3 five princes of the Philistines, and all the Canaanite, and the Zidonian, and the Hivite inhabiting mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-Hermon unto the entering in of Hamath;
from Sihor which `is' on the front of Egypt, and unto the border of Ekron northward, to the Canaanite it is reckoned, five princes of the Philistines, the Gazathite, and the Ashdothite, the Eshkalonite, the Gittite, and the Ekronite, also the Avim.
and the land of the Giblite, and all Lebanon, at the sun-rising, from Baal-Gad under mount Hermon, unto the going in to Hamath:
and the princes of the Philistines are passing on by hundreds, and by thousands, and David and his men are passing on in the rear with Achish.
And an artificer is not found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, `Lest the Hebrews make sword or spear;' and all Israel go down to the Philistines, to sharpen each his ploughshare, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock; and there hath been the file for mattocks, and for coulters, and for three-pronged rakes, and for the axes, and to set up the goads. And it hath been, in the day of battle, that there hath not been found sword and spear in the hand of any of the people who `are' with Saul and with Jonathan -- and there is found to Saul and to Jonathan his son. And the station of the Philistines goeth out unto the passage of Michmash.
and the golden mice -- the number of all the cities of the Philistines -- for the five princes, from the fenced city even unto the hamlet of the villages, even unto the great meadow on which they placed the ark of Jehovah -- `are' unto this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-Shemeshite.
And the word of Samuel is to all Israel, and Israel goeth out to meet the Philistines for battle, and they encamp by Eben-Ezer, and the Philistines have encamped in Aphek, and the Philistines set themselves in array to meet Israel, and the battle spreadeth itself, and Israel is smitten before the Philistines, and they smite among the ranks in the field about four thousand men.
And the five men go, and come in to Laish, and see the people which `is' in its midst, dwelling confidently, according to the custom of Zidonians, quiet and confident; and there is none putting to shame in the land in `any' thing, possessing restraint, and they `are' far off from the Zidonians, and have no word with `any' man.
And his father and his mother have not known that from Jehovah it `is', that a meeting he is seeking of the Philistines; and at that time the Philistines are ruling over Israel.
And the Zidonians, and Amalek, and Maon have oppressed you, and ye cry unto Me, and I save you out of their hand;
And Canaan hath begotten Sidon his first-born, and Heth, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite; and afterwards have the families of the Canaanite been scattered. And the border of the Canaanite is from Sidon, `in' thy coming towards Gerar, unto Gaza; `in' thy coming towards Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, unto Lasha.
And God humbleth on that day Jabin king of Canaan before the sons of Israel, and the hand of the sons of Israel goeth, going on and becoming hard on Jabin king of Canaan, till that they have cut off Jabin king of Canaan.
and Jehovah selleth them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who hath reigned in Hazor, and the head of his host `is' Sisera, and he is dwelling in Harosheth of the Goyim;
and Jehovah giveth them into the hand of Israel, and they smite them and pursue them unto the great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth-Maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward, and they smite them, till he hath not left to them a remnant; and Joshua doth to them as Jehovah said to him; their horses he hath houghed, and their chariots burnt with fire. And Joshua turneth back at that time, and captureth Hazor, and its king he hath smitten by the sword; for Hazor formerly `is' head of all these kingdoms; and they smite every person who `is' in it by the mouth of the sword; he hath devoted -- he hath not left any one breathing, and Hazor he hath burnt with fire; and all the cities of these kings, and all their kings, hath Joshua captured, and he smiteth them by the mouth of the sword; he devoted them, as Moses, servant of Jehovah, commanded. Only, all the cities which are standing by their hill, Israel hath not burned them, save Hazor only, `it' hath Joshua burnt;
`to' the Canaanite on the east, and on the west, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the hill-country, and the Hivite under Hermon, in the land of Mizpeh --
turn ye and journey for you, and enter the mount of the Amorite, and unto all its neighbouring places, in the plain, in the hill-country, and in the low country, and in the south, and in the haven of the sea, the land of the Canaanite, and of Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Phrat;
from mount Hor ye mark out to go in to Hamath, and the outgoings of the border have been to Zedad;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Judges 3
Commentary on Judges 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
In this chapter,
Jdg 3:1-7
We are here told what remained of the old inhabitants of Canaan.
Now concerning these remnants of the natives observe,
Jdg 3:8-11
We now come to the records of the government of the particular judges, the first of which was Othniel, in whom the story of this book is knit to that of Joshua, for even in Joshua's time Othniel began to be famous, by which it appears that it was not long after Israel's settlement in Canaan before their purity began to be corrupted and their peace (by consequence) disturbed. And those who have taken pains to enquire into the sacred chronology are generally agreed that the Danites' idolatry, and the war with the Benjamites for abusing the Levite's concubine, though related in the latter end of this book, happened about this time, under or before the government of Othniel, who, though a judge, was not such a king in Israel as would keep men from doing what was right in their own eyes. In this short narrative of Othniel's government we have,
Jdg 3:12-30
Ehud is the next of the judges whose achievements are related in this history, and here is an account of his actions.
Jdg 3:31
When it is said the land had rest eighty years, some think it meant chiefly of that part of the land which lay eastward on the banks of Jordan, which had been oppressed by the Moabites; but it seems, by this passage here, that the other side of the country which lay south-west was in that time infested by the Philistines, against whom Shamgar made head.