28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his 4 Gen. 34. 2,6. officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?

1 Kings 12.

16.

* 2 Sam. 15. 4.

Or, hot.

by, or, to

e

29 And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine 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 unto Abi+Heb. crafti melech † privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.

Tormah.

32 Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field:

33 And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then +Heb as thine mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.

hand shall

find.

Abimelech's vengeance.

thrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.

41 And Abimelech dwelt 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 morrow, 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 ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.

Before CHRIST cir. 1206.

8 ver. 20.

h Deut. 29.23. 1 Kings 12. 25. 2Kings 3.25.

46 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god ch. 8. 33. Berith.

i

47 And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

k

i

48 And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people Ps. 68. 14. that were with him; and Abimelech took an ax in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye 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 unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

+ Heb. I have done.

Abimelech is slain at Thebez.

Before CHRIST cir. 1206.

1 2 Sam. 11 21. So 1 Sam. 31. 4.

ver. 24.
Job 31. 3.
Ps. 94. 23.
Prov. 5. 22.

ver. 20.

cir. 1206. 2 ch. 2. 16.

|| Or, deliver.

+ Heb. save.

cir. 1183.

bch. 5. 10. & 12. 14.

Deut. 3. 14. || Or, the villages of Jair. Numb. 32,41,

cir. 1161.

b ch. 2. 14.

1 Sam. 12. 9.

+ Heb. crushed.

1

53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a milstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his scull.

m

54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. 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 unto his place.

56 ¶ Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren :

57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

f served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.

The Ammonites, &c. oppress Israel.

passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.

Before CHRIST cir. 1161.

10 And the children of Israel cried 1 Sam. 12.10. unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.

11 And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and 'from the Amorites, m from the children of Ammon,

k

* Exod. 14.30.

1 Numb.21.21, 24, 25.

ch. 3. 12, 13. n ch. 3. 31.

12 The Zidonians also, P and the ch. 5. 19. Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.

13 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.

Deut. 32. 15. Jer. 2. 13.

38.

14 Go and cry unto the gods which Deut. 32. 37, have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.

ye

t

2 Kings 3.13. Jer. 2. 28.

t1 Sam. 3. 18. 2 Sam. 15.26.

15 ¶ And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: * do thou unto us whatsoever † seemeth good + Heb. is good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.

16" And they put away the † strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul t was grieved for the misery of Israel.

17 Then the children of Ammon were † gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children 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.

CHAPTER XI.

1 The covenant between Jephthah and the Gileadites, that he should be their head. 12 The treaty of peace between him and the Ammonites is in vain. 29 Jephthah's vow. 32 His conquest of the Ammonites. 34 He performeth his vow on his daughter.

in thine eyes.

u 2 Chron. 7. 14. & 15. 8. Jer. 18. 7, 8. + Heb. gods of strangers.

* Ps. 106. 44, 45.

Isai. 63. 9.

+ Heb. was shortened.

+ Heb. cried together.

Gen. 31. 49. ch. 11. 11,29.

ch. 11. 8, 11.

a Hebr. 11. 32, called Jephthae.

a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of tan harlot : and Gilead ch. 6. 12 begat Jephthah.

2 And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange

woman.

3 Then Jephthah fled † from his bre

2 Kings 5.1. + Heb. a

woman an
harlot.

+ Heb. from

the face.

Jephthah is chosen captain.

с

thren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.

4 And it came to pass † in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.

5 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:

6 And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

1 Numb.21.24, '

25, 26.

Gen. 32. 22.

13 And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto TM Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.

14 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:

15 And said unto him, Thus saith Deut. 29,19. Jephthah, " Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:

ness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh ;

q

r

Before CHRIST cir. 1143.

17 Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the Numb.20.14. king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab but he would not consent: and Israel' abode in Kadesh.

21.

Numb. 20. 1.

Deut. 2. 1-8. "Numb.21.11. Numb.21.13. & 22. 36.

18 Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Numb. 21. 4. 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: for Arnon was the border of Moab.

y

19 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, ' Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.

20 But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

Numb.21.21. Deut. 2. 26.

Numb.21.22. Deut. 2. 27.

a Numb.21.23. Deut. 2. 32.

b

25. Deut. 2. 33,

34.

21 And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: Numb.21.24, so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. 22 And they possessed all the coasts Deut. 2. 36. of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.

с

23 So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?

e

24 Wilt not thou possess that which d Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.

f

4 Numb.21.29. 1 Kings 11.7. Jer. 48. 7. Deut. 9. 4, 5. & 18. 12. Josh. 3. 10.

See Josh.24.

25 And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Numb. 22. 2. Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,

h

g

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? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?

27 Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD 'the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

28 Howbeit the king of the children of

9.

Numb.21.25. Deut. 2. 36,

* Gen. 16, 5. & 31, 53.

1 Sam. 24.12,

15.

4 ver. 11. ch. 10. 17. Exod. 15. 20. 1 Sam. 18. 6. Ps. 68. 25. Jer. 31. 4.

|| Or, he had not of his own either

son or

daughter.

self.

Gen. 37. 29, 34.

1

29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon | Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

m

30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

31 Then it shall be, that † whatsoever

cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, "shall surely be the LORD's, || ° and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

32 ¶ So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.

33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto || the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

r

q

34 ¶ And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances and she was his only child; t beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

35 And it came to pass, when he saw +Heb of him her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and "I cannot go back.

t Eccles. 5. 2.

u

Numb. 30. 2. Eccles.5.4,5.

Ps. 15. 4.

Numb. 30. 2.

2 Sam. 18.19,

31.

X

36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone +Heb. go and two months, that I may † go up and down t upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.

go down.

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 unto her

An angel appeareth

Before CHRIST cir. 1137.

cir. 1130. A civil Judge in North east Israel.

cir. 1120. A civil Judge also in North east Israel. + Heb. sons'

sons.

ch. 5. 10. & 10. 4.

cir. 1112.

! ch. 3. 13, 27 & 5. 14.

cir. 1161.

+ Heb. added

to commit,
&c.

* ch. 2. 11. &

3.7. & 4. 1. &

6. 1. & 10, 6.

This seems

a partial
captivity.

b1 Sam. 12.9. Josh. 19. 41.

4 ch. 6. 12. 13, 28, 31.

10 Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Beth-lehem.

11 And after him || Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.

12 And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

13 And after him || Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.

14 And he had forty sons and thirty + nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.

15 And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, 'in the mount of the Amalekites.

CHAPTER XIII.

1 Israel is in the hand of the Philistines. 2 An angel appeareth to Manoah's wife. 8 The angel appeareth to Manoah. 15 Manoah's sacrifice, whereby the angel is discovered. 24 Samson is born.

to Manoah's wife.

and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.

9 And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.

10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.

11 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am.

Before CHRIST cir. 1161.

12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order+Heb. What the child, and t how shall we do unto him?

13 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.

14 She may not eat of any thing that

b

again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

с

2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.

d

3 And the angel of the LORD apLuke, peared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not but thou shalt conceive, and bear a

6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, ' A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:

7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.

15 ¶ And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, "let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid + for thee.

16 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.

17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?

shall be the manner of the, &c.

Or, what

shall he do?

+ Heb. what shall be his work?

1 Chron. 21.

16.

Ezek. 1. 28. Matt. 17. 6.

ch. 6. 22.