E. The fifth apostasy 10:6-12:15In view of Israel’s continuing and worsening apostasy, God turned His people over to the discipline of the Ammonites, whom Jephthah finally defeated, and the Philistines. He also used three other judges during this period: Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon. read more
4. The judgeships of Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon 12:8-15These three men were quite clearly successors of Jephthah (Judges 12:8; Judges 12:11; Judges 12:13). Probably Ibzan followed Jephthah (Judges 12:8), and then Elon and Abdon succeeded Ibzan (Judges 12:11; Judges 12:13). The writer noted no special deeds of theirs, either because they performed none or because he chose not to feature them in his narrative. read more
Elon’s judgeship 12:11-12Elon, meaning "oak, terebinth," also lived in Zebulun, though archaeologists have not yet discovered his town, Aijalon. read more
Abdon’s judgeship 12:13-15Abdon (lit. service or servant) lived in the hill country of Ephraim. Pirathon was west and a little south of Shechem. He too had many sons and daughters who rode on donkeys, reflecting Abdon’s prestige and the peace that prevailed when he judged (cf. Judges 10:4).The fact that several of the judges fathered extremely large families points to their living like the eastern potentates of their day. This is further evidence that Canaanite culture was influencing the... read more
The Ephraimites Quarrel with Jephthah. His Death1-6. Jephthah and Ephraim. Once more the members of the leading tribe find themselves left out of the victory, and complain: cp. Judges 8:1; Jephthah deals with them differently from Gideon.1. Northward] RM ’to Zaphon,’ a town near Succoth: cp. Joshua 13:27. 2. When I called you] It would seem that Jephthah had done more than simply rouse Gilead: see on Judges 11:29. 4. Jephthah now makes use of the headship promised him in Judges 11:11. The... read more
(12) Was buried in Aijalon.—There is a play of words between אלון (Elon) and איילון (Ayalon), which is precisely the same word, though with different vowelpoints. It means not “a terebinth,” but “gazelle.” Ajalon is not Yalo, which is in the tribe of Dan (Joshua 10:12; 1 Samuel 14:31); and it is at least doubtful whether it should not be read Elon, as in the LXX. (Ailon, both for the judge and his burial-place), in which case we must suppose that the place was named from him. It is not... read more
(13) Abdon.—The name means “servant.” Some suppose that he is the unknown Bedan of 1 Samuel 12:11.Hillel.—The first occurrence of a name (“praising”) afterwards destined to be so famous in the annals of Jewish theology. Hillel, the rival of Shammai, shortly before our Lord’s day, may be regarded, with all his faults, as by far the greatest and best of the Rabbis.A Pirathonite.—And, therefore, of the tribe of Ephraim. read more
(14) Thirty nephews.—The Hebrew has “sons of sons” (benî bhanîm), and the word nephews in our version always means “grandsons” (nepoles), e.g., in Job 18:19, Isaiah 14:22, 1 Timothy 5:4, as in old English generally; similarly nieces means “granddaughters” in Wiclif’s Bible (Genesis 31:43, &c). “The Emperor Augustus . . . saw ere he died the nephew of his niece, that is to say, his progenie to the fourth degree of lineal descent” (Holland’s Pliny, vii. 13; Bible Word Book).That rode on... read more
(15) In Pirathon.—The city of David’s hero, Benaiah (2 Samuel 23:30; 1Ma. 9:50; Jos. Antt. xiii. 1, § 3). It is now Feratah, six miles west of Shechem.In the mount of the Amalekites.—The phrase is explained in Judges 12:14. It points to an early settlement of Amalekites in Central Palestine. read more
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Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Judges 12:13
Xl. ABDON"And after him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. And he had forty sons and thirty sons' sons; that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill-country of the Amalekites.""The Pirathonite" (Judges 12:13). This identifies the residence of this judge as Pirathon in the territory of Ephraim. Dalglish located this place as, "Some... read more