

Now the language of unity and loyalty gives way to resistance. The poet emphasizes Reuben’s failure by placing its mention at the center of the overall poem. But in the tribe of Reuben there was great indecision. This tribe refused to participate. There is no reference to any leaders. They are pictured as sitting around the campfire, indifferent to the plight of their brothers. They wasted precious time in discussion instead of rushing into the valley like the tribe of Issachar did. But ultimately, they decided to stay behind with their livestock rather than marching out to assist God’s army. Issachar’s territory was directly adjacent to the Jezreel Valley, and therefore one of the tribes most affected. Reuben’s territory, on the other hand, was in the southern Transjordan. So in a sense, it could afford to stay uninvolved in a way that Issachar could not. But that was not how Deborah and Barak and their supporters saw it. Note the bitter taunt in the following question. Why did you stay among the sheep pens to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the tents of Reuben there was much hesitation and internal debate (5:15b-16 Hebrew).¹¹⁶

Similarly, the half-tribe of Manasseh east (Gilead) remained east of the Jordan (see the commentary Numbers Fz – Reuben and Gad Request Land). And the text asks: why did Dan stay in ships? This may imply that the migration of Dan to the extreme north took place before Deborah, and the Danites had united somewhat with the sea-faring Phoenicians (see Aj – The Failures of the Northern Tribes). But more likely Dan was still in the South, too entrenched in the shipping industry with the Phoenicians, as their clients, to participate in an anti-Canaanite war, since the Phoenicians were Canaanites. Asher sat unmoved at the seashore, remaining in their harbors, preferring life on the beach than battlefields (5:17 NLT).

To accentuate the contrast between those who participated and those who ignored the call, the fifth stanza ends with a focus on the heroism and courageous risk of Zebulun and Naphtali in the battle itself. But Zebulun risked their lives. This tribe is now mentioned for the second time in Deborah’s song and is thus given a special place of honor for their bravery. Barak’s tribe, Naphtali, also risked their lives on the heights of the battlefield (5:18). That tribe had the most to gain since their territory was in the Jezreel Valley.¹¹⁷

The tribes of Judah and Simeon are not mentioned as participants in the war, or chastised for staying away. This might imply that they were busy fighting the Philistines and therefore could not send a fighting force for Barak. If so, since they were already fighting the enemies of Isra’el, they would not be chastised for not sending any soldiers.¹¹⁸

Responding to the call of ADONAI can be difficult, especially in the postmodern world that we live in now. Oftentimes, to put yourself out there as a believer, one who loves the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or one who loves Isra’el and prays for the peace of Jerusalem, can draw a big target on your back. I went to Isra’el in 2023 for Sukkot, and we left the day before the war started. When I got back to America, I bought a royal blue baseball cap with the star of David on the front of it and have worn it ever since. I plan on wearing it until the war is won. It’s my way of standing up for Isra’el and her right to exist. So far, I have been called “a terrorist” only once. But every other acknowledgement of my hat has been positive. Sometimes people say, “I like your hat,” or they give me a thumbs up. Other times I have people smiling at me for seemingly no reason. Let me be blunt, Satan wants the world to turn against Isra’el; ADONAI loves Isra’el. This is a real battle. How will you respond to the call?

Dear heavenly Father, praise You for Your awesome gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17) to all who believe in You (John 11:25-26). Ja’el showed her willingness to respond to Your call by her act of obedience in killing the general of Israel’s enemy. It would have been easier for her to turn away, but she put her belief in You into action. Likewise, all who have faith in You are to respond to Your call by more than lip service of admiration. May we follow Ja’el’s example and serve You even when we are alone and it is hard, for You are always with me to help and to guide me. Thank You that You have promised to never leave me. For God Himself has said: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Sing Praises to ADONAI
5: 1-11

Sing Praises to ADONAI DIG: What is the purpose and occasion for the psalm of praise? Who is it for? What other songs in Scripture does this one bring to mind? As songwriters, what similarities do Debrah and Barak have with Moses and Miriam? What feelings come through about God in this song? What can we learn from this story about the kind of people God recruits into His service?

REFLECT: Debrah was a prophetess, a leader, and a song-writer. If you (or your family or spouse) had to describe you in three words, which three would you choose? What is the story behind those words? When has God shown His mercy and saved you from ruining your life more than once? What is one change you need to make in your life to be more usable for God’s service? Who can you serve this week?

The God of the Exodus came to rescue Isra’el . . . again.

As Deborah’s victory song continues (to see link click At – Deborah’s Victory Song), unlike the story of Chapter 4, the song is not concerned with how ADONAI took the honor of victory away from Barak and gave it to a woman. It pays tribute to those individuals and tribes who rose up to defend the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and rebuke those who did not. But its chief burden is the righteous act of ADONAI Himself, who went forth as Isra’el’s champion and overwhelmed the enemy by unleashing the powers of heaven against them. The climax of the song is the battle itself (5:19-23), and the final verses show how completely the enemy was defeated (5:24-31a). Only when the song is completed is the entire Deborah-Barak story closed with the now famous formula of rest for the land (5:31b).

So, the Deborah-Barak story as we have it in Chapters 4 and 5 concludes with a victory song of praise to God and His loyal supporters, but especially YHVH Himself. The Gideon episode which follows immediately begins very differently – a striking example of the downward moral progression in each of the judges (see An – Cycles of Rebellion and Retribution). At the beginning of the Gideon episode, ADONAI will have to dispatch a prophet to remind the Israelites of their impending apostasy, and of His many interventions on their behalf (see Az – A Prophet Sent by ADONAI Confronts Isra’el).

The Singers (5:1): This verse links the song to the preceding story. On that day God subdued Jabin the Canaanite king, before the Israelites. And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin, the Canaanite king, until they destroyed him (see As – The Fourth Cycle: Debrah). And on that day Debrah and Barak, son of Abinoam, sang this song (5:1 NIV): This does not mean that they composed the song together, it only means that they sang it together. The song they sang was composed by Deborah, as verses 3, 7, and 12 as Chapter 5 clearly shows.¹⁰⁰ The circumstances in which the song is sung and the way it is introduced both remind us of Exodus 15:1 – the song sung by Moses and the Israelites after being rescued by divine intervention from the vastly superior forces of Pharaoh with his six-hundred chariots.¹⁰¹ The phrase on that day links the song chronologically with the defeat of Jabin the Canaanite king, and suggests that it was a spontaneous response to the victory. The song itself has nine specific stanzas.

The First Stanza: Praising ADONAI (5:2-3): Verse 2 focuses on the role of the leaders and the people. When Isra’el’s leaders took charge, the people gladly followed. When Isra’el’s leaders were willing to lead, and the people were willing to follow their lead, then there was victory along with the resulting opportunity to praise ADONAI (5:2 NLT). Verse 3 issues a call to the Gentile kings and princes: Hear this, you kings! Listen, you princes! The content of what the Gentiles heard the Jews sing: I will sing praises to ADONAI, the God of Isra’el (5:3 Hebrew). Four things should be noted here. First, this is a call to Gentile kings and princes to hear what Deborah proclaims about the One true God. Second, these kings and princes were Gentiles because Isra’el had neither kings nor princes at this point in her history (21:25). Third, this verse is the response of Deborah, and thus is expressed in the first person. Fourth, this is a praise to ADONAI, and not anyone else.

The Second Stanza: ADONAI, the Commander in Chief (5:4-5): Verse 4a portrays God as a Divine Warrior, marching out from Mount Seir to aid His people. ADONAI, when You went out from Mount Seir, when You marched out from the land of Edom (5:4a CJB). It was the land of Esau, and comprised the mountain range stretching east from the southern end of the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Akabah. Verses 5:4b to 5 picture the results of God’s presence among His people. The result was that the earth quaked, and the sky shook; yes, the clouds poured down torrents of water (5:4 CJB). Keeping in mind that Ba’al was viewed as the storm god, here, the God of Isra’el was using what should have been Ba’al’s strongest weapons. The storm imagery emphasizes that ADONAI is God, not Ba’al. The following mention of Sinai and Edom recalls the beginning and end of the Wilderness Wanderings, both portrayed as witnesses to the mighty acts of YHVH. The mountains quaked at the presence of ADONAI, the God of Sinai, before ADONAI the God of Isra’el (5:5).¹⁰²

This powerful poetry draws on the historical memory of the Exodus, when Ha’Shem, as the divine warrior, displayed His presence by making wind and water change their normal actions for the sake of His people; and at Sinai, where His Presence was demonstrated on the mountain in cloud and fire and earthquake. The same kind of language can be seen in the Psalms to recall God’s saving works in the past (Psalm 68:7-10), or His present majesty as ruler of the entire earth (Psalm 97:1-6). It will be taken up later by the prophets to speak of His Second Coming to judge the world (Amos 9:5-6; Isaiah 2:19; Zechariah 14:1-5). Here in Chapter 5 it gives a powerful poetic expression to the belief that the storm which broke over Sisera and his army (5:4) threw them into panic and retreat was no merely natural event, or amazing stroke of bad-luck. It was unleashed by YHVH, as He had divided the sea at the Exodus and shaken Mount Sinai. That same God had come to their rescue . . . again.¹⁰³

The Third Stanza: The Emergence of Deborah (5:6-8): These verses describe the conditions under which Isra’el lived before Deborah arrived on the scene. In the days of Shamgar son of Anath (see Ar – The Third Cycle: Shamgar), and in the days of Ja’el (4:17-22). Here Shamgar and Ja’el are viewed as contemporaries, which further demonstrates that Shamgar’s judgeship came within the judgeship of Ehud (see Aq – The Second Cycle: Ehud). The situation was that of total destruction of communication and trade. The main highways were abandoned, and travelers kept to the side roads (5:6 HCSB). The roads were deserted. The caravan routes that crisscrossed the country, especially across the Jezreel Valley, linking the Jews in the north to the Jews in the south, were disrupted so that Jews ceased traveling on their normal trade routes for fear of attack from Canaanites or to avoid the heavy tolls demanded by the Canaanites.¹⁰⁴ Shamgar may have temporally saved the Israelites by repelling an incursion into the southern highlands, but it would take more than that to free them; only a successful engagement with the enemy on the lowlands could do that, and this became a possibility only through the leadership of Deborah.¹⁰⁵

Before Deborah’s arrival, the common people, the villagers of Isra’el would not fight. However, after her arrival there was a break in the crisis. Until I, Deborah arose, until I arose as a mother in Isra’el (5:7 Hebrew). What did she mean by this? It could only have meant that she was intensely concerned for the people, pained by their anguish, and absolutely determined to change their dismal situation. Like a mother who cares for her children, Deborah was the consummate leader who cared for her “offspring,” the nation of Isra’el, and this led her to do everything in her power to improve their lot. Also, the title mother of Isra’el anticipates the contrast to Sisera’s mother later in the poem (see Ax – Blessed by Ja’el: The Eighth Stanza: The Mother of Sisera).¹⁰⁶

Verse 8a describes the religious situation as Debroah found them: When Isra’el chose new gods, the results were war, weakness, and slavery. When Isra’el violated the Torah (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Bl – Have No Other Gods), she, once again, descended into idolatry. Verse 8b describes the military situation: The enemy carried their destructive raids up to the city gates. Yet not a shield or spear could be seen among forty thousand warriors in Isra’el (5:8 NLT). Expending all their energies in making a living, the Israelites lacked any shields or spears needed to defend themselves. This is another symptom of the nation’s depressed condition, but in this context it represents another way of highlighting the role of Ha’Shem’s role in the miracle victory over Sisera’s well-equipped army.¹⁰⁷ Like the earlier battle of Jericho (see Joshua Bb – And the Walls Came Tumbling Down), this was a holy war (see Deuteronomy Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh) led by ADONAI-Tzva’ot, the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies. 

The Fourth Stanza: The Praise of ADONAI (5:9-11): Having described the desperate plight of her people, she now turns to their deliverance. My heart goes out to the commanders of Isra’el, with those who volunteered for war. All of you, praise ADONAI. With the rise of Deborah and the choice of new leaders, the time had come for Isra’el to go on the offensive. As in verse 2, she praises the leaders and the people for their response despite all the disadvantages. Then Deborah issues a call to all the classes of Israelite society. Consider this, those of you who ride on tawny donkeys, sitting on soft saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road . . . consider (5:9-10 NLT)! Tawny female donkeys were preferred by the rich over the generic gray animals. They advertised their status by dressing the donkeys with luxurious blankets. Those who walked along the road were the poor. Consider . . . hints at something both groups might do wrong, namely, simply get on with their lives as though nothing had happened. In effect, it is a call to join in the song. What has happened makes it inappropriate for anyone, rich or poor, to merely go on riding or traveling, sitting on soft saddle blankets, or walking along the road.

Verse 11 presents a strikingly different picture from the preceding one. Here, people are not acting as though nothing has happened. On the contrary, as they divided up spoils between the watering places (traditional meeting points), they remembered the righteous victories of ADONAI (perhaps in song), the victories of the common people who participated in the battle with Him. When they remembered those righteous victories, and with their zeal restored, the people of ADONAI marched down to the city gates to face the enemy (5:11 Hebrew). What was causing the excitement was not the spoil, but the way the people, rich and poor, responded to the call from Deborah. The reference to city gates here looks back to verse 8, making it clear that the people were eager to engage the enemy.¹⁰⁸ This was the first step taken by them that showed the change that had taken place after the LORD’s victory. Beforehand, they were afraid to go down to the gates because of the war (5:8), but now they marched down to the city gates. This serves as an introduction to the more detailed account in 5:12-31. Only here in Judges is Isra’el called the people of ADONAI.¹⁰⁹

ADONAI often uses the weaker things of this world to confound the wise. Certainly in using Debrah to raise up Barak (4:4-10) and in using Ja’el to bring down the mighty Sisera (4:17-22), we see examples of this. He continues to work this way today. He brings deliverance from unexpected sources and in unexpected ways.

He wants to use us, and we need to be willing. We may not feel up to the task. We may feel that our spiritual gifts don’t align with what He is calling us to do. In one way or another, we feel inhibited to serve. When we, as believers, do not trust God in these contexts, we lose out on the opportunity for ADONAI to work through us. We lose out on His good gifts. And worse, we may find ourselves expending all kinds of time and energy hopelessly trying to make up the difference. We want to have the assurance up front that the risk will be worth it, that we will succeed. But God has often already given the assurance in His Word and wants us to be involved so that He may work to accomplish His plan.

Deborah’s willingness to be the LORD’s spokesperson in calling Barak to deliver His people illustrates the faithfulness that ADONAI is seeking in all of us. Moreover, her willingness to go with Barak after his request demonstrates her bravery in the midst of great personal danger. There is nothing in her story that indicates any warrior status or abilities on the part of Deborah. She didn’t fight in the battle; she only spoke to Barak God’s reassurance of victory and encouragement to engage the enemy. Consequently, she was no Xena: Warrior Princes, or Wonder Woman. In fact, the Bible seems to present just the opposite. She was simply a prophetess, the wife of a man named Lappidoth.^110.

Dear heavenly Father, praise You for being so wise and so loving. When a battle is won and the victory is secure, singing a song of praise is a wonderful way to remember the joy of winning and to give credit to whom credit is due. When there is a victory, it is important to praise the warriors in the battle; but to also praise You, our great and Almighty winner of battles. It is by Your strength and power that victories are won.

You are still worthy of all trust, praise, glory and honor!

You never change. Your character and purposes do not change, providing a firm foundation for faith in You. “For I am Adonai. I do not change (Malachi 3:6a).

Your Word, full of promises and teachings, will stand forever! The grass withers, the flower fades. But the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).

You are Not wishy washy for You do not change Your mind, what You say stands. God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes his mind! Does He speak and then not do it,
or promise and not fulfill it (Numbers 23:19)?

You remain a constant, pure and righteous King. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne. Lovingkindness and truth go before You (Psalms 89:14).

Your love is everlasting and reaches to the heavens! Your love, Adonai, is in the heavens, Your faithfulness up to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God. Your judgments are like the great deep (Psalms 36:5-6).

Praise Adonai, for He is good, for His lovingkindness endures forever (Psalms 136:1).

There is no variation nor shadow due to change in You. You are always reliable. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow (James 1:17).

Messiah Yeshua, you are the same forever-always faithful and always holy!  Yeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

How awesome it is to have such a wonderful, faithful and holy heavenly Father, who loves his children so much and nothing can separate us from Your love.

You were worthy of all trust, praise and glory in the days of Deborah and Barak, and You are still worthy of all trust, praise, glory and honor today!

I desire to give You my total worship, in words, and also in thoughts and in deeds. Thank You for never changing! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Deborah’s Victory Song
5: 1-31

When the Jewish people wanted to celebrate special occasions, they often expressed themselves in song, so the author shifts from narrative prose to jubilant poetry. Future generations might forget what the history book said, but they were not likely to forget a festive song (cf. Exodus 15; Deuteronomy 32; Second Samuel 1:17-27, and Psalm 18). The personal pronouns in 5;7, 9, and 13 indicate that this was Deborah’s victory song, but just as Barak joined her in battle, so he also joined her in the victory celebration.⁹⁷ The victory song of Deborah is universally acclaimed as a literary masterpiece. For forcefulness of expression and brilliance of imagery and style it has few rivals. Even in translation, the Hebrew still retains a vividness, an almost staccato effect of action and a spirit of sheer exultation that indicates a participant, or at least an eye witness. Her victory song is presumably included in the Book of the Wars of the LORD (see the commentary on Numbers Dj – The Book of the Wars of the LORD).⁹⁸ The song progressively unfolds a poetic account of the battle between Isra’el and Sisera already encountered (see As – The Fourth Cycle: Deborah). This poetic version includes several details that were not revealed in the earlier prose account. At regular intervals this account is creatively intertwined with a series of exhortations, spoken by both singer and congregation, that praise ADONAI, call for the defeated foe to listen and reflect, and declare curses or blessings on various people in the song.⁹⁹

The Fourth Cycle: Deborah
4: 1-24

The fourth cycle: Deborah DIG: What familiar cycle is repeated here? What were the characteristics of Deborah and Barak? Do the Scriptures condone everything that it records? Why? Why not? In what sense was Deborah a judge? What are the reasons for Deborah being considered as a Judge of Isra’el? What are the reasons for Barak being the deliverer of Isra’el? Why did Ja’el assassinate Sisera?

REFLECT: Has there been a time in your life when you have had a sense of God’s timing (as Deborah did)? How does God used such people in the Church today? Where in your life do you wish you had Deborah’s certainty and confidence? If ADONAI were to tell you something about the future, what one thing would you like him to tell you? How do you feel about Deborah as a leader? Would you follow her?

Deborah didn’t function in the same role as the other judges, and so no number of years of her judgeship is given. The forty years in 5:31 is attributed to God and Isra’el’s military strength in 4:23-24, not to Deborah. However, Deborah was a judge in the traditional role of helping to settle disputes. She was a prophetess, and so she received direct revelation from ADONAI, but she was not the savior of Isra’el, as was the case with the other judges. The savior, in this case, was actually Barak.

In contrast to the one-verse report of Shamgar’s contribution to Isra’el’s survival (to see link click Ar – The Third Cycle: Shamgar) in the south against the Philistines, we now have a much longer account of the battle against the Canaanites and their allies in the north for control of the strategic Jezreel Valley. Furthermore, and this is unique in Judges, this time we have two accounts of the crucial events: the first is a prose narrative (Chapter 4), and the second is a poem (Chapter 5), or, to put the matter more simply, a story and a song.⁸⁶

Here is the list of characters in this story: Jabin: King of Hazor in Canaan, a tyrant; Deborah: a Jewish judge, a woman of faith and courage; Barak: a reluctant Jewish general; Sisera: the general of Jabin’s army; Heber: a Kenite neighbor, on friendly terms with King Jabin; Ja’el: wife of Heber and handy with a hammer; ADONAI-Tzva’ot: The LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (Joshua 5:13-15; 2 Kings 19:31; Psalm 24:10; 2 Cor 6:18).⁸⁷

Rebellion (4:1-2): After Ehud died (see Aq – The Second Cycle: Ehud) the Israelites once more did evil in the eyes of ADONAI. Not when Shamgar was dead, but when Ehud was dead, again implying that the Shamgar judgeship was within the judgeship of Ehud. This circumstantial clause means that it was Ehud who kept Isra’el from idolatry, but now that he was dead, all restraints were gone. So Ha’Shem sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Jabin was a dynastic name for the king of Hazor; and, for that reason, the same name appears in the book of Joshua. Hazor was located north of the Sea of Galilee at the south end of the Hulah Valley, a strategic city along the Via Maris, which was the most important trade route of ancient times. Hazor was the leader of the northern alliance against Joshua (see the commentary on Joshua Bm – Conquest of Northern Canaan). Joshua had destroyed the city, but Isra’el didn’t occupy it. Consequently, the Canaanites had come back and rebuilt that very strategic city. While Jabin was the king, Sisera was the general of his army. Sisera was not a Canaanite name, but a Hurrian or a Hittite name, or he was a mercenary of the nationality in the service of Jabin. His palatial residence was in Harosheth-hagoyim, located in Galilee (4:1-2 NIV).

Repentance (4:3): And the Israelites cried out to ADONAI for help because of the strength of the Canaanites. Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots. This many chariots were not unusual, for in the inscriptions of Thutmose III (the Napoleon of Ancient Egypt) he states that he captured nine hundred and twenty-four chariots from the Canaanites in the Battle of Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley which plays a role in the battle recorded in Chapters 4 and 5. For twenty years he cruelly oppressed the Israelites (4:3 NIV). On the human side, the Canaanite ability to oppress Isra’el for so long was due to their chariot strength. On the divine side, it was God’s discipline due to Isra’el’s spiritual adultery, chasing after foreign gods.

Retribution (4:4-10): As Arnold Fruchtenbaum relates in his commentary on Judges and Ruth, Verse 4 introduces the key person. Now Deborah was a prophetess. The name Deborah, which means bee, has been encountered once before in Genesis 35:8, where it identifies Rachael’s nurse. The Hebrew literally means a woman of prophecy. It is used of two other women: Miriam the sister of Moses (Exodus 15:20) and Huldah the prophetess (Second Kings 22:14). Deborah was the wife of Lappidoth, and she was judging Isra’el at that time (4:4 ESV). However, there are those who contend that Barak was the one who delivered Isra’el? That he was actually the judge of Isra’el.

There are five reasons why Deborah (rather than Barak) was the one who delivered Isra’el. First, the Bible says that she judged Isra’el, and that should be taken as Deborah having led Isra’el. Second, in Judges 5:6-8, she is connected to the security of Isra’el. Third, she was involved in marshaling the troops. Fourth, in 5:1, her name appears before Barak’s, which suggests that she should receive primary credit for the victory. Fifth, the parallels with Sisera, who sits or rules (Hebrew: yashav), with Deborah who sits and rules (again yashav), under a palm tree suggests that she is the equal of Sisera. These five reasons may support the fact that she was actually delivering Isra’el; and, in that sense, she was the judge.

But there are thirteen reasons against this view that Deborah was Isra’el’s deliverer. First, the word judge (Hebrew: shophet) allows for a variety of meanings like leader, ruler, deliverer, or champion, even within the book of Judges itself, and is used in more than one way. Second, Deborah is not introduced as the one “whom ADONAI raised up.” Third, there is no reference to her being empowered by the Spirit of God. Fourth, she needed Barak to accomplish the deliverance. Fifth, the verb yashav is never really applied to her in the sense of ruling. Sixth, she states that YHVH will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman, but she doesn’t say “into my hands.” Seventh, the text states that she went up with Barak, but doesn’t say that she actually led the troops. Eighth, she states that God will deliver Sisera into your hands (meaning Barak’s hands), not into “my hands” (meaning Deborah’s hands). Ninth, she is totally absent from the description of the actual battle, and she never encounters either Jabin or Sisera. Tenth, she is referred to as the mother of Isra’el, never as the “savior” of Isra’el. Eleventh, the human author doesn’t use the term kum (meaning to raise up) or state that God is the cause of Deborah’s prominence. Twelfth, in later lists of deliverers of Isra’el, it’s Barak’s name that appears, not Deborah’s (First Samuel 12:9-11; Hebrews 11:32). Finally, in this passage, she functions in the traditional role as a judge in settling disputes, not in the sense of delivering Isra’el from the Canaanites.

She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, to hold court, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment (4:5 ESV). There, the Israelites come to her for judgment. They were not coming to her asking her to save Isra’el from the Canaanites; they were coming to her asking her to solve their legal disputes. This showed that the people had lost confidence in the priesthood to provide spiritual direction. The focus now shifts away from Deborah to Barak to deal with the military crisis. Barak is both commissioned to attack and is promised success. One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, “This is what ADONAI, the God of Isra’el, commands you: Call out 10,000 men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun (because Naphtali was Barak’s tribe in whose tribal territory the city of Hazor was located). After Barak fulfilled the human condition by responding to the call to arms, then Ha’Shem’s roll would be: And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will deliver him into your hands (4:6-7 Hebrew). This is an example of ADONAI’s sovereignty in action without eliminating human responsibility.

Then Barak said to Deborah, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go” (4:8 NIV). The plea of Barak was not due to cowardice, for he was no coward as the context proves. His plea was due to his desire to be assured of the Presence of God in the war. Barak recognized Deborah’s prophetic status. Her response was a promise and a prophecy. First the promise: Very well, she replied: I will go with you. Then the prophecy: But you will receive no honor in this battle, for ADONAI will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman. The assumption may have been that Deborah was that woman, but it will turn out to be another woman altogether. So Deborah went up with Barak to Kedesh. There Barak called together the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun, and 10,000 men followed him, and Deborah went with him (4:9-10 Hebrew). She was present as promised, though she did not take part in the battle nor lead any of the troops.⁸⁸

Restoration (4:11-24): The restoration of Isra’el by Barak and Ja’el can be seen by some as a dilemma. But it is important to remember that we must distinguish between what the Bible reports and what it recommends, between what the Bible says and what it supports. For example, the Bible may report that David had multiple wives (Second Samuel 3:2-5), but it doesn’t thereby recommend or authorize that men do likewise. In Ja’el’s case, the Bible doesn’t specifically condemn her act. The problem is that the Bible seems to approve of it.⁸⁹

The Movement of Heber the Kenite (4:11): The Kenites were a branch of the Midianites that had sided with the Israelites. From that tribe came Moses’ wife, brother-in-law, and father-in-law; and this was the clan that had settled in the Negev in 1:16. The Kenites were normally pro-Isra’el, but Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the pro-Isra’el Kenites, and had pitched his tent as far away as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh (4:11 ESV). This would have placed him in close proximity with King Jabin and Hazor. The purpose of this verse is to set the stage for the death of Sisera. Heber’s position would allow him to observe the troop movements of Barak and report them to Jabin and Sisera. Heber would have assumed he was doing the Canaanites a favor; but in reality, he was, by God’s sovereignty, working to bring about the Canaanites’ defeat.

The Defeat of the Canaanites (4:12-16): When Heber told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, Sisera called for all nine-hundred of his iron chariots and all of his warriors, and they marched from Harosheth-hagoyim to the Kishon River. But Sisera had no idea that Ha’Shem was luring him to his death. Then Deborah said to Barak, “Get going! This is the day when ADONAI-Tzva’ot will deliver Sisera into your hands! ADONAI has gone out ahead of you” (4:12-14a. Hebrew).

The battle is then described. Sisera and the Canaanites were by the Kishon River, located at the western end of the Jezreel Valley. So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten-thousand men following him at the eastern end of the same valley (4:14b Hebrew). And ADONAI’s role is spelled out: He routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak. What else God did and what other means He used will be revealed in Chapter 5. The effect on Sisera was immediate, he leaped down from his chariot and fled on foot. But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, killing all of Sisera’s warriors. Not a single one was left alive (4:15-16 NLT). The victory was total.

The Death of Sisera (4:17-22): Meanwhile, Sisera fled away on foot in the opposite direction of his defeated army so as to elude pursuit, and went to the tent of Ja’el, the wife of Heber the Kenite. The name Ja’el, means mountain goat. Sisera was obviously on his way back to Hazor, and that would lead him past the place where Heber had pitched his tent. The Kenites were nomadic, and their tradition was that whenever a stranger was admitted into the tent as a guest, his claim to be defended or concealed from his pursuers would be honored. This was probably the reason why Sisera would specifically seek refuge into her tent. Another reason Sisera felt safe in her tent was because Heber’s family was on friendly terms with King Jabin of Hazor. Ja’el took the initiative and went out to meet Sisera. She said to him, “Come into my tent, sir. Come in. Don’t be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a rug (4:17-18 NLT). He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” Another point concerning nomadic tradition was that whoever ate or drank anything in the tent was presumed to receive the peace of the tent; therefore, he felt that he could relax inside the tent. Sisera may have asked for just a little water in order to establish this bond. So Ja’el opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him up again.⁹⁰

But then Sisera made a mistake when he asked her to lie: If anyone asks you, “Is there a man here,” say No (4:19-20 Hebrew). At that moment, she quickly concluded that Sisera was fleeing the battlefield, which meant that the Israelites had won the battle and the Canaanite grip on the land had been broken. If she protected Sisera, she’d endanger her own life, and pit herself against her own relatives. No doubt somebody was chasing Sisera, and whoever it was wouldn’t be satisfied until he was dead. So, initially, she was merely thinking only of her own survival. Sisera had no reason to suspect danger. Nevertheless, what he didn’t know was that Ha’Shem had promised that a woman would take his life (4:9). Her identity is delayed as long as possible in the story to enhance the impact when revealed. The irony was that God’s choice was not merely a woman, nor even an Israelite prophetess, but Ja’el, the wife of Heber!⁹¹

But then Ja’el thought more about her situation and she changed her loyalty. When Sisera fell into a deep sleep from exhaustion, Ja’el quietly crept up to him with a hammer and a tent peg in her hand. She drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and he died. Her ability to do this corresponded with the fact that, among the nomads, the erection of tents was done by the tribal women. So she was well-trained in the use of the hammer and the tent peg. Thus, Deborah’s prophecy about Sisera being delivered into the hands of a woman was fulfilled. Because Sisera fell into a deep sleep, he never realized what was happening until it was too late. Pursuing the runaway Canaanite, complete victory almost within his grasp, he was unexpectedly met by Ja’el who emerged from her tent. Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Ja’el went out to meet him. She said matter-of-factly: Come, and I will show you the man you’re looking for. So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera dead with the tent peg climatically through his temple (4:21-22 NIV).⁹² The ironic contrast of the victor (Barak) and the vanquished (Sisera) in the same tent is significant. Ja’el had conquered them both: Sisera, by literally assassinating him, and Barak, by depriving him of receiving any honor (4:9) that would have been his as the chosen deliverer of Isra’el.

The similarities between Ja’el’s assassination of Sisera and Ehud’s assassination of Eglon are striking. Both narratives feature a murder scene followed by a discovery scene. Both Ehud and Ja’el use false premises to set up the assassination (Ehud’s claim to have a message from Elohim and Ja’el’s seeming assurance of asylum). Ehud assassinated Eglon and the king’s servants discovered their dead master; Ja’el assassinated Sisera and Barak discovered the dead Canaanite general. In both stories, the murder and discovery scenes play much more significant roles than the battle scenes themselves. In the Ehud story, the assassination takes place before the battle; in the Barak story, it happens after.⁹³

Should we bless or blame Ja’el for what she did? She invited Sisera into her tent, treated him kindly, and told him not to be afraid; so she was deceitful. The Kenites were at peace with Jabin, so she violated a treaty. She gave Sisera the impression that she would guard the entrance to her tent, so she broke a promise. She assassinated a defenseless man who was under her protection, so she was a murderer. Yet Deborah sang: Most blessed among women is Ja’el, the wife of Heber the Kenite. May she be blessed above all women who live in tents (see Ax – Blessed by Ja’el).

To begin with, all this took place during the Dispensation of Torah (see the commentary on Exodus Da – The Dispensation of Torah). So let’s not read back into the era of the judges, the spiritual standards taught by Yeshua and His apostles. Also, let’s keep in mind that the Israelites had been under terrible bondage because of Jabin and Sisera, and it was God’s will that the nation be restored. Both Jabin and Sisera had been guilty of mistreating the Jews for twenty years, and if the Canaanite army had won the battle, untold numbers of Jewish girls and women would have been captured and raped (5:30). Ja’el not only helped restore the nation of Isra’el from bondage, but she also helped to protect Jewish girls and women from the most vicious brutality. Consequently, it turned out that she wasn’t a Semitic “Lady Macbeth” who murdered her guest for her own personal gain. There was a war going on, and this courageous woman, unlike her husband, stopped looking out only for herself, but took her stand with the people of God.⁹⁴

The Defeat of Jabin (4:23-24): So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the Israelites (4:23 NIV). The defeat of Sisera in the Jezreel Valley didn’t mean the immediate defeat of Hazor, or the other cities who were still under Canaanite control. So there were several smaller victories. But from that time on Isra’el became stronger and stronger and the Canaanites grew weaker and weaker until they finally destroyed Jabin, king of Hazor (4:24 NLT).⁹⁵ Consequently, the repetition of King Jabin of Hazor stresses the magnitude of the victory over the oppressor. Without his general Sisera, Jabin was no threat and quickly subdued. So the land flowing with milk and honey was saved by a “Mountain Goat” and a “Bee.”⁹⁶

Dear heavenly Father, praise You ADONAI-Tzva’ot, The LORD of heaven’s angelic armies, for helping Isra’el to conquer her enemies, both in times past and today! You can even use a Mountain Goat and a Bee! Like Barak, help me to desire Your Presence in my daily life. There is nothing more comforting than having the Presence of the King of kings (Revelation 19:16) who rules over all the world living within me (Dani’el 7:14). Your love, Adonai, is in the heavens, Your faithfulness up to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God. Your judgments are like the great deep. You preserve man and beast, ADONAI. How precious is Your love, O God! The children of men find refuge in the shadow of Your wings (Psalms 36:5-7). Comfort can be found from Your steadfast love even in the midst of trials, as David felt your steadfast love when he had to flee into the wilderness. Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. (Psalms 63:3). Thank You for being such a wonderful heavenly Father and for Your Presence to live within those who believe in You (Jn 14:23)! To the One who sits at Your Right Hand. Amen

The Third Cycle: Shamgar
3:31 and 5:6-7

The third cycle: Shamgar DIG: How did Shamgar’s name show the Canaanite influence on the Jews? What is Shamgar known for? In what ways were Shamgar and Samson similar? What is remarkable about his battle with the Philistines? As far as his judgeship was concerned, what was his association with Ehud? 

REFLECT: Between Othniel, then Ehud, and now Shamgar, how has the pattern of how God judged shifted before our eyes? Ha’Shem remains the Judge, and He Himself is the Great Deliverer; but how He judges is up to Him? Have you, your family, or your church taken on a Canaanite lifestyle? How can you change that?

With a total of twelve judges, there were actually twelve cycles, but the author does not detail all twelve cycles, only seven. Shamgar is one of those not detailed.

After Ehud came Shamgar, son of Anath. Shamgar is an unlikely hero. In the time of the judges, many would know Gideon, some would know Samson or Deborah, and perhaps even Jephthah; but, who in the world is Shamgar? These two verses are all that recorded Scripture says about him. He is the first of the judges that are not detailed. Shamgar is a Hurrian name, used of a people known in the Bible as the Horites. He was a Jew who was the son of Anath, a name dedicated to the goddess Anath. Among the Canaanite deities, Anath was the Canaanite goddess of sex and war. The name shows Canaanite influence on the Jews. Certain characteristic features of the narratives concerning the judges, like rebellion, there is no mention that Isra’el did evil in the sight of ADONAI; repentance and restoration are also missing in connection with Shamgar. Nor is there any direct mention of any Philistine oppression or its duration. The length of time when the land enjoyed rest is also missing. His is the shortest of all twelve accounts.

He struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. God’s instruments of retribution seem to have an interesting, if odd, collection of tools. Shamgar’s oxgoad joins Ehud’s dagger (3:16), Jael’s hammer and tent peg (4:21), Gideon’s shofars and torches (7:16), the woman’s millstone (9:53), and Samson’s jawbone (not his but a donkey’s) (15:15). Ha’Shem’s judges had plenty of variety. While Ehud employed great planning and deception (see Aq – The Second Cycle: Ehud), Shamgar seemed to act almost impulsively. While both required dexterity, Ehud relied on stealth to assassinate Eglon, while Shamgar relied on brute strength to impale six hundred Philistines. He was a farmer at war. Six hundred warriors was a common troop configuration (cf. the six hundred warriors sent by the tribe of Dan to conquer Laish in 18:11; also see First Samuel 13:15, 14:2, 27:2; and Second Samuel 15:18).⁷⁹ The six hundred may be Shamgar’s lifetime total, and not a result of a one-time battle. But we really don’t know. The Hebrew for oxgoad is malmad, and was used to urge oxen to move forward, and was as much as eight feet long. It was pointed at one end with a metal tip, and had a chisel-shaped blade on the other end for scrapping a plowshare, and so it could be effectively used in place of a spear.⁸⁰ They, like Eglon, got the point of the message.

Here was a man who obeyed YHVH and defeated the enemy even though his resources were limited. Instead of complaining about not possessing a sword or a spear, Shamgar gave what he had to the LORD, and the LORD used it. The few words that are recorded about Shamgar give the impression that he was a man of persistent courage, which, of course, was born out of his faith in ADONAI. To stand his ground against the enemy, having only a farmer’s tool instead of a soldier’s military equipment, highlights Shamgar as a brave man with steadfast courage.⁸¹

He also rescued Isra’el (3:31 NIV). The word also connects Shamgar with Ehud. His judgeship may have inspired after Ehud’s restoration, but before Ehud’s death. That is why the historical notation, after Ehud died (4:1) continues after the death of Ehud, not Shamgar. So it might be very well that Shamgar’s actions occurred within the period of Ehud’s judgeship. The next cycle (see As – The Fourth Cycle: Debrah) shows that he was a contemporary of Debrah and Barak, and so may have appeared about the same time that the Philistines were beginning to settle in the coastal plain. As a result, Deborah and Barak are viewed as following Ehud, not Shamgar.⁸²

In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, people avoided the main roads because they were afraid of the Philistines or didn’t want to pay the heavy tolls, and travelers stayed on back roads. The situation was that of total destruction of communication and trade. Verse 7 describes the total lack of leadership in Isra’el. There were few people left in the villages of Isra’el – until Deborah arose as the mother of Isra’el (5:6-7 NLT). The theme of these verses is the impoverished, pitiful condition of Isra’el under the Philistine yoke. They describe the situation in the land prior to Debrah and Barak rising up and restoring the nation. Shamgar and Jael are viewed as contemporaries, which further demonstrates that Shamgar’s judgeship came within the same time period as Ehud.⁸³

While Ehud’s deceptive ways are a step down from the heroic Othniel’s, Shamgar’s lack of details surrounding him clearly signal to the reader the narrator is depicting a downward trend in Isra’el’s story. While Ha’Shem does save Isra’el from her enemies, His chosen means of doing so may not be easy to predict or explain. This trend will only accelerate in the accounts that follow, an acceleration accentuated by the striking links between Shamgar and Samson, both who contest the Philistines, both act alone, and both use an unlikely weapon. Shamgar confronts the Philistines and successfully delivers Isra’el, while Samson, the wayward Nazirite, constantly courts Philistine women and fails to deliver Isra’el. Thus, the appearance of Shamgar is both positive and negative. On the one hand, he is a reminder that YHVH uses he most unlikely characters; but on the other hand, he represents the loss of nerve among the Israelites by the fact that he had to act alone, without tribal support.⁸⁴

The dilemma faced by the Israelites in the dark days of the judges is not without parallel in the Church today, which is often at the mercy of the world. Dependence on secular business ethics and methodologies has increased in the Church as godliness and genuine spirituality among its leaders has decreased. But a Church that has permitted itself to be squeezed into the mold of the world should not be surprised to find itself held hostage by its enemies. The Lord is under no obligation to those who bear His Name in vain, or to those who claim to be the people of God but act like Philistines. However, He remains sensitive to the groaning of His people and waits to demonstrate His power and His grace in freeing them from the tyranny of evil and their own foolishness. ADONAI is resourceful and often rescues them through unexpected agents in spite of His people and their leaders.⁸⁵

Dear heavenly Father, praise You for being such an awesome Savior! You are the Savior of the whole world! Besides you there is no Savior. Before Me no God was formed, and there will be none after Me. “I, I am ADONAI – and there is no savior beside Me (Isaiah 43:10c-11). You care so tenderly for your children. For I am Adonai your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (Isaiah 43:3a). The only wise response to one who can predict the future is for all the ends of the earth to turn to you and be saved. Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God—there is no other. By Myself I have sworn—the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness, and is irrevocable: that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear. (Isaiah 45:22-23). Thank you for being the strength and wisdom behind Shamgar’s being Israel’s savior. Words cannot even begin to express my gratitude for being the Savior of the world. Yet will I triumph in ADONAI, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation (Habakkuk 3:17-18). I rejoice in You, my awesome Savior! In Messiah’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Second Cycle: Ehud
3: 12-30

The second cycle: Ehud DIG: What is the theme of the story of Ehud? What is the significance of knowing that Ehud was ambidextrous? What is the victory that Ha’Shem gave through Ehud? What is the tragedy of the story? How did the Israelites go through the different steps of the cycle with Ehud as the deliverer?

REFLECT: What do you think of Ehud’s plan and behavior? Do the means justify the ends?  Would you allow your daughter to date Ehud? Do you admire him for his bravery or detest him for his deception? Where in your life would you like to experience God’s answer to one of your cries?

The judgment of God’s enemies in the past,
assures God’s people that He will judge His enemies in the future.

Rebellion (3:12a): As with the account of Othniel (to see link click Ap – The First Cycle: Othniel) and the other major judges, the account of Ehud (pronounced A-hood) begins with the revelation that once again the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of ADONAI (3:12a ESV). But unlike the account of Othniel, the precise nature of this evil is not identified, even though the introduction (see Al – Judgement for the Incomplete Conquest), and the first example of Othniel, suggests it was the worship of other foreign gods.⁶⁹

Retribution (3:12b-14): Next the author introduces Isra’el’s new oppressor. So ADONAI gave Eglon, king of Mo’ab, power over Isra’el, because of the evil they had done (3:12b Hebrew). It was God who energized Eglon to be the oppressor against Isra’el even though they were His people. King Eglon enlisted the Ammorites and the Amalekites as allies, and then he went out and defeated Isra’el, taking possession of Jericho, the city of palms (3:13 NLT). Jericho had been destroyed by Joshua about sixty years earlier, it had been rebuilt, but not as a fortified city, and therefore it did not violate the curse of Joshua 6:26. The Israelites were subject to Eglon, king of Mo’ab for eighteen years (3:14 NIV).

Repentance (3:15a): As in other major sections in Judges, the plot turns when Isra’el cries out to YHVH. But when the Israelites cried out to ADONAI, He raised up one who would rescue them (3:15a Hebrew). The Israelites cried out to YHVH for deliverance as their ancestors cried out to God in Egypt (Ex 2:23). But again, this was not a cry of repentance or a plea for forgiveness; it was simply a cry of pain, a plea for divine help.

Restoration (3:15b-29): The restoration of Isra’el came in two stages.

First, the Assassination of Eglon (3:15b-26): Ehud the son of Gera the Benjamite, the deliverer, was primarily left-handed, although according to First Chronicles 12:2, the Benjamites were also known to be fierce warriors and ambidextrous. Now Ehud had a double-edged dagger, without a cross-shaft, about eighteen inches long and strapped it to his right thigh under his clothing (3:16 NLT). The advantage of Ehud, being ambidextrous, was that he could strap his dagger to his right side, the opposite of the side that he usually carried it so he could conceal his weapon. The king’s guards would have searched his left side where they would have expected a dagger to be. Ehud’s plan for assassinating Eglon was a masterpiece of strategy.⁷⁰

Ehud had several problems to solve before assassinating King Eglon. First, he gained access to the king without making his guards suspicious. He accomplished this by making himself the leader of the group that brought the king his annual tribute. Seeing strangers at that time would not be unusual. The Israelites sent Ehud with tribute to Eglon, king of Mo’ab (3:15b NLT). Paying tribute would not only add to the king’s wealth, but it would also acknowledge the king’s authority over Isra’el. Eglon didn’t know Ehud was God’s appointed judge to deliver Isra’el; or he would have had him killed on the spot.⁷¹

Second, Ehud had to secure a private audience with the king without raising the suspicions of his guards. The way he did that was first by leaving the king’s presence together with his men after they had paid homage to Eglon. Then Ehud came back later alone as if he had a secret message for the king. He presented the tribute to Eglon, who was very fat, which provides the explanation for the account that follows. After delivering the tribute, Ehud started home with those who had carried the tribute. But when Ehud reached the quarries near Gilgal, he dismissed those with him and turned back (3:17-19a NLT). The Hebrew word for quarries is psillim, which means sculptured statues. They were sculptured statues of Canaanite gods, which illustrates Isra’el’s problem and the reason for her slavery in the first place. The sculptured statues of Canaanite gods were at Gilgal, which means they were erected at the very same place where Joshua had erected the memorial stones in honor of what God had done for Isra’el (see Joshua Av – The Memorial Stones at Gilgal). They were also erected in the place where The Angel of ADONAI had already departed, and may have been the reason for His departure from Gilgal. So, Ehud, after leaving Jericho, went as far as Gilgal, and then he turned back. Then comes the trap.

Again, the story moves swiftly, from Ehud’s turning back to his arrival, once more, in the cool upper room of the palace complex. This was a higher room that would allow the cool afternoon breezes to come through. It would have been a one-room apartment built on the corner of a flat roof, fitted on all sides with latticed windows, which shut out the sun in the heat of the day, but allowed for some privacy. In the summer time, it would have been the coolest part of the palace. This kind of upper room also tended to serve as a guest room (First Kings 17:19 and 23; Second Kings 4:10-11), or as a guest room of a palace (Second Kings 1:2). Often it was a very large room (Jeremiah 22:13-14).⁷²

To accomplish his mission Ehud first had to get Elgon to dismiss his servants, which he did by saying: I have a secret message for you. This required a private audience with the king, something that Elgon (his curiosity aroused) was ready to give. So the king dismissed his servants with just a single word: Silence! They needed nothing else and left at once, leaving Ehud and Elgon alone (3:19 NLT).

The assassin now had the king alone and vulnerable. The judge of Isra’el walked over to Eglon, who was sitting alone in a cool upstairs room and Ehud said to him, “I have a message from Elohim for you” (3:20a NLT). Ehud used the generic term Elohim which could apply to any deity, so the king might have thought it was a message from the Canaanite gods. At any rate, Eglon seemed to take Ehud’s claim to be the bearer of a divine message, so out of respect he stood up to receive it. At that moment he had perfectly positioned himself to receive his judgment from the Jewish judge. The plan had worked perfectly. Ehud had to assassinate the king in a way that was quick and quiet, and that would catch him by surprise. Unknowingly, Eglon (whose name means small calf) had presented himself to Ehud like a sacrificial animal, ready for the slaughter.

What happens next happens quickly, but as we have already observed, it’s described in slow motion, almost like a series of still pictures rather than as one sudden action. At this point we are at the structural center of the narrative. There were nine verses before verse 21 and there will be nine verses after verse 21. The assassination of Eglon is the hinge on which the entire second cycle turns. It was a heroic act, like David’s slaughter of Goliath, which turns the tide and guarantees that it’s only a matter of time until the enemy forces as a whole will be overthrown.⁷³

Ehud’s divine message, however, was not from a pagan god, nor was it even in the form of words. As King Eglon rose from his seat, Ehud reached out with his left hand (as if to shake hands with the king), drew the sword strapped to his right thigh (with his right hand), and plunged it into the king’s belly. The sword went in so deep that the handle disappeared around the king’s fat (Hebrew: cheleb), and his bowels emptied (3:21-22 Hebrew). The king was so very fat, it took the whole dagger, including the handle. The term translated fat is the sacrificial term used for the choicest parts of the sacrifice: all the fat (cheleb) belongs to ADONAI (see the commentary on Leviticus Ak – The Peace Offerings: At Peace with God). Ironically, then, the king being fat suggests that Eglon was a fatted calf ready for the slaughter. The downward motion of the dagger was with such force that it passed completely through his abdomen and projected from his anus. I think Eglon got the point of the message!

The narrator’s silence on the role of Ha’Shem in the assassination of Eglon is deafening. Prior to verse 28 there is no hint of any spiritual sensitivity in Ehud’s heart, nor any sense of divine calling. On the contrary, Ehud operates like a typical Canaanite of his time – cleverly, opportunistically, and violently, apparently for his own glory. But the narrator doesn’t seem to be concerned about the morality of the affair. He merely describes what happened from his point of view, and in doing so, reminds us that in the dark days of the judges the means necessary to restore His people were crude indeed.⁷⁴

The next problem was how to escape from the palace without getting caught. This was accomplished by locking the door to the private upper room and delaying the discovery of the corpse. Then Ehud went out to the porch, closed and locked the doors of the upper room and escaped. After Ehud was gone, the king’s servants returned and found the door to the upper room locked and assumed that he was using the bathroom. When the king didn’t come out they finally overcame their fear of embarrassment, took a key and unlocked the door. There they found their master dead on the floor (3:23-25 Hebrew). All this took time. Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the memorial stone idols at Gilgal, which marked the end of Moabite territory and the beginning of Israelite territory. From there he escaped to Seirah to the central hill-country of Ephriam (3:26 ESV).

And second, the Defeat of Mo’ab (3:27-29): Ehud’s final problem was to rally the Israelites and attack the enemy. When he arrived, he began sounding the call on the shofar, which was often used in military contexts especially as a signal before and during a battle (Joshua 6:4-20; Judges 6:34, 7:8, 16-22; Jeremiah 42:14; Hosea 5:8; Amos 2:2), but here it is used to rally the troops for war. And the people of Isra’el went down with him from the hill-country of Ephraim, which included the tribal territory of Benjamin, and he was their leader. The people of Isra’el realized that it was time to rebel against the Moabites. He said to them, “Follow me, because ADONAI has given your enemy Mo’ab into your hands.” This was a very deliberate public presentation of himself to Isra’el as their judge/deliverer in the present battle. It is also an excellent example of how at least some of the people named in Chapters 3-16 became judges. So they went down after him and seized the shallow crossings (fords) of the Jordan River and didn’t allow anyone to pass (3:27-28 Hebrew). The victory would come by trusting YHVH and not by depending on their own strength. By guarding the shallow crossings, the Israelites prevented the Moabites from escaping or from bringing in fresh troops. Since Ephraim was one of the most powerful tribes in Isra’el, Ehud had excellent soldiers to command. Then the author summarizes the slaughter of the Moabites. At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, the most able-bodied men. No one escaped the sword (3:29 Hebrew). We assume that Mo’ab’s defeat frightened their allies, Ammon and Amalek, and they fled the battlefield. It was a huge, overwhelming victory for Isra’el.⁷⁵

Rest (3:30): So Mo’ab was conquered by Isra’el that day, and there was rest in the land for eighty years (3:30 NLT). This round number is approximately two generations, and was the longest period of rest found in the entire book of Judges. Given that the third cycle of Shamgar that follows immediately has no separate period of rest indicated, it is possible that the eighty years includes both Ehud and Shamgar. It’s the longest period of rest which followed the subjugation of Mo’ab was threatened only once, and Shamgar successfully defeated that threat. This possibility is strengthened by the fact that the beginning of the fourth cycle refers back to Ehud rather than Shamgar as the one whose death signaled the end of the period of rest (4:1).⁷⁶

As previously mentioned (see Ae – The Cycle of Sin in Judges) there is a downward moral cycle in each of the seven judges that are detailed. Each of the detailed judges except Othniel, the first one, presents us with a moral dilemma when evaluating them. In the case of Othniel, there is only a positive characterization. But starting with Ehud, there is a mixture of positive and negative attributes; with a decline of the positive and an increase in the negative as we go deeper into the cycles. This serves to highlight ADONAI’s mighty restorations despite the growing shortcomings of His human deliverers. In this case, Ehud clearly does not possess the moral character of Othniel. He resorts to a complex process of deception in order to accomplish his task. However, Ehud is not as doubtful and manipulative as Barak, who is seen as more negative than Ehud’s. So, for example, Ehud restores Isra’el by effectively assassinating the leader of the enemy of God’s people; Barak will win a victory, but the leader of the enemy will escape him. Interestingly, and importantly, there will be more parallels between Ehud and Jael (4:21-22) than between Ehud and Barak (4:12-16).⁷⁷

As related by Lawson Younger, Jr in his NIV Application Commentary on Judges and Ruth, this passage emphasizes the work of ADONAI in restoring Isra’el, His firstborn son (Exodus 4:22). And this story (as many others throughout the Bible) demonstrates the length to which God will go in order to save them from slipping irreversibly into apostasy. He accomplishes this despite the moral flaws in the human judges He raises up. This serves, in turn, to demonstrate His mercy and compassion, since Isra’el’s repentance is only temporary. Yet, YHVH hears the cry of pain and anguish of His people and acts on their behalf.

The judgment of God’s enemies in the past assures God’s people that He will judge His enemies in the future. Those who exploit, abuse, and seek to humiliate His people run the risk of humiliation by YHVH Himself. We can see this even today as those who have sought to destroy Isra’el have been humiliated. Eglon in particular, and the Moabites in general, had exploited the Israelites for eighteen years. The oppression brought Isra’el to the point of crying out to ADONAI, not in repentance, but in stress and pain. In God’s compassion for His people, He raised up a judge who was willing, without any assurances, to risk his very life to save Isra’el. The Jews could not be saved from Eglon, without judgment on Eglon.

On a human level, our context is quite different today from Isra’el’s day. Nevertheless, the question arises: How are we to wage spiritual warfare against those who abuse, exploit, and persecute the Church? And for believers in certain parts of the world today, this is not a hypothetical question, but a real and practical one. The only way we can win this spiritual battle is to use a better weapon we already have access to . . . the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (see the commentary on Ephesians Ch – The Sword of the Spirit). The sword is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword (Greek: machairan meaning a short dagger) – it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow (Hebrews 4:12a). This is not to allegorize the passage and equate Ehud’s dagger with the Word of God. Rather, it is to acknowledge the role that the truth of the Word plays in the answer to the question posed above in the modern context.

Certainly the positive message of Ehud is in his willingness to risk his life for ADONAI. This is a lesson we can benefit from. So many believers today are hampered by an unwillingness to take any risk for God – to share their faith, to stand up for righteousness and justice, even to speak a word or encouragement to the demoralized – simply because we fear what others might say or think about us. Ehud demonstrates the kind of boldness of action for the Lord that should spur us to action in these types of situations.

Nevertheless, Ehud’s method of deception cannot be condoned as the ideal way to accomplish God’s will. While it heightens the suspense and functions to expose Eglon and the Moabites to greater satire, it poses a significant theological problem. While deceptive methods (whether in devious evangelistic methods, false prophecies, worldly church-growth methods, political involvement, etc.) may work, this should not be interpreted as ADONAI’s condoning of such things. The ideal way is the way of integrity, the way in which God worked through Othniel to accomplish His restoration of His people Isra’el in the first cycle.⁷⁸

Dear heavenly Father, praise you for being such a loving heavenly Father who cares for me. You see all that happens to me. When hard times come into my life, You are right there, watching and seeking to use it to draw me closer to Yourself. Sometimes the trials/hard times come to help me grow strong in You. Just as You sent Ehud to rescue Isra’el, You sent Messiah to rescue me. Just as You hold Isra’el in the palm of Your hand, You hold me in the palm of Your hand. Just as Isra’el is the apple of your eye, You watch over and guard me. I know that You want only what is best for me, no matter what my walk with You looks like. Father, I love You; Yeshua, I love You, Ruach Ha’Kodesh, I love You. Thank you for Your Presence in my life. To the One what sits at His right hand. Amen

The First Cycle: Othniel
3: 7-11

The first cycle: Othniel DIG: What was so evil about the Ba’al’s and the Asheroth (1 Kings 23-24; 2 Kings 23:4-7)? Who was Cushan-Rish’athayim and how powerful was he? What role does the Ruach play in Othniel’s deliverance from the Arameans? What contrast can be drawn between Othniel and Samson?

REFLECT: When have you burned with rage? Yearned for peace? How was the Lord involved? What cycles have you gone through? Is it easy or hard for you to repent? Is there anything that is keeping you from repenting right now? Do you feel like you have to be an Othniel? Or can you be content with faithfulness?

Othniel’s ability to deliver Isra’el was only the result of the empowerment of the Spirit.

As Warren Wiersbe relates in his commentary on Judges, the weapons we fight are not the weapons of the world. This statement could have been made by a space alien in a science-fiction novel, but it wasn’t. The apostle Paul wrote those words to the believers in Corinth (Second Corinthians 1-:4), reminding them of a principle every believer needs to take to heart: When Ha’Shem goes to war, He usually chooses the most unlikely soldiers, hands them the most unusual weapons, and accomplishes through them the most unpredictable results. For example, Ha’Shem gave Shamgar an ox goad, and with it he killed six-hundred men (3:31); Jael used a hammer and a tent peg to kill the general of Jabin’s army (4:21); Gideon routed the whole Midianite army with only trumpets, jars and torches as weapons (7:19-20); Samson slaughtered a thousand Philistines using the jawbone of a donkey (15:15), and young David killed the giant Goliath with a stone hurled from a shepherd’s sling (First Samuel 17:40b-51a). Though our world has changed dramatically since the days of the judges, the world system is still the same because human nature hasn’t changed (First John 2:15-17). As long as we’re in this world, God’s people are involved in a spiritual battle against Satan and his demons (Ephesians 6:10-19), and our Lord is still looking for men and women who have what it takes to win that spiritual battle: the power of God as seen in Othniel (3:7-11), the effective strategy of Ehud (3:12-30), and the persistent courage of Shamgar (3:31).⁶⁰

Rebellion (3:7): The first cycle begins with the negative fact that the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of YHVH, and forgot ADONAI their God (3:7 Hebrew). This is a very common phrase, found in many books of the Bible, to express the faithlessness and ingratitude of the Israelites when they abandoned His worship for that of false gods. And served the images of Ba’al and the Asherah poles (3:7c Hebrew). Thanks to archaeological discoveries, we now know that Ba’al was in fact the most important member of the Canaanite pantheon. He was avidly worshiped throughout the land as the god of storms, wind, and rainfall; his weapon of choice was the thunderbolt. Asheroth is the plural of Asherah, both forms indicate a female goddess, the consort of Ba’al and the goddess of fertility (cf. Judges 10:6; First Samuel 7:4 and 12:10).⁶¹ Those Asherah groves (Deuteronomy 16:21; Judges 6:26; Second Kings 13:6, 17:10, 23;6, and 23:15) were probably regarded as a dwelling place of the deity. The name was transferred to the deity itself from the idols of this goddess, which consisted of wooden columns called the Asherim, hence Asherah or the Asherah poles – wooden poles, or tree trunks – which were set up beside the pagan altar, and used as an object of worship.⁶²

Of course, Ba’al and Asherah could easily tolerate the inclusion of other gods in the pantheon, even the God of Isra’el. In polytheism, there is always room for more gods. But the reverse was not, and is not, possible (see the commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Bw – Sh’ma Isra’el). Since ADONAI is the absolute and transcendent One, neither dependent upon the whims of fate nor subject to its limits, the worship of any other forces – even when these could be understood as being ultimately subject to His authority – is intolerable. But what developed in ancient Isra’el, under the pervasive influence of Canaanite culture, was the combining of His worship with the Canaanite gods, a process known as syncretism.⁶³

Retribution (3:8): The author begins with the cause of Isra’el’s retribution. Then Ha’Shem burned with anger against Isra’el. Are we surprised that God became angry? And He turned them over to Cushan-Rish’athayim (meaning doubly-wicked Cushan), king of Aram. Aram, rendered Syria in the LXX (the Septuagint, the “official” Greek translation of the TaNaKh), is the name given to the area populated primarily by the Arameans, one of the most powerful ethnic groups in the late second and early first millennia. The territory extended from northeast of the Sea of Galilee to the Taurus mountains in the north and eastward beyond the Habur tributary of the upper Euphrates River. Rish’athayim literally means, Syria of Two Rivers, and it refers to the very fertile land that lies between the Orontes River and the Euphrates River, or two rivers. Four times in Judges we’re told that Ha’Shem “sold” His people to the enemy (2:14, 3:8, 4:2, and 10:7; cf. First Samuel 12:9; First Kings 21:20 and 25, Psalm 44:12). The Jews acted like slaves, so YHVH treated them like slaves. Had they been faithful to God, He would have sold their enemies into their hands (Deuteronomy 32:20). For Cushan to have extended his tentacles as far as Judah in southern Canaan meant that he was a world-class emperor, who held the Israelites in his grip for at least eight years (3:8 NIV). He was the most powerful of all the enemies of Isra’el named in the book of Judges.⁶⁴

Repentance (3:9a): There’s no evidence that the people of Isra’el repented when they cried out to ADONAI (3:9a NIV). It took eight years before Isra’el realized that continuing to worship Ba’al and Asherah was of no benefit to them and wouldn’t free them from oppression. Today, we have an instant remedy for our sin: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (First John 1:8-9).

Restoration (3:9b-10): What is the most striking in the cycle is the irony of ADONAI’s response. Even in God’s anger, there is hope for Isra’el, for He will not allow Isra’el to serve Ba’al forever. While Isra’el actively sought appeasement with their Canaanite neighbors, preferring spiritually sinful coexistence, Ha’Shem consistently thwarted any possibility of a long-term relationship by introducing judges, or deliverers. In the scene first seen here, but replayed many times throughout history, the people of Isra’el painfully discover that, try as they might, they cannot abandon their unique mission on the earth (see the commentary on Genesis Dt – I Will Bless Those Who Bless You), neither by passive detachment nor, like Jonah, by actively running away (Psalm 139:7-8).⁶⁵

The LORD responded to their plight and raised up one who would rescue them (3:9b NIV). It was the Exodus experience all over again: God heard their groaning and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them (2:24-25). The Hebrew word for deliverer or savior is movshia, a word used in three different ways. First, in the book of Judges, it is used by heroic men (and Deborah) who save the nation in time of war. Secondly, movshia is used of YHVH (Isaiah 43:11, 45:15 and 21). And finally, it was also used by Isaiah of the Messiah in Isaiah 19:20. The name of the deliverer here was Othniel, a Kenizzite, and a relative of Caleb (3:9b NIV).

When God called Othniel, he was available and the Spirit of ADONAI came upon him (NIV). This is the first time that the supernatural empowering of the judges is revealed. Not by force, and not by power, but by My Spirit, says ADONAI-Tzva’ot (Zechariah 4:6 CJB). This was the secret of Othniel’s strength, as it was with Gideon (6:34), Jephthah (11:29), and Samson (14:6 and 19, 15:14); and it must be the source of our power today: But you will receive power when the Ruach Ha’Kodesh comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Othniel’s ability to deliver Isra’el was the result of the Spirit, but there is no stereotyped formula. It is always used in the context of being empowered to accomplish a specific task or mission. It is noted that the Spirit of ADONAI took possession of Gideon (RSV), and He began to stir, impel, or rush upon Samson (13:25, 14:6, 19, and 15:14). Since Shavu’ot, the Spirit of Truth resides permanently in every believer (see the commentary on Acts Al – The Ruach Ha’Kodesh Comes at Shavu’ot).⁶⁶ The result of Othniel’s empowerment and mission was twofold: First, he judged Isra’el; and secondly, he went out to war, and ADONAI gave him victory over Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram (3:10 Hebrew). Just as God gave Isra’el into the hands of their enemy, He then gave Isra’el’s enemy into the hands of their deliverer.

Rest (3:11): So there was rest (peace) in the Land for a generation, about forty years. This round number signifies a generation, during which time the achievements of the judge had the effect of keeping grateful people loyal to ADONAI. What was obvious is that the repentance of this generation failed to transmit to the next generation. Only once did rest last for eighty years, and in that instance, it extended for two generations. Otherwise rest lasted for either forty years or even less: here in 3:11, forty years; Ehud in 3:30 for eighty years; Deborah in 5:31 for forty years; Gideon in 8:28 for forty years; Tola and Jair in 10:2-3, combined had rest for forty-five years; A combination of Jephath, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon in 12:7-14 had peace for thirty-one years; and Samson in 16:31 had rest for twenty years. Notice the general downward progression. This first cycle lasted until Othniel son of Kenaz died (3:11 Hebrew).

As Michael Hattin relates in his commentary on Judges, Otniel’s successful tenure also points to a popular misconception concerning the political situation during the period of the judges. Unlike his predecessor Joshua, Otniel is most certainly a regional leader. There is no indication whatsoever that he exercised any sort of national rule, and everything that we know about him and his exploits places him within the southern region of the tribe of Judah. In other words, as the first of the judges, Othniel introduces us to a new period in Israelite history, an era during which the tribes act independently and are the objects of external threats that tend to be confirmed to particular areas of the land. Rarely did any judge transcend his tribal affiliation to achieve more widespread rule, certainly not for sustained periods much beyond the immediate necessities of the hour of battle. Though the text invariably speaks of Isra’el straying from God and of oppressors harshly ruling over Isra’el, the dynamics at play were local. Isra’el didn’t stray from ADONAI as a consequence of some sort of widespread movement decided upon in a national poll, but rather because in every region of the land there were Canaanites whose cults attracted the surrounding, local Israelites to their way of life. Therefore, to be more accurate (if less dramatic), it was tribes of Isra’el that strayed from God. Cushan-Rish’athayim and the other oppressors that followed him did not subjugate Isra’el as a nation, but only a tribe or two that were the focus of their oppressive campaign.⁶⁷

When people think about the book of Judges, most of us have heard of Samson. But only a few, if any, have ever heard of Othniel. It is a great irony that the worst of the judges in moral character and success in delivering Isra’el is the best-known judge, while the ideal judge is virtually unknown. The Bible gives us numerous examples of men and women who walked with God, but Othniel stands out because of his simplicity. In spite of those things that might hold believers back, Othniel serves as an example of one who was not limited by his background as a Kenizzite, a minor, lesser-known clan or nomadic people that eventually blended into the tribe of Judah. Background should not limit our service to Messiah. No matter what our human deficiencies, we can be faithful to God’s calling in our lives. In the book of Judges, besides possibly Joshua (2:8), Othniel is the only man who is pictured so positively, but he is the least known.

In an age when many choose a different path, not uncommonly bringing on themselves oppression that is the result of sin (like a Cushan-Rish’athayim), it is wonderful to see a model like Othniel who simply walks in tandem with ADONAI and overcomes evil. While it is inferential from the text, it is apparent that like any godly believer throughout the ages, Othniel loved his fellow Israelites. He could not stand by and watch them suffer. In other words, his motives were not self-seeking but seeking others. He acted, and this is really important, in accordance with the Lord’s will – YHVH raised up a deliverer, a savior (Hebrew: mosbia). If we walk with ADONAI and our eyes are on the needs of others rather than our own self-interests, we will want to act in accordance with God’s will. The simplicity and faithfulness of Othniel is in radical contrast to the complexity and self-gratification of the final judge of the book of Judges, Samson. The message is not that we “ought to be an Othniel.” Rather, we should demonstrate faithfulness to God’s call for us, whatever it is.

Ultimately, this first cycle serves to bring glory to God. While the human character is Othniel, this passage is not a biography about him. Instead, the human character highlights ADONAI’s involvement in the affairs of His people. In Othniel’s day Ha’Shem punished evil, had compassion on His people, and brought restoration and rest; Othniel was simply God’s tool to accomplish those results. So also today, God still acts to punish evil, and He still has compassion on His people and still brings restoration and rest.⁶⁸

Dear heavenly Father, praise You for being such an awesome Father. The greatness of Your love and wisdom inspires me to walk closely with You, listening carefully to everything with a joyful heart of love for You. The eyes of the heart of Caleb’s nephew Othniel clearly saw what others did not see. He saw the greatness and power of Isra’el’s almighty ADONAI! His heart was in the right place and he wisely turned away from his ancestry background of worshiping false idols, and turned to follow You, ADONAI, the One and only living God! Knowledge of the Almighty must move into the heart to offer worship and praise to the One and only Living God who works wonders to save His people. Othniel had this faith, like his uncle Caleb’s strong faith. They took knowledge and transferred what he knew to be true into a response of action that trusted You in all circumstances. May this generation living now follow Messiah’s example to believe and to follow you at all costs for you are such a wonderful heavenly Father! In Messiah’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Seven Detailed Cycles
3:7 to 16:31

As Michael Hattin relates in his book Judges, the Perils of Possession, this section of the book is the actual story of the judges. With a total of twelve judges, there were actually twelve cycles, but the author does not detail all twelve . . . only seven (to see link click Ae – The Cycle of Sin in Judges). In each cycle, the tribes strayed from Ha’Shem by failing to uproot Canaanite settlement, and consequently embraced Canaanite idolatry, they suffered oppression and then cried out to God for rescue. ADONAI relented and inspired a charismatic leader, a judge, who rose from obscurity to lead the tribes of Isra’el in battle against their foes. This judge triumphed, restored some semblance of stability, and led the people for a number of years. After the judges’ death, however, their hard-won accomplishments were forgotten, and once again the people strayed from God. The cycle then repeated itself.

The reason why there are twelve judges, and no more or less, is precisely because there are twelve tribes. While most, but not all, of the tribes are represented by at least one judge, the point is not to be comprehensive in terms of their tribal identity but rather to indicate to us that this is a book about twelve individual tribes . . . not about the nation of Isra’el. In other words, during the period of the judges, tribalism reigned. Its effects are acutely felt at every point in the book. When a tribe is oppressed, they will usually have to deal with the threat on their own. Rarely do other tribes come to the aid of their brothers, unless they themselves are also threatened. Rarely does a judge exercise any authority over, or rescue, any tribe but their own. This naturally led to an important conclusion about the judges in the book, unlike Moses or Joshua, they were regional, rather than national leaders.

With this surprising insight, it is now possible to appreciate why some judges are treated at length, while others receive only a few lines of text. We are familiar with the names Ehud, Debroah, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson because the book tells us about them in a fair amount of detail. But how many of us recognize the names Othniel, Shamgar, Tola, Jair, Ibzan, Elon, or Abdon? How many of us remember any significant details of their exploits? This is in spite of the fact that these seven “minor” judges actually outnumber the five mentioned above. From this we may reason that the point of the narrative is not to completely relate the story of all of Isra’el’s leaders over the course of hundreds of years; but rather, to indicate that there were twelve of them, neither more nor less, because their story is the story of the tribes. In other words, it may very well be the case that many of these minor judges are included not because their exploits were pivotal or that their lives were memorable; but rather, because we need a total of exactly twelve judges in order to construct a framework that is intended to highlight the theme of tribalism!⁵⁹

Cycles of Rebellion and Retribution
2:11 to 3:6

Cycles of rebellion and retribution DIG: As you read this section, pay close attention to the cycle of rebellion, retribution, restoration. What factors contribute to a person or group abandoning ADONAI? What does God’s providing a deliverer tell you about His character? What was the key to Israelite victory?

REFLECT: What idols or false ideas compete for your loyalty and attention? How is our society like the days of the Judges? How is today’s Church like those days? What temptations do God’s people face today that cause them to serve other gods? When and how has God tested you? How is your faith stronger as a result?

When a generation tolerates sin, the next generation will celebrate it, and the next generation after them won’t even know it’s sin (J. C. Ryle 1816-1900).

Had they remembered Joshua, the Israelites would have remembered his “farewell address” given to the leaders and the people of Isra’el (see the commentary on Joshua, to see link click Cs – Joshua’s Farewell Address). Had they known that speech, they would have known the Torah, for in his final message, Joshua emphasized the covenant ADONAI made with Isra’el and the responsibility to keep it. When you forget about the Word of God, you are in danger of abandoning the God of the Word, which explains why Isra’el turned to the vile and vicious worship of Ba’al.⁵¹

Rebellion: Idolatry (2:11-13): Another generation grew up who did not know ADONAI or remember the mighty things He had done for Isra’el (2:10). The children of Isra’el did evil in the sight of ADONAI and served the images of Ba’al, the sun and fertility god who was responsible for the rains and brought life (2:11 Hebrew). How tragic that the children of such a loving God should sink to idolatry. Isra’el’s loss of historical memory helps to explain their rebellion. It is a heartbreaking report that we read: They abandoned ADONAI, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt, and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Bl – Have No Other Gods) (2:12 Hebrew). The sin was twofold. Not only did they abandon God who had been their Protector and given them their new national home, but they adopted the worship of strange gods. The very description reveals Isra’el’s ingratitude. YHVH is called the God of our fathers (First Chronicles 29:18). There is no reason to limit their fathers to the Exodus generation; the term may well be intended to include the patriarchs. All the pre-Exodus stories (beginning with Exodus 12) highlight ADONAI’s faithful preservation of His fragile people (Psalm 105:12-15). Otherwise there would have been no Isra’el. Moreover, YHVH is the One who brought them out of the land of Egypt (Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6; Leviticus 22:33). What but the death and resurrection of Messiah could compare with that? That was God’s mighty act on behalf of a hopeless people. Isra’el had abandoned YHVH! And they provoked Ha’Shem to anger because they abandoned Him and served Ba’al and the Ashtoreth, the Canaanite goddess of fertility and war (2:13).

The Bible is clear; spiritual amnesia produces apostasy. That is why the Word of God is so determined that the Church not forget what ADONAI has done for us (4:9-14 and 6:10-19). So Jeremiah diagnosed faithless Isra’el: They didn’t ask: Where is ADONAI, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, who brought us safely out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and utter darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives (Jer 2:6). When we allow either God’s quiet keeping, or His dramatic rescue of us to slip into oblivion, we are on our way toward Ba’al.⁵²

Retribution: Divine Judgment (2:14-15): The Israelites ignored Joshua’s charge to faithfully worship the LORD. Instead, they broke the commitment they had made at Shechem (see Joshua Ct – The Renewal of the Covenant). It was inconceivable that after everything ADONAI had done for them, they abandoned Him! What the Israelites did was a breach of trust.⁵³ In His anger against Isra’el, Ha’Shem had become Isra’el’s enemy and He handed them over, literally sold them, to raiders who stole their possessions. He turned them over to their enemies all around, and they were no longer able to resist them as they had done in the days of Joshua. Whenever Isra’el went out to fight, Ha’Shem was against them, causing them to be defeated, just as He had warned (2:14-15 NLT). Rather than destroying the Canaanites, they tried to establish a peaceful coexistence with them, thus exposing themselves to Canaanite religious and cultural influences. James reminds us that anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God (James 4:4b).

Restoration: By the Judges (2:16-18): But then ADONAI raised up judges, who rescued (Hebrew: yasha) them from the power of those who were plundering them (2:16 CJB). One would think that when the Israelites witnessed God raise up judges to rescue them, they would have realized the only way to be protected would be to repent. Instead, they didn’t pay attention to their judges, but instead they committed spiritual adultery with other gods and worshiped them only a few years after the death of the elders. Isra’el is the wife of ADONAI (Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 31:32; Hosea 2:19-20), and the gods of their new worship were lusty fertility gods, whose worship included erotic, cultic rituals. And Isra’el’s enthusiasm was seen by the fact that they quickly turned away from the path on which their ancestors had walked, and failed to obey ADONAI’s mitzvot. When ADONAI raised up judges for them, He was the judge and rescued them from the hands of their enemies for as long as he judged. For ADONAI was moved to pity by their groaning under those oppressing and crushing them (2:17-18 CJB).

Rebellion: Return to Idolatry (2:19): But when the judge died, the people returned to their corrupt ways, being even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods, serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways (2:19 NIV). Each generation outdid the previous generation in their Canaanization, spiraling downward into even worse apostasy. There was indeed a cyclical pattern of decline and rise during the period of the judges, but the cycles themselves devolved on a downward pattern. The patterns repeat themselves, but, the behavior of the Israelites intensifies so that each time Isra’el repented, it did not reach the spiritual level of the previous ones. Over the course of time, the apostasy grew worse until judges, such as Jephthah and Samson, became part of the problem, if not the cause of the problem, as with Gideon. The judges, then, represented a stop-gap intervention by YHVH into the repeated process of Canaanization,⁵⁴ because the apple of His eye acted like they belonged to Ba’al.

Retribution: The Wrath of God (2:20 to 3:6): By repeating verse 14, verse 20 emphasizes how angry YHVH was with Isra’el. Therefore the anger of Ha’Shem burned against Isra’el. This completed the divine judgement that began in verse 14. He accused this nation. Here, Ha’Shem called Isra’el ha’goy-ha’zeh, a term that showed God’s alienation from Isra’el. The word goy (meaning Gentile nation) is seldom used of Isra’el. But when it is, it often (not always) carries with it the concept of reprimand for becoming like a Gentile, and acting as though she doesn’t have a covenant relationship with ADONAI. Basically, YHVH accused Isra’el of violating the Torah. And He declared: Because this nation has violated My Covenant (see the commentary on Exodus Dd – The Mosaic Covenant) that I made with their ancestors and has not obeyed My mitzvot (2:20 NLT).

Next, Ha’Shem declares that He will no longer drive out the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died (2:21 NLT). God then placed a suspension to His own involvement in His holy war against the Canaanites (see Deuteronomy Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh). As a result, in none of the wars in the book of Judges is there a conquest of totally new territory. When a new territory or oppressor was overthrown, there was merely a regaining of an area that Joshua had already taken. In other words, there was no expansion of Isra’el’s borders anywhere in the entire book. Isra’el has never possessed the land promised by ADONAI in its entirety, but she will when the Messiah returns to set up His Messianic Kingdom (see Revelation Fj – My Chosen People Will Inherit My Mountains).⁵⁵ This is not a contradiction of Exodus 23:29-30 or Deuteronomy 7:22. There is a difference between not exterminating the Canaanites all in one year and not exterminating them at all. Earlier YHVH said He would not clear the land right away, but step-by-step, so the land would not become ruined. So, one motive has to do with the well-being of the land; but the other has to do with the delivery of divine discipline. All this shows the conditional nature of the Torah.

This is how I will test Isra’el, to see whether or not they will keep the way of ADONAI, living according to it, as their ancestors did (2:22 CJB). This verse states the reason that ADONAI considered it necessary that Joshua should leave some of the Canaanite nations unconquered. Thus, there were two reasons for Ha’Shem not driving out the Canaanites. The first reason was to punish Isra’el for her sin; and secondly, to test Isra’el. Would she reject idolatry and obey the Torah?

Verse 23 gives the result of God’s judgement. So ADONAI allowed those nations to remain where they were and did not drive them out at once. The threat in verse 21 was not the suspension of wrath, but of any further extermination of the Canaanites. The implication here is that Ha’Shem would not exterminate any more Canaanites as long as Isra’el persisted in her spiritual idolatry. However, if Isra’el repented and turned back in obedience to ADONAI, then He would once again empower her to exterminate the Canaanites. It reaffirms the fact that enjoyment of the land was conditional on her obedience (see Leviticus Ex – Blessings for Obedience). Or allow Joshua to conquer them all (2:23 Hebrew). This shows God’s control over the destiny of nations. If Joshua didn’t finish the task of driving out the enemy, it was because YHVH had not allowed it. And the reason for this was given back in verse 22, this is how I will test Isra’el.⁵⁶

There were two reasons YHVH didn’t destroy all the Gentile nations in Canaan. The first reason was to test Isra’el. These were the nations that Ha’Shem left to test those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (3:1 NLT). Secondly, it was to learn the art of war. He did this to teach warfare to the generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle (3:2 NLT). Again, the third generation (see Am – The Joshua Generation Dies) occupying the land had not experienced war. So, they had to learn the art of war for the future wars with the Canaanites. During the wars in Canaan, Isra’el, under Joshua, had learned the power to conquer her foes. However, this power didn’t consist in overwhelming numbers or the bravery of the Israelite fighting men, but solely in the strength of their God, which was only available when Isra’el was obedient to the Torah. Joshua was not victorious by his own strength, but by the power of Ha’Shem. But this new generation had forgotten the true basis for victory, and so it was necessary to teach them how to fight a holy war. Disobedience would not only bring defeat, but also subjugation by those same Canaanites.

Then ADONAI names the specific nations, beginning with the five lords of the Philistines that would be left in the land. These are the nations: the Philistines (those living under the five Philistine lords), all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Ba’al-Hermon to Lebo-Hamath (3:3 Hebrew). The Hebrew word for lords is seren. It is the only use of the kings of the Philistines, except once. Seren corresponds to the Greek word tyrannos, well known in Greek classical writings. This shows that the Philistines had recaptured the cities that they had lost in 1:18. The divine purpose for the continued presence of these opposing nations is restated in the next verse.

The divine purpose for the continued presence of those Canaanites is then reiterated. They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey ADONAI’s mitzvot, which He had given their ancestors through Moses (3:4 NIV). The test was not for God, Who sees all things, but rather for Isra’el to give them an objective standard that would measure the level of their obedience or depth of their disobedience, which deserved His justice. The test for the new generation of Israelites was whether they would obey the commandments of God given in the Torah. If they were to obey the mitzvot of the Torah, they would, at the same time, learn the art of war successfully.

However, verses 5 and 6 record Isra’el’s failure to do so. Unfortunately, the people of Isra’el continued to disobey the Torah (see Deuteronomy Ca – Warning Against Idolatry), the command to conquer and destroy those enemies. They continued to live among the Canaanites, Hittite, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. The second failure, in 3:6, was intermarriage: and they took the evil daughters of the pagans around them in marriage and gave their own daughters to the evil sons of those same pagans. But even worse, the Israelites served those evil pagan gods (3:5-6 NIV). These two verses provide the theme of the whole book of Judges; the Canaanization of Israelite society in the areas of religion, ethics, and morality.⁵⁷ Isra’el’s unfaithfulness resulted in the loss of His blessing.

The message of apostasy from God has great contemporary significance. In this regard, the idol of self is rampant today. Selfies are taken everywhere, and the “me” generation is upon us. The self is set at the center of existence as a god, ultimate significance is found in godlike individual autonomy, in self-set goals and boundaries. The sacred is defined in the first instance in relation to the self. Self-expression and self-actualization are important themes in this “religion,” which is evident in our society from the advice of podcasters where the point seems to be no longer to be community or society, but to “find oneself,” and to be the best person that one can be. This narcissistic society constantly promotes self over all others. At every turn it constantly encourages pursuit of personal happiness and gratification. It urges ignoring, and if necessary, dispensing with whoever or whatever stands in our way in the quest for personal satisfaction – whether it be husbands and wives, children, a pregnancy, the aged, the poor, and so on. The idol of the self supports sex as the autonomous individual’s quest for self-fulfillment.

In our narcissistic society, however, the worship of self is a deeply dysfunctional and wicked one. Idols cannot liberate; they can only bring oppression. As believers, ADONAI is the only true God, and He should be at the center of our lives. We must reject the worship of self. But, unfortunately, the old gods are still with us. They have simply changed their clothes so that they can merge more easily into our modern world. They still claim to provide meaning to life, to explain the universe, and to provide the basis for personal security. They still demand wholehearted commitment from their worshippers. We ought to be free of them, for in reality, a God-centered world view provides the only basis for such freedom.

Finally, it is important to note that the gods behind the idols of this world are no less demonic than those of the ancient world. Ultimately it is the god of this world (Second Corinthians 4:4), Satan himself, who stands behind these gods and demands allegiance with all of the oppressive overtones and chains contained in that commitment. What are we to do? The Word of God tells us not to conform to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Then we will be able to test and approve of what the will of ADONAI is good, pleasing, and perfect (Romans 12:2).⁵⁸

Dear heavenly Father, praise You who are eternally wise, almighty in power, totally righteous – yet you came down to earth to bless and forgive by offering the fullness of life to all who choose to love You. Sometimes life seems to get in a downward cycle of problems and then trials, then another issue. There is a solution to downward cycles is to look up to the Lord. It is so much better to have a friend with you during a trial. Then the trial is much easier to bear. God calls His children to draw near. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8a). Gideon did not understand why Isra’el was having such a hard time with Midian overpowering them and he wondered where God’s love was that had delivered them from Egypt. Then the angel of ADONAI appeared to him and said to him, “ADONAI is with you” (Judges 6:12a-b). What a joy that the cycle of sin can be broken by turning away from sin, drawing near to You, God, and walking in obedience to Your ways! In Messiah’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Outline of the Book of Judges

The basis for this commentary is taken from Ariel’s Bible Commentary (Exposition from a Messianic Jewish perspective) on Judges and Ruth by Arnold Fruchtenbaum.

Judges from a Messianic Jewish Perspective (Ac)

Glossary (Ad)

The Cycle of Sin in Judges (Ae)

The Relevance of the Book of Judges Today (Af)

I. Isra’el’s Failure to Conquer the Land – 1:1 to 3:6 (Ag)

A. The Incomplete Conquest – 1:1 to 2:5 (Ah)

1. The Failures of the Southern Tribes – 1:1-21 (Ai)

2. The Failures of the Northern Tribes – 1:22-36 (Aj)

3. The Angel of ADONAI Confronts Isra’el – 2:1-5 (Ak)

B. Judgement for the Incomplete Conquest – 2:6 to 3:6 (Al)

1. The Joshua Generation Dies – 2:6-10 (Am)

2. Cycles of Rebellion and Retribution – 2:11 to 3:6 (An)

II. The Seven Detailed Cycles – 3:7 to 16:31 (Ao)

A. The First Cycle: Othniel – 3:7-11 (Ap)

B. The Second Cycle: Ehud – 3:12-30 (Aq)

C. The Third Cycle: Shamgar – 3:31 (Ar)

D. The Fourth Cycle: Deborah – 4:1-24 (As)

E. Deborah’s Victory Song – 5:1-31 (At)

1. Sing Praises to ADONAI – 5:1-11 (Au)

2. The Responses of the Tribes – 5:12-18 (Av)

3. The Defeat of the Canaanites – 5:19-23 (Aw)

4. Blessed be Ja’el – 5:24-31 (Ax)

F. The Fifth Cycle: Gideon – 6:1 to 9:57 (Ay)

1. A Prophet Sent by ADONAI Confronts Isra’el – 6:1-10 (Az)

2. The Call of Gideon – 6:11-24 (Ba)

3. The Destruction of the Altar of Ba’al – 6:25-32 (Bb)

4. The Sign of the Fleece – 6:33-40 (Bc)

5. Gideon’s Victory Over the Midianites – 7:1-23 (Bd)

6. Gideon’s Call to Ephraim – 7:24 to 8:3 (Be)

7. The Final Defeat of the Midianites – 8:4-21 (Bf)

8. The Golden Ephod and the Golden Calf – 8:22-32 (Bg)

9. The Rise and Fall of Abimelech – 8:33 to 9:57 (Bh)

a. The Conspiracy of Abimelech – 8:33 to 9:6 (Bi)

b. The Parable of Jotham – 9:7-21 (Bj)

c. The Destruction of Shechem – 9:22-25 and 42-49 (Bk)

d. The Defeat of Ga’al – 9:26-41 (Bl)

e. The Death of Abimelech – 9:50-57 (Bm)

G. The Judgeships of Tola and Jair – 10:1-5 (Bn)

H. The Sixth Cycle: Jephthah – 10:6 to 12:7 (Bo)

1. ADONAI Himself Confronts Isra’el – 10:6 to 11:11 (Bp)

2. Negotiations with the Ammonites – 11:12-28 (Bq)

3. Jephthah Makes a Rash Vow – 11:29-40 (Br)

4. The Judgeship of Jephthah – 12:1-7 (Bs)

I. The Disgraced Judges: Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon – 12:8-15 (Bt)

J. The Seventh Cycle: Samson – 13:1 to 16:31 (Bu)

1. Samson’s Birth – 13:1-25 (Bv)

2. Samson’s Marriage – 14:1-20 (Bw)

3. The Judgeship of Samson – 15:1-20 (Bx)

4. Samson and Delilah – 16:1-22 (By)

5. Samson’s Death – 16:23-31 (Bz)

III. The Appendices – 17:1 to 21:25 (Ca)

A. The First Appendix: Religious Chaos – The Migration of Dan – 17:1 to 18:31 (Cb)

1. Micah and the Levite – 17:1-13 (Cc)

2. The Migration of Dan – 18:1-13 (Cd)

3. The Hiring of the Levite – 18:14-26 (Ce)

4. The Danite Conquest – 18:27-31 (Cf)

B. The Second Appendix: Moral Chaos – The Benjamite War – 19:1 to 21:25 (Cg)

1. The Levite and His Concubine – 19:1-30 (Ch)

a. Conflict and Reconciliation – 19:1-10a (Ci)

b. Journey to Gibeah of Benjamin – 19:10b-15 (Cj)

c. The Problem of Hospitality – 19:16-21 (Ck)

d. The Rape of the Concubine – 19:22-30 (Cl)

2. The Tribal War Against Benjamin – 20:1-48 (Cm)

a. The Levite’s Explanation – 20:1-7 (Cn)

b. The Call to Arms – 20:8-11 (Co)

c. The Preparation for War – 20:12-17 (Cp)

d. The First Battle – 20:18-21 (Cq)

e. The Second Battle – 20:22-25 (Cr)

f. The Third Battle – 20:26-35 (Cs)

g. The Destruction of the City of Gibeah – 20:36-40 (Ct)

h. The Flight and the Pursuit of Benjamites – 20:41-48 (Cu)

3. The Wives for Benjamin -21:1-24 (Cv)

a. The Recognition of the Crisis – 21:1-7 (Cw)

b. The First Stage: Jabesh-Gilead – 21:8-15 (Cx)

c. The Second Stage: Shiloh – 21:16-24 (Cy)

d. The Theme of Judges – 21:25 (Cz)

End Notes (Da)

Bibliography (Db)

The Joshua Generation Dies
2: 6-10

The Joshua generation dies DIG: How are these verses connected with the book of Joshua? What is the purpose of these verses? What three generations are in view here? What did Joshua and the elders share in common? What happened to the third generation? Why didn’t they have the faith of their descendants?

REFLECT: Has a spiritual giant ever died in your family? Have you followed in their footsteps? What great works of God have you seen in your own life? Have you been diligent to teach your own children or grandchildren about our Lord? What hard fought battles are you fighting now to leave to your descendants?

Each generation must establish their own personal relationship with ADONAI.

In the initial section, these verses are nearly identical to the closing verses of Joshua 24:28-31. This passage forms a link between Joshua 24 and Judges 2:11 (to see link click An – Cycles of Rebellion and Retribution), and thus resumes the history of Joshua, which was interrupted by Judges 1:1 to 2:5. The purpose of the interruption was to provide a summary of the results of the wars with the Canaanites, and to make a sharp contrast with the generation that had just passed with the one that was about to come. From the high spiritual content of the book of Joshua, the downward descent into the darkness of apostasy can be clearly seen throughout the book of Judges; from the generation of Joshua and the elders who knew ADONAI, we will encounter a third generation that did not know ADONAI, either in the sense of being righteous, or in the sense of seeing His mighty works.⁴⁴

After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the Land (2:6a). This verse helps us to understand the nature of the conquest. The united campaigns under Joshua’s leadership had broken the back of the Canaanite resistance, but much of the local campaigning was left to the individual tribes. So after the covenant-renewal ceremony at Shechem, the tribes, having been dismissed by Joshua, set about completing the occupation of their own allotted territory.

The concept of the land as an inheritance suggests the idea of a gift or legacy, something received because of the hard work and goodwill of another person. The reason for viewing Canaan in this way here lies in God’s solemn promise to Isra’el’s ancestors to give this land to their descendants (Exodus 32:13), and the battles already fought by Joshua and the first generation to secure it for those who would follow them. Each tribe’s allotment was understood to be its share of this inheritance (13:6-7). Here, the idea of the inheritance is taken further: each to their own inheritance (2:6b). It is doubtful that this was ever understood in purely personal terms, as it is today, since to be expelled from your family or clan was to lose your share in the inheritance (11:1-3). Nevertheless, there was a sense of sharing in the land as Isra’el’s inheritance did extend, in some cases, right down to each particular member of a family, clan, or tribe (2:9). But against the backdrop of Joshua’s appeals before he died (Joshua 23:1 to 24:27), it also carries the overtones of responsibility. Each tribe, clan, and person must do their part in taking hold of what has been given and sacrificed for; thus, honoring the giver.⁴⁵

Then, the second generation was the generation of the elders (see the commentary on Numbers Bt – ADONAI’s Response: Spiritual leadership), who outlived Joshua and had seen all the great works that ADONAI had done for Isra’el. They served ADONAI throughout Joshua’s lifetime (2:7 Hebrew). The great works were the deliverance from Egypt, the miracles in the wilderness, and the successful campaigns in the Transjordan as well as in Canaan. They were the guardians of the Torah. Moses received the Torah on Mount Sinai, and handed it down to Joshua, and Joshua handed it down to the elders (Aboth i. 1). This verse clearly focuses on what Joshua and the elders shared in common. They had seen the great works of ADONAI. But it will soon be contrasted with the spiritual adultery of the next generation during the days of the judges.

When Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of ADONAI, died, he was 110 years old, which was the same age of Joseph when he died; and they buried him near his property of Timnath-Heres, in the hills of Ephraim, stretching from the north of Jerusalem to the Jezreel Valley, north of Mount Gaash (Judges 2:8-9 CJB), a portion of land that the people had given to Joshua (Joshua 19:49-50). This describes how the Israelites of his generation, as a way of honoring him, had given him a portion of land in the territory of Ephraim (the tribe he belonged to) as his personal inheritance. It also tells how Joshua, when he was free to do so, built up the town and settled there. In this way too, Joshua had been an example to the rest of Isra’el; Joshua himself had “gone to his inheritance, and “taken possession” of it, as he later told his fellow Israelites to do (2:6a).⁴⁶

Then verse 10 contrasts the two generations. After that whole elder generation, contemporaries of Joshua who had survived him, had died, and another generation grew up who did not know ADONAI or remember the mighty things He had done for Isra’el (2:10 NLT). Not having personally experienced the convincing proofs of God’s power which had won the faith and loyalty of their fathers, they doubted the accounts of the triumphs achieved in days gone by. This new generation abandoned the old paths and succumbed to the pagan Canaanite influences in their midst. Each generation must establish their own personal relationship with ADONAI, it cannot continue in the spiritual strength of its past heroes.⁴⁷

This third generation did not know ADONAI because they did not know the mighty things He did for Isra’el in the days of Moses and Joshua. This problem is well recognized in Deuteronomy, where the parents are commanded to be diligent to instruct their children in the Torah and to tell them of the mighty things YHVH did when He called Isra’el into existence (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Bt – Teaching the Covenant History). It could be, therefore, that the Joshua generation unintentionally contributed to what happened after their passing by failing to be as diligent as they might have been in teaching their children. But that is hardly where this passage before us lays the blame. Given the shortness of time involved, and the overlap of the generations represented by the elders [such as Caleb] who outlived Joshua, the new generation could hardly plead ignorance. Rather, as the cycles of rebellion clearly show (see Ae – The Cycle of Sin in Judges), their “not knowing” was a choice caused much more by the enticements of Canaanite culture and their own willingness than any failure of their parents.⁴⁸

This is the perennial peril. One generation can rejoice in a living faith, enjoy intimate communication with ADONAI, revel in the kingship of Yeshua in their daily life, and even delight in teaching their faith to those closest to them; yet the next generation may come along and couldn’t care less. Not that they will formally repudiate everything. It’s just that they will know about the Lord rather than know the Lord. They may remain within the church in their cold, dead, formal way. But there is no fire in their “faith,” no warmth in their love, and no joy in their hope. Just because you sit in the garage doesn’t make you a car. What Paul calls the surpassing value of knowing Messiah Yeshua my Lord (Philippians 3:8) sounds utterly foreign to them. They really don’t care to understand it.⁴⁹ All we can do is pray.

Altogether then, this file deals with three specific generations. The first generation was throughout Joshua’s lifetime and saw the great works that ADONAI had done for Isra’el (2:7a). The second generation were the elders who outlived Joshua and at least remembered God’s great works so they continued serving ADONAI (2:7b). But then came a third generation, who grew up who did not know ADONAI nor remember the mighty things He had done for Isra’el (2:10). They did not serve God.⁵⁰

Dear heavenly Father, praise You for being so wise! How wonderful to know You as my Father! To know about you is good, but to actually know You in a personal relationship is such a joy and comfort! The wisest thing anyone can do is to spend time in Your Word, getting to know You by reading, meditating and praying to You. How wonderful it is to be able to totally trust all that You say. And all You say and do is wrapped up in Your righteousness and covered over by Your steadfast love! Your love, Adonai, is in the heavens, Your faithfulness up to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God. Your judgments are like the great deep (Psalms 36:5-6). How much better and wiser it would have been for the tribes if they learned from the miracles of their deliverance from Egypt; but they forgot about You and lusted after other gods. In the same way, it is so much wiser to trust and worship You at all times, even when the enemy entices with supposed good things, as Israel’s enemies enticed her with their pagan gods. Though life is hard and seems dark, so much wiser to love and follow You and in return receive an eternity of joy in heaven with You! You are a loving Father who cares so passionately for me – giving Your own Son to redeem me – I want to trust You always! In Messiah’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Judgement for the Incomplete Conquest
2:6 to 3:6

These verses are the second part of the introduction to the book. It takes another look at what happened after the death of Joshua, but this time it stresses the spiritual adultery that Isra’el had with foreign idols.

2:6-1 Preface: from Joshua to another generation

2:11-13 Isra’el apostasies

2:14-14 ADONAI’s anger: oppression and punishment

2:16-19 ADONAI’s compassion: deliverance by the judges

2:20 to 3:4 ADONAI’s anger: the Canaanites not driven out

3:5-6 Summary: conclusion to the whole 1:1 to 3:6

The Angel of ADONAI Confronts Isra’el
2: 1-5

The Angel of ADONAI confronts Isra’el DIG: How has Isra’el disobeyed ADONAI? How does God get their attention? How do they respond regarding this? Who is the Angel of ADONAI? Why can the people sacrifice away from the Tabernacle? How do you see God’s treatment of Isra’el? Too harsh? Too soft? Just right?

REFLECT: What factors might cause you to break your commitments, and how can you guard against this? How and when has ADONAI confronted you about your sin? What was the result? Repentance or rebellion? What does it mean to repent? When was the last time you wept over your sin? Who can you help this week?

Isra’el failed to eliminate the Canaanites, so now the Canaanites would be a snare for them.

The period of warlike activity was over, and the Israelites, now firmly established, settled down to a normal life; but the fears of Moses and Joshua with regard to the evil effects which would confirm Isra’el’s surrender to the Canaanites would soon prove to be well founded. These verses are the climax of the first major section of the introduction to the book.

A. The Israelites asked ADONAI, “Who will be the first to go up . . . (1:1)?

B. The tribe of Judah will go up . . . (1:2).

B. The house of Joseph went up . . . (1:22a-26).

A. The Angel of ADONAI came up . . . (2:1-5)

But 2:1-5 also acts as a transition to what follows. It is the first of a series of three confrontations between ADONAI and Isra’el found in Judges. The second is found in 6:7-10 (to see link click Az – A Prophet Sent by ADONAI Confronts Isra’el), and the third is found in 10:10-16 (see Bo – ADONAI Himself Confronts Isra’el).³⁶

ADONAI’s Rebuke (2:1-3): The Rebuker Himself is named in the first verse. Now The Angel of ADONAI came up from Gilgal to Bochim bringing an ominous message (2:1a). Any time The Angel of ADONAI is mentioned in the TaNaKh, this is not merely an ordinary angel, but the preincarnate, the Second Person of the Trinity, Yeshua Messiah.³⁷ His appearance is set against the backdrop of the book of Joshua. Gilgal, located just west of the Jordan River somewhere on the outskirts of the city of Jericho, was the location of the Israelites’ first encampment after they crossed the swollen Jordan River during the springtime of Joshua’s leadership. There, they left behind the infamy of the wilderness wanderings by performing a mass circumcision and celebrating their first Passover as a nation in their Land (see the commentary on Joshua Aw – The Dedication of the Israelites).³⁸ This was not merely a geographical migration, but a spiritual one. In Joshua 5:13-15, Gilgal was where Joshua was unexpectedly visited by the Commander of ADONAI’s army, who stood with a sword in his hand and brought an encouraging message of divine support on the eve of leading the nation on a holy war against the Canaanites (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh).

The name Bochim (meaning weeping) is outdated in terms of the author’s own chronology, for the weeping in question does not begin until 2:4b, and the naming of the place as Bochim does not happen until 2:5a. However, the introduction of the name here in verse one contributes significantly to the design of the unit. It anticipates its explanation in 2:5a, and these two verses function as two bookends around God’s rebuke. The real identity of the place is not given, but it’s probably Bethel. The taking of Bethel (see Aj – The Failures of the Northern Tribes: The Victory over Bethel) would have made it available for such a meeting. It was a place with a tradition of meeting with ADONAI going right back to patriarchal times (Genesis 28:10-22 and 35:1-15), and there are repeated references in the book of Judges to the Israelites meeting YHVH there (20:18, 26, 31, and 21:2). There is even weeping in 20:26 that echoes the weeping here in 2:4. It is as though the book turns full circle by the end; Isra’el will finally find herself back at Bethel, the place of weeping, once again.³⁹

In this passage, however, The Angel of ADONAI came up from Gilgal with a message of defeat and judgement. He said: I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the Land I promised to your fathers and said: I will never break My Covenant with you (2:1b CJB). This is possibly a reference to the land promise in the Abrahamic Covenant (see the commentary on Exodus Di – I Am the LORD, Who Brought You Out of the Land of Slavery), but it could also be in reference to the Mosaic Covenant (see Deuteronomy Fm – Renewal of the Covenant), which stated that the enjoyment of the land was conditional on obedience. But clearly, The Angel of ADONAI is speaking as if He were God, because He is God. And you, for your part, are not to make any covenant with the people living in this land, but must tear down their altars. Here is the accusation: Yet, you have disobeyed Me. Why have you done this (2:2 CJB)? This is a rhetorical question, with a hint of indignation. The sense is, “How could you have done this after everything I have done for you?”

Then comes the judgement: So now I declare that I will no longer drive them out; first, they will become a snare for you, and second, their gods will be a constant temptation to you (2:3 Hebrew). Isra’el failed to rid themselves of the two things that would then become a problem for them. They failed to eliminate the Canaanites, so now the Canaanites would be a snare for them. Furthermore, since they failed to tear down their altars, the altars themselves would become a temptation to lure them into idolatry. As a result of this judgment, ADONAI will first cease working on Isra’el’s behalf to drive out the Canaanites, and, second, He would allow the Canaanites and their gods to prevail over Isra’el. This judgement was the fulfillment of the threat found in Exodus 23:20-33 and 34:1-11. There, Ha’Shem warned Isra’el that if they did not obey YHVH, He would not drive out the Canaanites. Instead, Isra’el would face an increasingly hostile Canaanite population.⁴⁰

Isra’el’s Response (2:4-5): The national and religious conscience was dormant, but not dead. After The Angel of ADONAI had finished speaking to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly (2:4 Hebrew). Therefore, rather than being in a festive mood similar to Joshua’s Passover at Gilgal, the encampment at Bokhim (which means “weeping”) only highlighted the unraveling of Isra’el’s destiny in the new Land. By repeating events associated with Joshua, the book of Judges emphasizes the terrible difference that was unfolding. This time, the preincarnate Messiah’s message to the people was only ominous, for He bore no sword symbolizing victory, but also the painful words of divine rebuke (2:5a NLT).⁴¹

And they offered sacrifices to ADONAI (2:5b NLT). The fact that they sacrificed to ADONAI at Bochim does not mean that the Tabernacle was located there at that time. Normally, it would have been the place for sacrifices. However, since The Angel of ADONAI was a theophany (the preincarnate Yeshua Messiah) the Shechinah Glory, the visible manifestation of God’s presence, it was permissible to sacrifice there. This action will be repeated in Judges 6:20, 6:26, 6:28, 13:16-20, and also in Second Samuel 24:25. Any place where a theophany appeared, it was possible to sacrifice at that place. This further shows that The Angel of ADONAI is indeed God Himself.⁴²

Up to this point, YHVH has only said what He was going to do in the future. His specific actions don’t come until 2:20-22, after the period of the judges as a whole has been previewed in 2:6-19. For now, all we have is Isra’el’s response to the judgement they have just heard: After The Angel of ADONAI had finished speaking to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly . . . and they offered sacrifices to ADONAI (2:4-5b). At the time, these signs of repentance provided some grounds for hope. Perhaps Isra’el will turn around, go in the right direction, prove faithful to YHVH, and come into full possession of the land that He promised to give them after all! But what follows in 2:6 to 2:19 will show that this hope didn’t last long. Indeed, if their remorse had been genuine, Isra’el’s history would have been much different, the events described in the rest of the book would have never taken place, and Judges wouldn’t have been written. But Isra’el’s repentance evaporated, and they sank into an apostasy from which even ADONAI Himself seemed powerless to retrieve them. And this, sadly, leads to, and justifies, the judgement that is finally announced in 2:20-22.⁴³

Dear heavenly Father, praise You for being so wise in Your discipline. It is awesome to have such a wonderful Father who has steadfast love! Even in the midst of trials Your love is there as a comfort and support to me (Psalms 63:5). But it’s very important to realize that your love, which is sooo great, does not rule out the option of discipline. For you say that love may use discipline as a means of restoring the broken relationship and producing the fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 11:6,11). What a joy and a peace to put our faith/trust in You and realize that when trials come, they are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us.  (Romans 8:18). To the One who sits at Your right hand. Amen

The Failures of the Northern Tribes
1: 22-36

The failures of the Northern tribes DIG: What was significant about the death of Joshua? In what sense were Simeon and Judah brothers? What was the purpose of driving the Canaanites from the Land? Why was it important to eliminate them? What was the problem of war in the TaNaKh? How many times in these verses did the Israelites fail to drive out the Canaanites? What does that say about them?

REFLECT: What does a “holy war” look like today? Who are we fighting against? Who are the Canaanites in your life? Do these verses turn on your competitive drive to win? Or does it turn your stomach in revulsion? Under what conditions would you “go to war” with your blood brother or your spiritual brother? When is it hard for you to obey God? Is it possible that there is an area of compromise in your life now?

Instead of ridding the land of the Canaanites, Isra’el became like the Canaanites.

The account of the northern tribes of Isra’el begins on a positive note with the success of the house of Joseph in their victory over Bethel because ADONAI’s presence was with them. Reference to the success of the house of Joseph concludes the account of the northern tribes in 1:35b, but between these two is a long list of failures as they struggled to take possession of their allotted territory. These accounts of failure grow increasingly worse as the chapter progresses, beginning with the Canaanites living among the tribes (1:29-30), then the tribes living among the Canaanites (1:31-33), and then the Canaanites forced the tribe of Dan into the hill country (1:34). At the beginning and end of the list of failures (1:27 and 1:35b), the author reminds us of the success of the house of Joseph over the Canaanites, but highlights their decision to exploit them as forced labor rather than eliminate them as commanded by ADONAI (see Deuteronomy Dp – Regulations for a Holy War: Canaanite cities within the Land), a failure that will be highlighted in 2:1-5.

The Victory over Bethel (1:22-26): Now the house of Joseph went up and attacked Bethel (1:22a Hebrew). As the leading tribe in the north, the house of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) is mentioned first. Since they will be mentioned separately below, the focus here is on the combined efforts of both tribes, a description that reminds us of the initial account of the southern tribes (1:3 and 17). Bethel means The House of God and is twelve miles north of Jerusalem. Given its commanding position, its capture was of great strategic importance. It also had considerable sentimental and religious significance. Bethel had Israelite connections reaching back to patriarchal times (Genesis 12:8-9 and 35:9-15), so in that sense the taking of Bethel was reclaiming, by the Israelites, of a place which they may have felt was theirs already.²¹

Bethel was actually given to Benjamin, according to Joshua 18:22, but since Bethel was situated on the southern border of the house of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh could not tolerate the Canaanites on its border. So just as the tribe of Judah took Jerusalem for Benjamin, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh took Bethel for Benjamin. Therefore, the author once again shows Benjamin’s failure to do what the other tribes succeeded in doing. Then comes the divine role: and ADONAI was with them (1:22b Hebrew).²²

Verses 23 to 26 proceed to give the details of the deliverance following the summary statement in verse 22. When they sent men to scout Bethel, formerly known as Luz (1:23 NIV) they saw a man coming out of the city, apparently from a secret entry, which the scouts could not see. And they said to him, “Show us the entrance to the city and we will have mercy on you (1:24 Hebrew). In return for the information, the man was going to be allowed to live in much the same way as Rahab (Joshua 6:17 and 6:22-25). So he showed them the entrance to the city, and the tribes of Joseph put Bethel to the sword, but spared the man and his whole family. He then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this very day (1:25-26 NIV). So once again, a Canaanite escapes the sword by helping the Jews. The difference is that Rahab had already become a believer in the God of Isra’el. There is no indication that this man became a believer. He betrayed his city, only to survive, and there is nothing spiritual about that.²³

Was the house of Joseph’s taking of Bethel really a success? ADONAI went with His people against that city, but the result was that while the old Luz was destroyed, a new one was built, perpetuating the Canaanite culture which Ha’Shem had appointed for destruction (see Leviticus Ff – Cherem). Are we not meant to contrast the first battle in the north with the first one in the south? There, the Lord of Bezek was unjustly spared by the tribe of Judah; here, the man of Luz was unjustly spared by the house of Joseph (1:25-26).

And the contrast continues. Instead of victories of Judah, we find an alarming sequence of events in which the Canaanites were allowed to live at a distance from the Israelites (1:22-26), then the Canaanites were allowed to live among the Israelites (1:27-30), then Israelites were allowed to live among the Canaanites (1:31-33), and finally Israelites were allowed to live at a distance from the Canaanites (1:34). Here too, a tiny epilogue, corresponding to 1:20-21, sums it up nicely: the inhabitants of the land proved so tenacious that for all Judah’s successes, even the southern border is still thought of as an Amorite one. The border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward (1:36).

In a word, our review of the field-report has to be: Disappointing. An excellent start falls apart even before we leave Chapter One. But we must get this sobering pattern firmly in our minds, for it will be the pattern of the whole book. We note that Chapter One begins with the obedience of Judah and ends with the disgrace of Dan, and we should not be surprised to find that the overall history of the twelve judges follows the same ominous pattern all the way from Othniel the Judahite to Samson the Danite. ADONAI keeps His promises, but will His people do their part? Will they accept judgment; that is, what He judges, or decides is to be done and then acted upon, or will they ignore Him and to their own thing?²⁴

The first step the new generation took toward defeat and slavery was neglecting the Word of God. ADONAI had commanded that the priests should read Deuteronomy aloud every seven years to all the people at Sukkot (see Deuteronomy Ft – The Reading of Deuteronomy) during the Year of Release (see Deuteronomy Cy – The Year of Release). He wanted every Israelite to be aware of, and understand, His expectations of them. They were to completely destroy the Canaanites (see Deuteronomy Ca – Warning Against Idolatry). Ha’Shem didn’t want the filth of the Canaanite society and religion to contaminate His people Isra’el. She was, and is, the apple of His eye (Deuteronomy 32:10), chosen to fulfill divine purposes in this world. Isra’el would be given the knowledge of the true and living God, the Holy Scriptures, and the Savior. In order to accomplish God’s purposes, the nation had to be separated from all other nations, for if Isra’el was polluted, how could the Holy Son of God come into the world? Ha’Shem is continually at war with sin. This is the explanation for His desire that the Canaanites would be totally exterminated. But Isra’el didn’t obey.

The Failure of Manasseh (1:27-28): The cities mentioned in this verse controlled one of the most important trade-routs of Canaan, which passed through the valleys of Jezreel and Esdraelon and formed a wedge between the Israelites occupying the hill country to the north and south. While victories were recorded in Joshua 12:21 and 23 against the kings of some of these cities, it is clear that the Canaanites were able to dominate the low-lying areas, where they were able to deploy their chariots effectively (Joshua 17:11-13).²⁵

According to the book of Joshua, the tribe of Manasseh received two territories, one east of the Jordan, allotted to it by Moses (Joshua 13:29-31), and the other west of the Jordan given to it by Joshua (Joshua 17:1-11). Only the latter is in view here in Judges 1. According to Joshua 22:9, the eastern half of the tribe of Manasseh had already gone back across the Jordan and settled in its territory there. Interestingly, according to Joshua 17:11 all the towns mentioned here in Judges 1:27 belonged to a special category; they were assigned to Manasseh, but actually lay within the territory of the tribes of Issachar and Asher, to Manasseh’s north. Why Manasseh’s border was not drawn further north we do not know. It is easy to understand, however, why Manasseh, as a more numerous and powerful tribe than its northern neighbors, was assigned the task of conquering and occupying the following particular cities: But the tribe of Manasseh failed to drive out the people living in Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and all their surrounding settlement, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region (1:27 NLT).²⁶

A glance at a map, however, will show that these cities were widely separated, so that, while the Canaanites were able to maintain control of the valley itself, there would still be considerable freedom of movement between the Israelites and the highlands that were nearby. Beth-shean was an important fortress commanding the junction between the Jordan valley and the valley of Jezreel. Ibleam controlled the southern exit of the Esdraelon valley to Shechem and Bethel. Taanach was five miles south-east of Megiddo, with which it is often associated (Joshua 12:21, 17:11, Judges 5:19, First Kings 4:12), and these two cities dominated the south-western pass from the Esdraelon valley to the Plain of Sharon and beyond. Megiddo was under Egyptian control until the middle of the twelfth century BC when it was suddenly destroyed, remaining unoccupied for a considerable period of time (5:19). Dor was situated on the Mediterranean coast just south of Mount Carmel.²⁷ However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves. We are not informed when the final subjugation took place, but it could not have been before king David’s reign. The Israelites’ struggle with the Philistines must have weakened their power already in the days of king Sha’ul, because Beth-shean was in Philistine hands at that time. All these cities became subject to Solomon (First Kings 4:11ff), but then never drove them out completely (1:28 NLT). This is the key problem that sets the stage for the rest of the book. The territory allotted to Ephraim lay immediately south of Manasseh’s, and it extended from the Jordan River to the coastal plain (Joshua 16:5-9).

The Failure of Ephraim (1:29): Now the author provides the summary statement that we might have expected in 1:22. The tribe of Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, so the Canaanites continued to live there among them (1:29 NLT). Gezer is mentioned in Joshua 21:21 as one of the cities in Ephraim’s territory that was set aside for the Levites. But taking it proved to be very difficult. It lay in the foothills on the southwestern border of Ephraim (Joshua 16:3), about 19 miles west-northwest of Jerusalem, overlooking the coastal plain. Gezer lay at a key ancient crossroad where the trunk road leads to Jerusalem and sits in the hills where it branches off from the Via Maris [Way of the Sea].

It seems likely that the Ephraimites, finding Gezer in a weakened state after the defeat of its army by Joshua, were able to enter the city and establish a strong presence there; but they either could not or simply didn’t expel its Canaanite inhabitants, who continued to live there among them. Given this situation, plus the generally chaotic nature of the times, it’s not surprising that Gezer and other cities set aside for the Levites were not realized during the period of the judges. This also helps to explain the unsettled condition of the Levites seen at the end of the book (see Bz – The Epilogue of Judges).²⁸

In the far eschatological future, Joseph, Ephraim’s father will be substituted in the list of undefiled Jews who will be part of the 144,000 during the Great Tribulation (see the commentary on Revelation Cr – Then I Heard the Number of Those Who were Sealed, 144,000 from all the Tribes of Isra’el), because like Dan (see below), they became synonymous with spiritual adultery. After the death of Solomon they set up a golden calf to substitute for the true worship of ADONAI in Jerusalem. Mercifully, however, Dan and Ephraim, will have a portion of Land in the Messianic Kingdom (Ezeki’el 48:1-29).²⁹

The Failure of Zebulun (1:30): The tribe of Zebulun failed similarly to Manasseh and Ephriam because they didn’t drive out the residents of Kitron and Nahalol. As a result, again, the Canaanites continued to live among them. But for those the people of Zebulun were able to subdue, the Canaanites were forced to work as slaves (1:30 NLT).

The Failure of Asher (1:31-32): While most of the tribes were able to occupy at least some part of their allotted territory the tribe of Asher seems to have failed completely to dislodge the Canaanites, hence the significant charge that the tribe of Asher failed to drive out the residents of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, aphik, and Rehob (1:31 NLT). The first four cities listed here were all situated on the coast north of Mount Carmel. In this area the Canaanite inhabitants of the land retained the strength which was lost elsewhere, and this region developed into the important maritime kingdom of Phoenicia, which David and Solomon entered into alliance (Second Samuel 5:11 and First Kings 5:1-12). It was the Phoenician princess, Jezebel (see the commentary on Elijah and Elisha At – The Wrath of Jesebel), who introduced the worship of Ba’al into Isra’el following her marriage to Ahab (First Kings 16:31), with disastrous results. Instead, the people of Asher moved in among the Canaanites, who controlled the land, for they failed to drive them out (1:32 NLT). The same situation applied to the tribes of Naphtali and Dan. We must understand that the allocated territories given by Joshua were merely goals. But what was intended was never achieved and the resulting disorganization affected the tribal boundaries which were completely occupied by Canaanites!³⁰

The Failure of Naphtali (1:33): Naphtali’s allotted territory as described in Joshua 19:32-39 was to the east and north of Zebulun’s. Its northern half bordered directly on Asher’s territory, and on the south it had a common border with Issachar. Likewise, the tribe of Naphtali failed to drive out the residents of Beth-shemesh [House of the Sun God] and Beth-anath [House of Anath, the Canaanite goddess of fertility and war]. These two cities hint at their deeper significance for what was happening in Judges Chapter One. Not merely a military clash for control of land, but a clash between two mutually incompatible religious cultures: The worship of YHVH versus the worship of natural phenomena such as the sun or gods such as Anath. Furthermore, given Isra’el’s belief in the one true God (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Bw – Sh’ma Isra’el), no accommodation was possible without compromising the very heart of Isra’el’s covenant faith. But they did compromise. Instead, finding the Canaanites in these cities too entrenched to expel, they moved in among the Canaanites, who controlled the land. However, the Israelites eventually wrestled control away from the Canaanites and the people of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath were forced to work as slaves for the people of Naphtali (1:33 NLT). Unfortunately, as the rest of the book shows, the Israelites were in turn subdued by the Canaanite gods. So, this brief report of Naphtali’s fortunes is a kind of microcosm of what happened to Isra’el as a whole following Joshua’s death.

The Failure of Dan (1:34-35): The failures of the northern tribes reached a climax when the tribe of Dan was unable to occupy the territory allotted to them due to the opposition of the Amorites and then the pressure of the Philistines (Joshua 19:41-46). They were forced back into the hill country, where they were confined to a very small area on the border of Judah because the Amorites would not let them come down into the plains (1:34 NLT). This note is important in two ways: first, it anticipates the northern migration of the tribe of Dan later in Chapter 18 (see Cb – The Migration of Dan to the North); and second, because Dan was being forced back into the hill country, it marks the end of the decline of Isra’el’s fortunes in Chapter One. The final sad story of Dan also corresponds to the final sad story of Samson the Danite in the series of twelve judges. The Amorites were determined to stay in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbrim, but when [the tribe of Manasseh] became stronger, they forced the Amorites to work as slaves before they migrated (1:35 NLT). Rather than having no pity and destroying them, the tribe of Manasseh used them for forced labor.³¹

In the far eschatological future, the tribe of Dan will be omitted from the list of undefiled Jews who will be part of the 144,000 during the Great Tribulation (see the commentary on Revelation Cr – Then I Heard the Number of Those Who were Sealed, 144,000 from all the Tribes of Isra’el). Dan was the first tribe in Isra’el to introduce and embrace idol worship. After the death of Solomon they established a false priesthood and set up a golden calf to be worshiped, turning away from the true worship of ADONAI in Jerusalem. (see the commentary on the Life of King Solomon Dd – Golden Calves at Dan and Bethel). Mercifully, however, Ephraim and Dan, will have a portion of Land in the Messianic Kingdom (Ezeki’el 48:1-29).³²

The Amorite Appendix (1:36): The failure of the tribe of Dan is immediately followed with a description of the border of the Amorites, a striking reminder to us of Isra’el’s failure in its struggle against the Canaanites introduced at the beginning of the chapter. The border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward (1:36 ESV). By the time we reach the end of the chapter, the focus has shifted away from the more or less successful occupation and settlement of conquered territory. This verse is telling us that when the whole process of conquest and settlement had run its course, the only border of any significance was the border of the Amorites. Simply put, the Amorites/Canaanites were still the people of the land, and far from driving them out, the Israelites lived among them. So, this verse provides a final mocking comment on the chapter as a whole, since it contains no reference to the northern tribes; indeed, no part of Isra’el at all . . . a silence that speaks volumes about her failure to reach the high expectations with which the chapter began.³³

After some short-lived success, the northern tribes descended into spiritual adultery. This would set the stage for the disastrous reigns of most of the kings of the Northern Kingdom after the death of Solomon (see the commentary on the Life of Solomon Dn – The Kings of Isra’el), and ultimately, the Babylonian Captivity (see Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule).

This survey of Isra’el’s fortunes after the death of Joshua begins positively enough, with the Israelites consulting ADONAI, the tribes of Judah and Simeon cooperating, and families functioning normally. Even so, this chapter is saturated by unfulfilled commitment, incomplete obedience, and compromising tolerance. Even when the Israelites gain the upper hand over the Canaanites, they refuse to carry out God’s agenda. Instead of reshaping the world in the image of ADONAI’s will, they live in and with the world (First John 2:15-16). Instead of making this the land of the people of God, they become like the people of the land. This not only explains why the time of the judges turned out to be so dark, but it also serves as a permanent reminder of the deadly consequences of compromise and disobedience to all who claim to be the people of God. At the same time, the chapter announces that if anything positive is accomplished by the people of God, it is because of His gracious presence and His action on our behalf.³⁴

But we cannot leave Chapter 1 without finding some encouragement alongside those relating to Jerusalem and Bethel. This is the account of the capture of Debir, which has already appeared in Joshua 15:14-19, but is no doubt recounted here in 1:11-15 because it points forward to so much else that we shall find in Judges. For the moment, we simply note one thing. In taking the Canaanite town, Othniel also wins the hand of Caleb’s daughter, and fruitful farmland with it; that is, in a chapter which is generally very disappointing we have a story of a task well done, a promise kept, a gift given, and a marriage made. As the rest of Scripture unfolds, we are aware that marriage is going to symbolize the relationship between God and His people. Maybe we have here one key to Judges, the hope that where Isra’el’s behavior is wedded to His judgments, and her behaviors to His power; then, Isra’el becomes the bride of her LORD, and things begin to be as they should.³⁵

Dear heavenly Father, praise You for always being so wonderful! What a joy it is to know that no battle is too hard for You. However, Your people must be obedient to Your Word for the victories to be won. As believers, You will be with us, but we must obey. Isra’el will always be the apple of Your eye; however, when she sins against you and violates Your covenant with her, there will always be consequences. We bow before You in love, willing to fight whatever battles You have for us. In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Failures of the Southern Tribes
1: 1-21

The failures of the southern tribes DIG: What was significant about the death of Joshua? In what sense were Simeon and Judah brothers? What was the purpose of driving the Canaanites from the Land? Why was it important to eliminate them? What was the problem of war in the TaNaKh? How many times in these verses did the Israelites or their alien armies fail to drive out the Canaanites?

REFLECT: What does a “holy war” look like today? Who are we fighting against? Who are the Simeonites in your life? Do these verses turn on your competitive drive to win? Or does it turn your stomach in revulsion? Under what conditions would you “go to war” with your blood brother or your spiritual brother? When is it hard for you to obey God? Why? Who are the Canaanites that you are battling with today?

Instead of ridding the land of the Canaanites, Isra’el became like the Canaanites.

The War Against Adonai-Bezek (1:1-7): The death of Joshua links what follows to what preceded it (see the commentary on Joshua, to see link click Cu – The Death of Joshua). Have you ever noticed how new beginnings in the Scriptures are punctuated by the death of God’s servants? Exodus begins with the death of Joseph; Joshua begins with the death of Moses; Judges begins with the death of Joshua; and First Kings begins with the death of David. And yet for all that, God’s Kingdom does not collapse, not even when ADONAI takes His most useful servants.⁷

Therefore, Joshua’s death did not end Isra’el’s story; something followed it, and the book of Judges will tell us what it was. But the same words also separate what follows from what has gone on before. The death of Joshua was a boundary event, dividing Isra’el’s time into “before” and “after,” just as Yeshua’s death was later to divide world’s time into BC and CE. Moses personally commissioned Joshua as his successor (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Fs – Moses Went), and Joshua’s ministry had been a continuation and completion of Moses’ ministry (Joshua 4:14 and 23-24). The death of Joshua was the end of an era. Isra’el’s life would go on, but it would never quite be the same again.

The first difference Isra’el had to confront as they went forward was one of leadership. After Moses there had been Joshua, but after Joshua there was no obvious successor. Who would lead the Israelites now? Certainly no one with the same commanding presence and character. So the question asked at the beginning of the book is a natural one under the circumstances.⁸ The Israelites asked ADONAI, “Who will lead us now that Joshua is dead, who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites” (1:1 NIV). In the critical moment when they were deprived of leadership, the people sought divine guidance by consulting the Urim and Thummim (see Exodus Gb – The Urim and Thummim: The Means of Making Decisions) through the high priest who, at the time, was Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron. The method of determining the will of ADONAI was, according to Rabbinical tradition, as follows: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay), was placed in the high priest’s breastplate (see Exodus Ga – Fashion a Breastplate for Making Decisions), in which were set twelve precious stones, each engraved with the name of a tribe. By the power of the Divine the stone bearing Judah’s name was illuminated.

ADONAI replied: The tribe of Judah will go up; behold, I have handed the Land over to them (1:2 NIV). The tribal wars against the Canaanites were responses to Joshua’s last address, encouraging them to finish taking the Land. The men of Judah were not merely to conquer the territory assigned to them, but they were to conquer the whole Land on behalf of the other tribes. This was why Judah took Jerusalem, a city that belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, even though the tribe of Benjamin was unable to hold onto it. Judah was chosen to spearhead the attack because, in Jacob’s blessings, Judah was appointed to be the champion of his brothers (see Genesis Lg – The Scepter Will Not Depart from Judah Until He Comes to Whom it Belongs).⁹

Then the men of Judah said to the Simeonites their brothers, “Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. Judah was Simeon’s brother not only in the sense that all the sons of Jacob were brothers, but Leah was their mother. Chosen as an ally because of the close proximity of their land which lay to the south. The Simeonite towns were within the territory of Judah (cf. Joshua 19:1-9 with Joshua 15:26-32 and 42). As a result of Simeon’s planning and participation in the slaughter at Shechem (see Genesis Ie – The Slaughter at Shechem by Simeon and Levi), Jacob had prophesied that the tribe of Simeon would be scattered (see Genesis Lf – Simeon and Levi). So, by the time of the second census the number of their fighting men had shrunk from 59,300 to just 22,220 (see the commentary on Numbers Ef – The Tribe of Simeon). Placing Simeon as a region within Judah rather than giving them their own distinct borders fulfilled this historical prophecy. The proposal from Judah was that if the Simeonites would help them in their fight against the Canaanites, then Judah would, in turn, help the Simeonites conquer their own region. The proposal was the unification of their forces against a common enemy. So the men of the tribe of Simeon went with the men of Judah (1:3 Hebrew).

Verse 4 presents a summary statement. So, the men of Judah went up. They alone were mentioned because they were the primary partner in the attack. And ADONAI gave them victory over the Canaanites and the Perizzites. Canaanites is a general term (the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Canaan); Perizzites is a specific term (those who lived around Bezek). According to Genesis 13:7, the Perizzites were already living in Canaan during Abraham’s lifetime, probably (here) in the central hill country to the north of Jerusalem. And they killed 10,000 enemy warriors at the town of Bezek (1:4 NLT). The size of the enemy force is impressive and underscores the significance of the victory. It would also shed further light on why Judah sought assistance from Simeon for this campaign: given the size and strategic importance of Jerusalem, engagement with a major enemy force could be expected.¹⁰

Following this summary statement, verses 5 through 7 provide the details of the war. It was there that they found Adonai-Bezek. Since Adonai-Bezek means “the Lord of Bezek,” the name was probably a dynastic title for the king of Bezek. The men of Judah fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites (1:5 ESV). Here the author follows a narrative pattern that repeats itself throughout the Former Prophets (First Samuel 4:10 and 17, 13:1; Second Samuel 2:17 and 18:6-7). This pattern briefly describes the battle, its outcome, and its casualties (verse 4), followed by an account of the death of a main character and the importance of the defeat of the enemy (verses 5-7).¹¹

With his army decisively defeated, Adonai-Bezek fled, as Sisera would do later in the battle at Kishon (4:15). But the Israelites soon captured the king and cut off his thumbs and big toes (1:6 NLT). Adonai-Bezek thought to himself: Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up the scraps under my table. The reference to seventy kings is probably intended to be a round number meaning all the chieftains in the area. Now, god has paid me back for what I did to them. This statement is ambiguous, but as a Canaanite, it would have been unusual for him to have named YHVH, the God of Isra’el as his Judge.

However, Adonai-Bezek’s comment is loaded with irony. Here, by quoting the Canaanite king, the author offers the first hint of the Canaanization of Israelite society during the period of the judges. The fact that the king wasn’t executed was telling, for it points ominously to the actions of Isra’el in the rest of the book. Then they brought him to Jerusalem and he died there (1:7 NIV). But letting Adonai-Bezek live out his days in Jerusalem violated God’s command: When ADONAI your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out many nations before you . . . you are to strike them down, then you are to utterly destroy them. You are to devote them to destruction and show no mercy to them (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). Apart from the issue of having spared a man who clearly should have been executed with the rest of his subjects, instead of following God’s Word in the Torah, the Israelites used the Canaanites as models when deciding how to treat captives!

Adonai-Bezek is the first Canaanite we meet in Judges, and as a leader he is more than a random individual. He represents the kind of Canaanite regimes that YHVH will overthrow through the Israelites, who (we are to understand) are the agents of His judgement. This cameo appearance opens a window to the Canaanite culture as represented in its leaders – a culture ripe for judgement, whose day of reckoning should have come (Genesis 15:16).¹²

The War for Jerusalem (1:8): The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it, killing all its people and setting the city on fire (1:8 NIV). In this short note with little detail, the author relates Judah’s military success at Jerusalem, where they not only took the City but also inflicted the cherem judgment on its inhabitants (see Leviticus Ff – Cherem).¹³ However, the capture of the city of Jerusalem was only temporary, because it was lost again, according to verse 21, and later in 19:11-12, where Jerusalem was considered a foreign city. It was Judah who took the City, but since Jerusalem was in Benjamin’s territory, Judah did not settle there. However, Benjamin failed to take advantage Judah’s victory and the Jebusites came back, rebuilt Jerusalem and lived there, where it remained under Jebusite control until the days of David.¹⁴

The War for the Judean Territory (1:9-10): After that, the men of Judah went down. Because of Jerusalem’s unique location high atop the Judean Mountains, almost any journey from the City requires a physical descent to a lower elevation. So, the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country in the north, the Negev in the south, and the foothills in the west.

They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron, a key city in the hill country in the north of Judah. Hebron was actually taken by Caleb (see below) according to Joshua 15:13-14; but he was a member of the tribe of Judah, so the author credits the conquest of Hebron to Judah. And defeated the forces of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai (1:9-10 NIV). These three names connect the victory with a specific Hebron tradition that the reader is assumed to be familiar with. They were supposedly descendants of Anak, whose father was Arba, the great man among the Anakim (Joshua 14:15, cf. Joshua 15:14, 21:11 and Numbers 13:22). Therefore, the parenthesis in the middle of the verse (formerly called Kiriath Arba) provides the link between the general statement that precedes it: Judah advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron, and the particular one that follows it: and defeated the forces of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. The presence of people in Hebron still using these names is testimony to the tenacity with which the Canaanites (here of the Anakim kind) clung to their land and traditions, despite the repeated attempts of the Israelites to dislodge them. Although this was a victory, it has embedded in it hints of the problem of the continued presence of Canaanites in “conquered territories” which gradually emerge into a full-blown problem for the Israelites as the chapter proceeds.¹⁵

The Conquest by Caleb and Othniel (1:11-15): From there they went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher, meaning book or scribe city). The book of Joshua also includes Isra’el’s fighting against Debir where Joshua took the city and completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors (Joshua 10:38-39). So, this is another example of a city that had been taken by the Israelites, but not held. More Canaanites moved back into Debir so that another battle had to be fought to regain it. In Judges, sometimes these efforts were successful, but too many times they were not.

Caleb had been promised Hebron by Moses because he was one of the two faithful spies who came back from Canaan (see the commentary on Numbers By – The Report of the Spies). Debir seems to also have been given to Caleb, so after conquering Hebron, he enlisted others for the attack on Debir.¹⁶ He did this by offering his daughter Aksah in marriage to the one who attacked and captured Debir. Caleb’s offer allowed the author to introduce the first major judge of the book (see Ap – The First Cycle: Othniel). Othniel, son of Kenas, Caleb’s nephew (3:9) was the one who conquered it. So Acsah became his wife (1:11-13 NIV).

When Acsah married Othniel, she urged her husband to ask her father for a productive field. Apparently Othniel was better at capturing cities than he was at asking favors from his new father-in-law, so Achsah had to do it herself. As she went to see her father and got down off of her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?” She replied: Give me a blessing (meaning, give me a material gift) since you have already given me the land of the Negev, give me springs of water also. Achsah did not mean that the city of Debir was in the Negev, for it was in the hill country of Judah, directly south of Hebron. She meant that the land had Negev-type qualities in that the soil was good, but it lacked water. She was not asking for more fertile land – the land itself was fertile – but water was necessary to make it fruitful. So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs (1:14-15 Hebrew).¹⁷

The Migration of the Kenites (1:16): From the hill country in the north, the men of Judah left Jericho – known as the city of the palms (Deuteronomy 34:3; Joshua 3:13; and Second Chronicles 28:15) – with the Kenites, who were descendants of Moses’ father-in-law (see Exodus Cx – Now Jethro Heard Everything God Had Done). They traveled with Judah further south into the Negev. The Kenites were a nomadic tribe of metalworkers and skilled artisans who were associated with the Amalekites (First Samuel 15:6) and the Midianites (cf. Exodus 18:1 with Judges 1:16). They were proselytes (see Acts Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah 53: see God-fearers) who had been so thoroughly integrated into the faith and culture of Isra’el that Caleb represented the tribe of Judah when the spies initially went into the Land (see the commentary on Numbers Bw – The Selection of the Spies). The author followed the migration of the Kenites southward by noting that the important town of Arad was not actually conquered by Judah, but by relatives of Moshe’s first wife from Midian. They settled down among the people there, near the town of Arad (1:16 NLT). This final comment is the key to this verse. Like their Judahite hosts in verses 5-7, they shared in Isra’el’s mandate to eliminate the Canaanites. But instead of destroying the city and its population, they settled down among them, thereby sowing the seeds of Canaanization that sprout up and flourish in the following chapters.¹⁸

The War of the Cities (1:17-20): The men of Judah went with the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, located in the foothills in the west, and they totally destroyed the city (see Deuteronomy Dp – Regulations for a Holy War: Canaanite cities within the Land). Therefore, it was called Hormah, meaning destruction (1:17 NIV). The fact that Zephath is not mentioned anywhere else in the TaNaKh by name is silent testimony to the fact that its population was totally destroyed. Like two bookends, the reappearance of the Simeonites suggests that the larger unit that started in verse 3 is coming to a close. Interestingly, whereas there Simeon went with Judah; here, Judah goes with Simeon. In Joshua 19:4, Zephath, referred to as Hormah, was in the territory specifically allocated to Simeon. At the very least, the mention here of both Simeonites and Judahites is an added indication of the scale of this battle, and the alliance between the two tribes played a decisive part in the outcome. Zephath was no pushover!¹⁹

Verses 18-20 continue the account of Judah’s fortunes. But they stand outside the frame formed by the references to the Judah-Simeon alliance in verses 3 and 17. In addition, Judah captured, but not destroyed, the towns of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, along with the surrounding territories (1:18 NLT). At this time, the inhabitants had been Canaanites; but with the Philistine invasion, Isra’el would once again lose those territories. There was initial success because of divine aid: ADONAI was with the men of Judah, but once again they were unable to drive out the people living on the plains because they had iron chariots (1:19 Hebrew). But in light of the danger of not finishing the battle, no one, no matter how technologically superior to the Israelites, should have been able to withstand Judah’s attack. This verse must be read in light of Josuha 17:16-18, where Joshua specifically encouraged Ephraim and Manasseh by declaring that the Canaanites’ superior strength and their possession of iron chariots would be no hindrance to their conquest of the river valleys and plains. So why did the Judahites not take the plains here? The author does not say, but presumably they lost their nerve at this point, or they might have been satisfied with their past achievements. The account of Judah’s military fortunes ends with a final reminder of their treatment of Caleb. The town of Hebron was given to Caleb as Moses had promised (Joshua 14:9 and Deuteronomy 1:36). And Caleb drove out the people living there, who were descendants of the three sons of Anak (1:20 NLT). The author ends his survey of Judahite fortunes in the fulfillment of the divine mandate to take the Land by offering a summary evaluation. Positively, they were able to wrestle control away from the Canaanites in the hill country. But negatively, they were unable to take the plains because of the Canaanites’ technological superiority.²⁰

In the next verse the tone changes, becoming increasingly pessimistic as the author observes what was supposed to be a triumphant campaign of conquest turn into a tragedy of compromise. Throughout, he laments the failure of the Israelite tribes to totally destroy and eliminate the Canaanites, which resulted in their slow downward spiral into spiritual adultery (see Deuteronomy Ca – Warning Against Idolatry).

Benjamin Failed to Conquer the Jebusites (1:21): The account of the failures of the remaining tribes (see Aj – The Failures of the Northern Tribes) begins with a summary of the Benjamite failure, and foreshadows their future disaster of being virtually annihilated by ADONAI and all the other northern tribes (see Cd – The Tribal War Against Benjamin). In verse 8, it was Judah who took Jerusalem, but since it was in Benjamin’s territory, Judah did not settle there. Unfortunately, Benjamin failed to take advantage of Judah’s victory and the Jebusites came back and rebuilt the City, where it remained under their control. However, the Benjamites failed to drive out the Jebusites who were living in Jerusalem. So, to this day, the Jebusites live there among the tribe of Benjamin (1:21 NLT). The Jebusites lived in the City until the reign of David when they were finally driven out (see the Life of David Co – David Conquers Yerushalayim).

Dear heavenly Father, praise You for being both the magnificent conquering Warrior and the wise and loving Father who indwells those who believe in You. Today, many people are “fans” of Your great love shown in Messiah’s offering Himself as the sin offering. But, being a “fan” does not qualify someone for receiving the inheritance of eternal salvation. Many in the tribes of Isra’el were “fans” of Your great love. They were so glad to have been delivered from Egypt and to be given a wonderful land that You promised filled with milk and honey. However, they forgot that their inheritance of the land was part of a covenant that they were to keep, to love ADONAI and to obey the Torah. God was very willing to do His part to give them the land – and the tribes were to do their part of the covenant to be God’s people. Obedience included destroying the evil Canaanites of the land (Joshua 3:10).

Unfortunately, the same attitude can be seen in many people today. It is much easier to simply receive a great gift, smile and say thank You, than to believe that you are a sinner, repent, and receive the great gift of salvation through Messiah’s death and resurrection. Unfortunately, people today do not realize that to trust You means to agree to follow You in a covenant relationship where both parties must do their part. Lord, help me to keep my eyes and heart on You. Help me to let my life draw others to You. Thank you for abiding in me to help me in temptations to conquer and have victory. No temptation has taken hold of you except what is common to mankind (First Corinthians 10:13). I love You and want to know You better and love You more. In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Incomplete Conquest
1: 1 to 2:5

As Michael Hattin relates in his book Judes, the Perils of Possession, the book of Judges follows the book of Joshua seamlessly. In Joshua, the people of Isra’el crossed the Jordan River, entered the Promised Land, and began the process of conquering it (see the commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh). This involved major battles against coalitions of Canaanite kings, each of whom ruled over a petty city-state. First, the southern hill country was conquered, followed by the northern part of the country. Only then, did the settlement of the Land begin in earnest.

While the actual warfare in the book of Joshua lasted for a relatively short time, the settling of the Land took centuries. Only the initial stages are described in the book of Judges – the allotment of territory to the tribes of Isra’el and their first halting steps in clearing the land and cultivating its slopes. Joshua died with much of the task incomplete.

The book of Judges begins where the book of Joshua ends. With the aged leader no more, the tribes of Isra’el naturally turn inwards, more concerned with their own fate than with a larger vision of the people as a whole. Each tribe must fend for itself; some were more successful in wresting their territory from the grip of the Canaanites, and some less. Joshua may have smashed the Canaanite military coalitions, but the Canaanite people and their culture remained intact. When the tribes of Isra’el fell prey to Canaanite idolatry and its associated values, retribution was swift and harsh. It took the form of Gentile oppressors, regional despots, who overran one or more tribes and imposed tyranny.⁶

Isra’el’s Failure to Conquer the Land
1:1 to 3:6

ADONAI, the Judge

These verses form a two-part introduction to the book (to see link click Ai – The Failures of the Southern Tribes) and (Aj – The Failures of the Northern Tribes). It tells us how the Israelites fared as they tried to complete the conquest of Canaan by occupying the areas that had been allotted to them by Joshua (see the commentary on Joshua Bq – The Settlement of the Land). Like the biblical accounts of the careers of Sha’ul, Solomon, and Uzziah, it begins well but ends badly. It begins with Isra’el wholeheartedly seeking the LORD. The Israelites asked ADONAI, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites.” God replied: Judah will go up; behold, I have handed the Land over to him (1:1-2), and it ends with them weeping before Him (see Ak – The Angel of ADONAI Confronts Isra’el). The intervening verses recount the activities, successes, and failures of the individual tribes, beginning with Judah and Simeon in 1:9, and ending with Dan in 1:34.

Of particular interest is the strategic repetition of the Hebrew verb ala, to go up in 1:1 to 2:5 as a whole. In 1:1-2 the Israelites asked: Who will be the first to go up? The account of the fortunes of the southern tribes begins when Judah “goes up” in 1:4. The corresponding sections dealing with the northern tribes begins when Joseph “goes up” in 1:22, and the conclusion is reached when the Angel of ADONAI “goes up” in 2:1. This is partly a simple matter of topography – a movement up into the central hill country. Then there is a subsequent “going down” in 2:9. However, the “going up” has more significance than this. The repetition of ala unifies the passage as a whole, helps to delineate its parts, and shows us that the end comes in 2:1-5 rather than at the end of Chapter 1. When the Angel of ADONAI “goes up” in 2:1, a climax is reached. All that has gone on beforehand is reviewed and evaluated, and this evaluation produces the weeping of 2:4. While there have been some successes in Chapter 1, overall it has been a chronicle of failure.⁵

The Relevance of the Book of Judges Today

Spiritual idolatry is spiritual suicide.

The writer to the Hebrews had a profound and universal influence on the history of the Church’s interpretation of the book of Judges. With a method of interpretation that tends to read the TaNaKh in light of the B’rit Chadashah, to this day many readers understand the book as a collection of stirring stories about the exploits of truly honorable heroes. These people are held up as models after whom we should pattern our lives. It is indeed true that all believers are called to a life of faith and that without faith nothing can be accomplished for ADONAI, but this evaluation of Judges is way too positive, especially when we allow the judges to speak for themselves. The primary significance of the book for us today, especially in the West, lies in quite a different direction.

Earlier I mentioned that one of the three themes of the book of Judges is the Canaanization of Isra’el (to see link click Ac – Judges from a Messianic Perspective: Themes); how the Israelites became more and more like the Canaanites and less and less like a Covenant people. This is the key to the relevance of this ancient book for us today. For like the Israelites of the settlement period, we have largely forgotten the covenant Lord, and have come to take for granted His gracious redemptive work on our behalf. Like the ancient Israelites, we are being squeezed into the mold of the ancient world around us. Evidences of the “Canaanization” of the Church are everywhere: our preoccupation with material prosperity, which turns our faith into a fertility religion; our worship that prioritizes feelings over biblical truth and waters down sound theology; our refusal to ADONAI’s call to separate from the world (John 2:15-15); our divisiveness and competitiveness; our moral compromises (see the commentary on Revelation Bb – The Church at Pergamum), as a result believers and non-believers are often indistinguishable; our willingness to stand up and defend agents of evil instead of justice. These and many other lessons can be drawn from the pages of this fascinating book as we proceed.

But the book of Judges teaches us important positive messages as well, especially about God. First, ADONAI calls His people to a covenant relationship with Himself. This relationship is the highest privilege imaginable, and when the recipients of grace hold Him in contempt by abandoning Him for other “gods,” the God of grace is zealous for our attention. Second, Ha’Shem tolerates no rivals (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Bl – Have No Other Gods). We cannot serve Him and commit spiritual adultery at the same time. To do so is to trample His grace underfoot. However, third, ADONAI is still gracious, often treating His people not according to what they deserve, but mercifully giving us what we don’t deserve. Fourth, if anything positive is ever accomplished in the Church, it is the work of God. Human leaders have a profound tendency to disappoint and to exploit the church for their own purposes. Fifth, in the words of Yeshua, God will build His Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Fx – On This Rock I Will Build My Church). The book of Judges presents a picture of a nation called the people of God, but seemingly determined to negate the title if not destroy itself. But ADONAI will not let that happen. He has chosen them to be a blessing to the world (see the commentary on Genesis Dt – I Will Bless Those Who Bless You and Whoever Curses You I Will Curse); He has rescued them from Egypt; He has entered into an eternal covenant with them; and He has delivered the land of Canaan into their hands as an eternal possession (which many refuse to recognize today). In the final analysis, God cannot, and will not, abort His plan. The mission of grace to the world depends upon the preservation of His people (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Therefore, against all odds, and certainly against Isra’el’s desires, the nation survived the dark days of the judges. The true hero in the book is ADONAI . . . and ADONAI alone.⁴

The Cycle of Sin in Judges

When a generation tolerates sin, the next generation will celebrate it, and the next generation after them won’t even know it’s sin (J. C. Ryle 1816-1900).

The cycles of oppression and restoration under the judges cover the Chapters 3:7 to 16:31. This section is built around a five-part cycle as follows: rebellion, retribution, repentance, restoration, and rest.

Rebellion: With the rise of a new generation, there is apostasy and disobedience to the Torah, usually by means of idolatry.

Retribution: A divine judgment would come to Isra’el by means of slavery to her enemies.

Repentance: Retribution is followed by Isra’el’s cry to ADONAI for help.

Restoration: ADONAI would raise up a judge to deliver Isra’el by means of a successful war. Restoration would begin a period of rest, and a new cycle would begin.

Rest: Consists of a period when Isra’el is obedient and enjoying peace, usually during the rule of a judge, beginning with the last years of Joshua.

The book describes a total of seven cycles (see Genesis, to see link click Ae – The Number Seven), each with five parts as seen above. With a total of twelve judges, there were actually twelve cycles, but the author does not detail all twelve cycles, only seven. The first cycle is the oppression by the Mesopotamians and the deliverance through Othniel (see Ap – The First Cycle: Othniel); the second cycle is the oppression by Mo’ab, and the deliverance by Ehud (see Aq – The Second Cycle: Ehud); the third cycle is the oppression by the Philistines and the deliverance by Shamgar in 3:31 (see Ar – The Third Cycle: Shamgar); the fourth cycle is the oppression by the Canaanites, and the deliverance through Deborah (see As – The Fourth Cycle: Deborah and Barak); the fifth cycle is the oppression of the Midianites and the deliverance through Gideon (see Ay – The Fifth Cycle: Gideon); the sixth cycle is the oppression of the Ammonites and the deliverance through Jephthah (see Bn – The Sixth Cycle: Jephthah); the seventh cycle is the oppression of the Philistines and the deliverance through Samson in Chapters 13 to 16 (see Bt – The Seventh Cycle: Samson).³ There is a downward moral progression in each of the judges whose reign if detailed.