Judges 12:8

IX. IBZAN

"And after him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. And he had thirty sons; and thirty daughters he sent abroad, and thirty daughters he brought in from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. And Ibzan died, and was buried in Bethlehem."

"After him" (Judges 12:8). This means "after Jephthah," the preceding judge, as is the similar meaning in Judges 12:11,13.

"Ibzan" (Judges 12:8). "This name means swift (horse?)."[14]

"Ibzan of Bethlehem" (Judges 12:8). Keil denied that this was the Bethlehem in Judah on the basis that, "That Bethlehem is usually distinguished as `Bethlehem Judah' (Ruth 1:2) or as `Bethlehem Ephratah' (Micah 5:1)." In our view this is not sufficient reason for setting aside the plain statement of Josephus that, "When Jephthah was dead,[15] Ibzan took the government, being of the tribe of Judah and of the city of Bethlehem."[16]

Josephus also declared that, "Ibzan did nothing in his seven years of administration that was worth recording or deserved a memorial."

"Thirty sons ... thirty daughters" (Judges 12:9). This identifies Ibzan as a polygamist. No specific reason is given for his seeking spouses for his sixty offspring from "abroad." He might have been striving to build up his influence with other tribes of Israel.

We are amazed at the following ridiculous comment of Dalglish:

"The inclusion of the last three minor judges at this juncture may have been occasioned by the judgment of the editor that they flourished later than the previously mentioned judges, though we have no DATA to support the contention."[17]

Such a comment rejects the Biblical record as "data," despite the fact of its being backed up categorically by Josephus. There is no more dependable "data" than the concurring testimony of these two sources!