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Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 3:13

The city of palm trees - This the Targum renders the city of Jericho; but Jericho had been destroyed by Joshua, and certainly was not rebuilt till the reign of Ahab, long after this, 1 Kings 16:34 . However, as Jericho is expressly called the city of palm trees, Deuteronomy 34:3 , the city in question must have been in the vicinity or plain of Jericho, and the king of Moab had seized it as a frontier town contiguous to his own estates. Calmet supposes that the city of palm trees... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 3:15

Ehud the son of Gera - a man left handed - ימינו יד אטר איש ish itter yad yemino , a man lame in his right hand, and therefore obliged to use his left. The Septuagint render it ανδρα αμφοτεροδεξιον , an ambidexter, a man who could use both hands alike. The Vulgate, qui utraque manu pro dextera utebatur , a man who could use either hand as a right hand, or to whom right and left were equally ready. This is not the sense of the original, but it is the sense in which most... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 3:16

A dagger which had two edges , of a cubit length - The word גמד gomed , which we translate cubit, is of very doubtful signification. As the root seems to signify contracted, it probably means an instrument made for the purpose shorter than usual, and something like the Italian stiletto. The Septuagint translate it by σπιθαμη , a span, and most of the versions understand it in the same sense. Upon his right thigh - Because he was left-handed. Ordinarily the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 3:17

Eglon was a very fat man - The בריא איש ish bari of the text is translated by the Septuagint ανηρ αστειος σφοδρα , a very beautiful or polite man, and in the Syriac, a very rude man. It probably means what we call lusty or corpulent. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 3:18

Made an end to offer the present - Presents, tribute, etc., in the eastern countries were offered with very great ceremony; and to make the more parade several persons, ordinarily slaves, sumptuously dressed, and in considerable number, were employed to carry what would not be a burden even to one. This appears to have been the case in the present instance. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 3:1

Even as many of Israel ... - These words show that the writer has especially in view the generation which came to man’s estate immediately after the close of the wars with the Canaanites Joshua 23:1. Compare Judges 2:10. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 3:3

Lords - Seranim, a title used exclusively of the princes of the five Philistine cities. The title is probably of Phoenician origin.Joshua appears to have smitten and subdued the Hivites as far north as Baal-Gad, in the valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon Joshua 11:17; Joshua 12:7, but no further Joshua 13:5. There was an unsubdued Hivite population to the north of Baal-hermon (probably Baal-Gad under Hermon, since it is not synonymous with Hermon; see 1 Chronicles 5:23), to the entering in of... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 3:7

And the groves - literally, Asheroth, images of Asherah (the goddess companion of Baal): see Deuteronomy 16:21 note. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 3:8

Here we hold again the thread of the proper narrative, which seems as if it ought to have run thus Judges 1:1 : Now, etc. Judges 3:8, therefore (or “and”) etc.Served Chushan-Rishathaim - This is the same phrase as in Judges 3:14. From it is derived the expression, “the times of servitude,” as distinguished from “the times of rest,” in speaking of the times of the Judges. Mesopotamia, or Aram-naharaim, was the seat of Nimrod’s kingdom, and Nimrod was the son of Cush Genesis 10:8-12. Rishathaim... read more

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