- 113-
CHAPTER 18 : Successors of Abimelech - Chronology of the Period -
Israel's renewed Apostasy, and their Humiliation before Jehovah -
Oppression by the Ammonites - Jephthah - His History and Vow -The
Successors of Jephthah
(JUDGES 10-12)
THE sudden and tragic end of Abimelech seems to have awakened repentance among
the people. It is thus that we explain the mention of his name (10:1) in connection with
three judges, who successively ruled over the northern tribes. The first of these was
Tola ("scarlet-worm"),^290 the son of Puah (probably "red dye") and grandson of Dodo, a
man of Issachar. His reign lasted twenty-three years, and was followed by that of Jair
("Enlightener"), who judged twenty-two years. The family notice of the latter indicates
great influence, each of his thirty sons appearing as a "chief" (riding on "ass-colts"), and
their property extending over thirty out of the sixty cities (1 Kings 4:13; 2 Chronicles
2:23) which formed the ancient Havoth-Jair, or circuits of Jairs^291 (Numbers 32:41;
Deuteronomy 3:14).
These forty-five years of comparative rest conclude the second period in the history of
the Judges. The third, which commences with fresh apostasy on the part of Israel,
includes the contemporaneous rule of Jephthah and his successors - Ibzan, Elon, and
Abdon (12:8-15) - in the north and east, and of Samson in the south and west. While in
the north and east Jephthah encountered the Ammonites, Samson warred against the
Philistines in the south-west. The oppression of Ammon over the eastern and northern
tribes lasted eighteen years (10:8, 9); the rule of Jephthah six years (12:7); that of his
three successors twenty-five years - covering in all a period of forty-nine years. On the
other hand, the oppression of the Philistines lasted in all forty years (13:1), during
twenty years of which (15:20) Samson "began to deliver Israel" (13:5), the deliverance
being completed only twenty years later under Samuel, when the battle of Ebenezer was
gained (1 Samuel 7). Thus Abdon, Jephthah's last successor in the north, must have died
nine years after the battle of Ebenezer. These dates are of great importance, not only on
their own account, but because they show us the two parallel streams of Israel's history
in the north and the south. Again, the coincidence of events in the south with those in
the north casts fresh light upon both. Thus, as Eli's high-priestly administration, which
in a general sense is designated as "judging Israel," lasted forty years (1 Samuel 4:18),
and his death took place about twenty years and seven months before the victory of
Samuel over the Philistines (1 Samuel 6:1; 7:2), it is evident that the first twenty years
of Eli's administration were contemporary with that of Jair in the east, while the last
twenty were marked by the Philistine oppression, which continued forty years. In that
case Samson must have been born, and have grown up during the high priesthood of
Eli, and most of his exploits, as judging Israel for twenty years, taken place under
Samuel, who gained the battle of Ebenezer, and so put an end to Philistine oppression, a
(^)