B A 1-6. Abimalech's usurpation. B 7-21. Action of Jotham. B 22-55. Action of God. A 56,57. Abilech's ursupation avenged.1178 B.C.
B c 7. Jothan's cmming forth. d 8-15. Parable given. d 16-20. Parable interpreted. c 21. Jothan's fleeing away.7: And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said to them, “Listen to me, all you men of Shechem, that God (Elohim) (not Yehovah in covenant) may listen to you.
8: The trees (this is pure allegory. The interpretation is local and historical. The application is dispensational) went forth (very emphatic = "a going forth they went forth", or went forth with great earnestness of purpose) on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree (= Israel's religious privleges. Rom. 11), ‘Reign you over us.’
9: But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honourGod (Elohim) and man (cp. Ex.27:20,21. Lev.2:1. The interpretaion of these three - "honour", &c. - is clear from the context.An application may be made as to wat should be seen in Israel and ourselves), and march about (instead of fulfilling my mission) to be promoted over the trees?’
10: And the trees said to the fig tree (Israel's national privileges [Matt.21:19,20. Mark 11:13,20,21. Luke 13:6-9]), “Come you, and reign over us.’
11: But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I forsake (same word as "leave" in vv.9,13) my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?’
12: Then said the trees to the vine (Israel's spiritual privileges [Isa. 5. John 15]), ‘Come you, and reign over us.’
13: And the vine said to them, ‘Should I leave my new wine, which cheereth God (Elohim) and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?’
14: Then said all the trees to the bramble (this is prophetic of the false nation under the rule of Antichrist, which will devour the nation as foreshown in v.20), ‘Come you, and reign over us.’
15: And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you all anoint me king over you, then come and flee for refuge in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’
16: Now therefore, if you all have done truly and sincerely, in that you all have made Abimelech king, and if yo all have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him according to the deserving of his hands;
17: (note the parenthesis of vv.17,18) {For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:
18: And you all are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;}
19: If you all then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice you all in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
20: But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.”
21: And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
B C¹ D 22,23. Evil spirit sent out. Pupose. E F 24-. Against Abimelech. Purpose. G -24. Against Shechemites. Purpose. C² D 25-41. Evil spirit in operation. Acomplishment E G 42-49. Against Shechemites. Acomplishment F 50-55. Against Abimelech. Acomplishment.
1178 to 1176 B.C.
22: When Abimelech had exercised power three years over Israel (a usurpation, and therefore not included in Anno Dei reckoning. They are concurrent with Tola's first three),
23: Then God (Elohim) (not Yehovah) sent an evil spirit (an evil rûach) between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
24: That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them;
and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.
C² H¹ e 25. Shechemites. f 26-. Gaal. e -26,27. Shechemites. f 28,29. Gaal. J¹ 30-33. Zebul. Conspiracy. H² g 34. Abimelech. h 35-. Gaal. g -35. Abimelech. h 36-38. Gaal. J² 39-41. Zebu. Flight. H³ i 42-45. Shechemites. k 46-49. Tower of Shechem. i 50. Thebez. k Tower of Thebez.
25: And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
26: And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem:
and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
27: And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
28: And Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem (some codices read, "the son of Shechem), that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?
29: And would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech.” And he said (the Sept. reads, "and say") to Abimelech, “Increase your army, and come out.”
30: And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.
31: And he sent messengers to Abimelech decietfully (or craftily), saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against you.
32: Now therefore up by night, you and the people that is with you, and lie in wait in the field:
33: And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against you, then may you do to them according as you shall find occasion.”
34: And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
35: And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city:
and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.
36: And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains.” And Zebul said to him, “You see the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.”
37: And Gaal spoke again and said, “See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the oak of Meonenim.”
38: Then said Zebul to him, “Where is now your mouth, wherewith you said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ is not this the people that you have despised? go out, I pray now (a special various reading called Sevir has "you" [emphatic] instead of "now" = I pray you, you &c.), you fight with them.”
39: And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
40: And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even to the entering of the gate.
41: And Abimelech waited (or sat down) at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
42: And it came to pass on the next day, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
43: And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.
44: And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies rushed upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.
45: And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
H³ k l 46,47. Refuge. m o 48. Brushwood. p 49-. Burning. n -49. Deaths. Shechemites. k l 51. Refuge. m p 52. Burning. o 53. Millstone. n 54,55. Death. Abimelech.
46: And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith (= covenant = a sanctury).
47: And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
48: And Abimelech got him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the brushwood, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said to the people that were with him, “What you all have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.”
49: And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them;
so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
50: Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
51: But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.
52: And Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and went close to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53: And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech's head, and altogther broke his skull.
54: Then he called hastily to the young man his armourbearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, “A woman slew him” (see 4:21). And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
55: And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man to his place.
56: Thus God (Elohim) requited (Heb. brought back) the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:
57: And all the evil of the men of Shechem did Elohim requite upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
D A 10:1-5. Rulers. (Tola and Jair). B 10:6–12:7. Ammonites and Jephthah. A 12:8-15. Rulers. (Ibzan, Elon, Abdon). B 13:1–16:31. Philistines and Samson.
10)
1: And after Abimelech there arose to save (or deliver) Israel Tola (= scarlet, worm) the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the hill country Ephraim.
1178 to 1155 B.C.
2: And he ruled Israel twenty and three years (see 9:22), and died, and was buried in Shamir.
1155 to 1151 B.C.
3: And after him arose Jair (= enlightner), a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years (As the Philistines "vexed" and "oppressed" the sons of Israel "on the other side of Jordan" [v.8] for 18 years out of Jairs 22, this obviously leaves him only 4 clear years of "ruling").
4: And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities (#30 = dedication), which are called Havoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
5: And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
B C 10:6. The evil wrought. D 10:7. Selling to Philisties and Ammonites. E 10:8,9. Oppression (18 years). C 10:10-16. Evil repented of. D 10:17–12:6. Deliverance by Jephthah. E 12:7. Government by Jephthah (6 years).
6: And the sons of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord (Yehovah) (cp. 2:11; 3:7; 4:1; 6:1; 13:1), and served Baalim, and the Ashtaroths (cp. 2:11-13), and the gods of Syria (see Gen.35:3-6), and the gods of Zidon (see 1 Kings 11:5 [Baal, Astarte]), and the gods of Moab (see 11:24 [Chemosh]. 1 Kings 11:35 [Milcom or Molech), and the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines (e.g. Dagon [16:23]), and forsook Yehovah, and served not Him.
7: And the anger of the Lord (Yehovah) was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the sons of Ammon.
8: And that year they broke and crushed the sons of Israel (see note on v. 3 above): eighteen years (#18 = bondage), all the sons of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
9: Moreover the sons of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.
C a 10. Confession. b 11-14. Reproach. a 15,16-. Confession. b -16. Pity.
10: And the sons of Israel cried to the Lord (Yehovah), saying, “We have sinned against You, both because we have forsaken the Lord (Yehovah) our God (Elohim), and also served Baalim.”
11: And the Lord (Yehovah) said to the sons of Israel, “Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
12: The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites (cp. 2 Chron.26:7,8. A mixture of Moabites and Ammonites = the two words combined), did oppress you; and you all cried to Me, and I delivered you out of their hand.
13: Yet you all have forsaken Me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
14: Go and cry to the gods which you all have chosen (cp. Deut.32:37,38); let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.”
15: And the sons of Israel said to the Lord (Yehovah), “We have sinned: You do to us whatsoever seems good to You; deliver us only, we pray You, this day.”
16: And they put away the gods of strangers (or foreigners) from among them, and served the Lord (Yehovah):
and His soul (= He [emphatic]. Heb. Nephesh. Attributed by Fig., to God) was grieved for the misery of Israel.
D F¹ G¹ 10:17. Ammonite invasion. H¹ c¹ 10:18. A Leader needed. d¹ 11:1-3. Leader rejected. F² G² 11:4. Ammonite war. H² c² 11:5,6. Jephthah called. d² 11:7-11. Jephthah appointed. F³ G³ 11:12-28. Ammonite negotiation. H³ c³ 11:29. Jephthah inspired. d³ 11:30,31. Jephthah's vow made. F4 G4 11:32,33. Ammonite defeat. H4 c4 11:34-. Jephthah's return. d4 11:-34-40. Jephthah's vow performed. F5 G5 12:1. Ephraimite dispute. H5 c5 12:2,3. Jephthah's answer. d5 12:4-6. Jephthah's action.
1152 B.C.
17: Then the sons of Ammon were gathered by proclomation, and encamped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.
18: And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, “What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
11)
1: Now Jephthah (= He [i.e. Yah = God] will deliver. Note the Fig., to call attention to the facts of this verse, introducing Jephthah. All are irregular: no king, no ruler, no priest) the son of the man Gilead was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
2: And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said to him, “You shall not inherit in our father's house; for you are the son of a foreign woman.”
3: Then Jephthah fled from (Heb. "from the face of") his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob (= fruitful land. East of Syria): and there were gathered unemployed (or bankrupt) men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
4: And it came to pass in process of time, that the sons of Ammon made war against Israel.
1151 B.C.
5: And it was so, that when the sons of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:
6: And they said to Jephthah, “Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.”
7: And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did not you all hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are you all come to me now when you all are in distress?”
8: And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Therefore we turn again to you now, that you may go with us, and fight against the sons of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
9: And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you all bring me home again to fight against the sons of Ammon, and the Lord (Yehovah) deliver them before me, shall I be your head?”
10: And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord (Yehovah) be a hearer between us, if we do not so according to your words.
11: Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words in the presence of Yehovah in Mizpeh (cp. 10:17).
G³ e 12. First message. f 13. King's answer. e 14-27. Second message. f 28. King's obstinacy.
12: And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, “What have you to do with me, that you are come against me to fight in my land?”
13: And the king of the sons of Ammon answered to the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even to Jabbok, and to Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.”
14: And Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the sons of Ammon:
15: And said to him (some codices read, "and they said". Heb. text = he), “Thus says Jephthah, ‘Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the sos of Ammon:
16: But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness to the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;
17: Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Let us, I pray you, pass through your land:’ but the king of Edom would not listen thereto. And in like manner they sent to the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.
18: Then they went on through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab (cp. Num.21:13,24): for Arnon was the border of Moab.
19: And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon (cp. Deut.2:26); and Israel said to him, “Let us pass (cp. Deut.2:27), we pray you, through your land into our place.”
20: But Sihon stayed (or rested) Israel not to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
21: And the Lord God (Yehovah Elohim) of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
22: And they possessed all the borders of the Amorites, from Arnon even to Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to Jordan.
23: So now the Lord God (Yehovah Elohim) of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before His People Israel, and should you possess him? (i.e. Israel. Being masc. [in Heb.] cannot refer to the land of v. 21; and sing., so that it cannot refer to borders of v. 22)
24: Will not you possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? (Jephthah does not recognize Chemosh as a god. The emphasis is on "your" and "our", and is the argument fortiori: and, taking them on their own ground, it is the argumentum ad hominem) So whomsoever the Lord (Yehovah) our God (Elohim) shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
25: And now are you any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? (cp. Num.22:2. Deut.23:4. Josh.24:9) did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,
26: While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? (not a "round number") why therefore did you all not recover them within that time?
27: Wherefore I have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me: The Lord (Yehovah) the Judge be judge this day between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.’ ”
28: However the king of the sons of Ammon listened not to the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
29: Then the Spirit of the Lord (Yehovah) came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon.
30: And Jephthah made a solemn vow to Yehovah (see Lev.27:1-8), and said, “If You shall without fail deliver the sons of Ammon into my hands,
31: Then it shall be, that whatsoever comes forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's (Yehovah's) (this is masculine. But the issuer from his house was feminine. Thus his rash vow was impossible of fulfilment, and was to be repented of), or I will offer it up for a burnt offering (here, Jephthah's vow consisted of 2 parts: (1) He would either dedicate it to Yehovah [according to Lev.27]; or (2) if unsuitible for this, he would offer it as a burnt offering. He performed his vow, and dedicated his daughter to Yehovah by a perpetual virginity [vv.36,39,40]; but he did not offer her as a burnt offering, because it was forbidden by the Lord (Yehovah), and could not be accepted by Him [Lev.18:21; 20:2-5]).
32: So Jephthah passed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord (Yehovah) delivered them into his hands.
33: And he smote them from Aroer, even till you come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and to the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel.
34: And Jephthah came to Mizpeh to his house,
d4 g -34-36. Performance. h 37,38. Suspension. g 39-. Performance. h -39,40. Commemoration.
and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with drums and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter (the fact is stated in 2 ways, in order to emphasise it).
35: And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! you have brought me very low, and you are one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth to Yehovah (Hebraism for making a formal, prepared, and solemn statement), and I cannot go back.”
36: And she said to him, “My father, if you have opened your mouth to Yehovah, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth; forasmuch as Yehovah has taken vengeance for you of your enemies, even of the sons of Ammon.”
37: And she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may wander about upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.”
38: And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
39: And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed (= He did not offer her as a burnt offering; for Yehovah could not accept that. Therefore Jephthah must have dedicated her to Yehovah by a perpetual virginity. Such a vow was provided for in Lev.27. See note on v.31): and she knew no man (this is conclusive. It has nothing to do with sacrificial death, but it has to do with a dedicated life to Yehovah. Thus was Jephthah's vow fulfilled). And it became a custom in Israel,
40: That the daughters of Israel went yearly to rehearse with (as in 5:11; to celibrate her dedication in praises) the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year (thus annually her friends "went", evidently to Jephthah's daughter, to rehearse with her this great event of her life: not her death).