The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  18:31 the house of God was in Shiloh. The ark of God was far away from them, so they justified their idolatry by their distance from the rest of Israel. This caused perpetual idolatry for many generations.

  Judges 19

  19:1–10 Here is an example of the kind of personal immorality that went on during this era.

  19:1 concubine. Priests could marry (Lev. 21:7, 13, 14). Though a concubine wife (usually a slave) was culturally legal, the practice was not acceptable to God (Gen. 2:24).

  19:2 played the harlot. She should have been killed as the law required and could have been if there was a devotion to holiness and obedience to Scripture (cf. Lev. 20:10). A priest was not allowed to marry a harlot (Lev. 21:14), so his ministry was greatly tainted. Yet, he made little of her sin and separation and sought her back sympathetically (v. 3).

  19:10 Jebus. An early title for Jerusalem because of Jebusite control (Judg. 1:21) until David wrested it away to become his capital (2 Sam. 5:6–9). Another early name for the city was Salem (Gen. 14:18; cf. Ps. 76:2).

  19:12 Gibeah. Jerusalem was still partially out of the control of Israelites. Gibeah was under Israelite control and safer.

  19:15 People of the Benjamite town of Gibeah failed to extend the expected courtesy of a lodging. This opened the door to immorality.

  19:18 going to the house of the LORD. He was headed for Shiloh to return to priestly duty.

  19:20 night in the open square. The old man knew the danger of such a place at night.

  19:22 perverted men. Lit. “sons of Belial,” i.e., worthless men, who desired to commit sodomy against the Levite. The phrase elsewhere is used for idolaters (Deut. 13:13), neglecters of the poor (Deut. 15:9), drunks (1 Sam. 1:16), immoral people (1 Sam. 2:12), and rebels against the civil authority (2 Sam. 20:1; Prov. 19:28). “Belial” can be traced to the false god Baal, and is also a term for yoke (they cast off the yoke of decency), and a term for entangling or injuring. It is used in the NT of Satan (2 Cor. 6:15).

  19:24 let me bring them out. The host showed a disgraceful compromise in his exaggerated desire to extend hospitality to his male guest. He should have protected all in his house, and so should the Levite, even at the risk of their own lives in guarding the women. His sad estimate of women was demonstrated by his willingness to hand his daughter or the guest concubine over to indecent men. Lot’s plunge from decency was similar (Gen. 19). Here, repeated rape and finally murder were the pitiful sequel.

  19:25 the man took his concubine…to them. This is unthinkable weakness and cowardice for any man, especially a priest of God. Apparently he even slept through the night, or stayed in bed out of fear, since he didn’t see her again until he awakened and prepared to leave (cf. v. 28).

  19:29 divided her into twelve pieces. The Levite’s bizarre butchery to divide the woman’s body into 12 parts was his shocking summons for aroused Israelite redress. No doubt a message went with each part, and the fact that he “sent” assumes messengers (cf. 1 Sam. 11:7). As he calculated, many were incensed and desired to avenge the atrocity (cf. 20:30). Nothing could have aroused universal indignation and horror more than this radical summons from the Levite.

  Judges 20

  20:1 all the children of Israel came out. As a result of this horrible tragedy, a national assembly was convened with people coming from the N (Dan) and the S (Beersheba). as one man before the LORD. This indicated a humble attitude and desire to seek help from God for the nation.

  20:13 the children of Benjamin would not listen. They hardened their hearts against the justice and decency of turning over the criminals. Even greatly outnumbered in war, they would not yield to what was right (cf. vv. 15–17). So civil war resulted.

  20:18 to inquire of God. The Lord gave His counsel from the location of the ark at Shiloh, probably through the Urim and Thummim (vv. 27, 28). The tribe of Judah was responsible to lead in battle since God had chosen a leadership role for that tribe (Gen. 49:8–12; 1 Chr. 5:1, 2). See note on Ex. 28:30.

  20:22–25 The Lord twice allowed great defeat and death to Israel to bring them to their spiritual senses regarding the cost of tolerating apostasy. Also, while they sought counsel, they placed too much reliance on their own prowess and on satisfying their own outrage. Finally, when desperate enough, they fasted and offered sacrifices (v. 26). The Lord then gave victory with a strategy similar to that at Ai (Josh. 8).

  20:32 Here was a battle strategy that lured the Benjamite army into a disastrous ambush (cf. vv. 36–46).

  20:46 twenty-five thousand. A rounded number for the more exact 25,100 (cf. v. 35).

  20:47 The number of Benjamites adds up to the 26,700 (v. 15) in a reasonable way: 18,000 killed (v. 44); 5,000 (v. 45); 2,000 (v. 45); 600 survived (v. 47); leaving an estimated 1,100 lost the first two days (v. 48).

  Judges 21

  21:1 an oath at Mizpah. The Israelites made an oath not to “give” their daughters to the 600 surviving Benjamites (20:47). But they realized that the latter would fade as a tribe unless they had wives (cf. 21:6, 7), since the Benjamite women had died in the total sack of Gibeah (20:37). Cf. v. 9.

  21:8 No one had come from Jabesh Gilead, so the Israelites conquered Jabesh Gilead, which did not help against the Benjamites, and gave 400 virgins from there to the tribe (vv. 12–14).

  21:8–16 Jabesh Gilead. Israelites placed such a premium on the unity of their tribes that they saw this city’s non-cooperation in battle as worthy of widespread death. The passage does not give God’s approval to this destruction of men, women and children (vv. 10, 11). It is another of the bizarre actions of men when they do what is right in their own eyes, which is the point that both begins and ends this dark final section (17:6; 21:25).

  21:16 wives for those who remain. Having recognized that the 200 others needed wives (vv. 17, 18), they decided to allow them to snatch brides on their own at a dance in Shiloh (vv. 16–22), not believing that this violated their oath of not directly “giving” their daughters.

  21:25 Judges 17–21 vividly demonstrates how bizarre and deep sin can become when people throw off the authority of God as mediated through the king (cf. 17:6). This was the appropriate, but tragic, conclusion to a bleak period of Israelite history (cf. Deut. 12:8).

  Judges 1

  1:1 a Josh. 24:29

  1:1 b Num. 27:21; Judg. 20:18

  1:1 c Josh. 17:12, 13

  1:2 d Gen. 49:8, 9; Rev. 5:5

  1:3 e Josh. 19:1

  1:3 f Judg. 1:17

  1:4 g 1 Sam. 11:8

  1:7 h Lev. 24:19; 1 Sam. 15:33; (James 2:13)

  1:8 i Josh. 15:63; Judg. 1:21

  1:9 j Josh. 10:36; 11:21; 15:13

  1:9 1 Heb. Negev, and so throughout the book

  1:10 k Josh. 15:13–19

  1:10 l Josh. 14:15

  1:10 2 attacked

  1:11 m Josh. 15:15

  1:12 n Josh. 15:16, 17

  1:13 o Judg. 3:9

  1:14 p Josh. 15:18, 19

  1:14 3 LXX, Vg. he urged her

  1:15 q Gen. 33:11

  1:16 r Num. 10:29–32; Judg. 4:11, 17; 1 Sam. 15:6; 1 Chr. 2:55

  1:16 s Deut. 34:3; Judg. 3:13

  1:16 t Josh. 12:14

  1:16 u 1 Sam. 15:6

  1:17 v Judg. 1:3

  1:17 w Num. 21:3; Josh. 19:4

  1:18 x Josh. 11:22

  1:19 y Josh. 17:16, 18; Judg. 4:3, 13

  1:20 z Num. 14:24; Josh. 14:9, 14

  1:20 a Josh. 15:14; Judg. 1:10

  1:20 4 drove out from there

  1:21 b Josh. 15:63; Judg. 1:8

  1:22 c Judg. 1:19

  1:22 5 family

  1:23 d Josh. 2:1; 7:2

  1:23 e Gen. 28:19

  1:23 6 family

  1:24 f Josh. 2:12, 14

  1:27 g Josh. 17:11–13

  1:27 h Josh. 21:25

  1:27 i Josh. 17:11

  1:28 7 to forced labor

  1:29 j Josh. 16:10; 1 Kin. 9:16

  1:30 k Josh. 19:10–16

  1:30 8 bec
ame forced laborers

  1:31 l Josh. 19:24–31

  1:32 m Ps. 106:34, 35

  1:33 n Josh. 19:32–39

  1:35 o Josh. 19:42

  1:35 9 Shaalabbin, Josh. 19:42

  1:35 10 became forced laborers

  1:36 p Num. 34:4; Josh. 15:3

  Judges 2

  2:1 a Ex. 20:2; Judg. 6:8, 9

  2:1 b Deut. 1:8

  2:1 c Gen. 17:7, 8; Lev. 26:42, 44; Deut. 7:9; Ps. 89:34

  2:2 d Ex. 23:32; Deut. 7:2

  2:2 e Ex. 34:12, 13; Deut. 12:3

  2:2 f Ps. 106:34

  2:2 1 treaty

  2:3 g Num. 33:55; Josh. 23:13

  2:3 h Judg. 3:6

  2:3 i Ex. 23:33; Deut. 7:16; Ps. 106:36

  2:3 2 LXX, Tg., Vg. enemies to you

  2:3 3 entrap you

  2:5 4 Lit. Weeping

  2:6 j Josh. 22:6; 24:28–31

  2:7 k Josh. 24:31

  2:8 l Josh. 24:29

  2:9 m Josh. 24:30

  2:9 n Josh. 19:49, 50

  2:10 o Ex. 5:2; 1 Sam. 2:12; Gal. 4:8; (Titus 1:16)

  2:10 5 Died and joined their ancestors

  2:11 p Judg. 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1

  2:12 q Deut. 31:16; Judg. 8:33; 10:6

  2:12 r Deut. 6:14

  2:12 s Ex. 20:5

  2:13 t Judg. 10:6; Ps. 106:36

  2:13 6 A Canaanite god

  2:13 7 Canaanite goddesses

  2:14 u Deut. 31:17; Judg. 3:8; Ps. 106:40–42

  2:14 v 2 Kin. 17:20

  2:14 w Is. 50:1

  2:14 x Lev. 26:37; Josh. 7:12, 13

  2:15 y Lev. 26:14–26; Deut. 28:15–68

  2:16 z Judg. 3:9, 10, 15; Ps. 106:43–45

  2:17 a Ex. 34:15

  2:18 b Josh. 1:5

  2:18 c Gen. 6:6

  2:19 d Judg. 3:12

  2:20 e (Josh. 23:16)

  2:21 f Josh. 23:4, 5, 13

  2:22 g Judg. 3:1, 4

  2:22 h Deut. 8:2, 16; 13:3

  Judges 3

  3:1 a Judg. 1:1; 2:21, 22

  3:1 1 experienced

  3:3 b Josh. 13:3

  3:4 2 find out

  3:5 c Ps. 106:35

  3:6 d Ex. 34:15, 16; Deut. 7:3, 4; Josh. 23:12

  3:7 e Judg. 2:11

  3:7 f Deut. 32:18

  3:7 3 Name or symbol for Canaanite goddesses

  3:8 g Deut. 32:30; Judg. 2:14

  3:8 h Hab. 3:7

  3:9 i Judg. 3:15

  3:9 j Judg. 2:16

  3:9 k Judg. 1:13

  3:10 l Num. 27:18; 1 Sam. 11:6; 2 Chr. 15:1

  3:12 m Judg. 2:19

  3:12 n 1 Sam. 12:9

  3:13 o Judg. 5:14

  3:13 p Deut. 34:3; Judg. 1:16; 2 Chr. 28:15

  3:13 4 struck

  3:14 q Deut. 28:48

  3:15 r Ps. 78:34

  3:15 s Judg. 20:16

  3:19 t Josh. 4:20

  3:19 5 Tg. quarries

  3:22 6 handle

  3:24 u 1 Sam. 24:3

  3:24 7 Lit. his

  3:24 8 Lit. covering his feet

  3:25 v 2 Kin. 2:17; 8:11

  3:26 9 Tg. quarries

  3:27 w Judg. 6:34; 1 Sam. 13:3

  3:27 x Josh. 17:15

  3:27 10 Lit. he went before them

  3:28 y Judg. 7:9, 15; 1 Sam. 17:47

  3:28 z Josh. 2:7; Judg. 12:5

  3:30 a Judg. 3:11

  3:31 b Judg. 5:6

  3:31 c 1 Sam. 17:47

  3:31 d Judg. 2:16

  3:31 e 1 Sam. 4:1

  Judges 4

  4:1 a Judg. 2:19

  4:1 b Judg. 2:11

  4:2 c Judg. 2:14

  4:2 d Josh. 11:1, 10

  4:2 e 1 Sam. 12:9; Ps. 83:9

  4:2 f Judg. 4:13, 16

  4:3 g Deut. 20:1; Judg. 1:19

  4:3 h Ps. 106:42

  4:5 i Gen. 35:8

  4:6 j Heb. 11:32

  4:6 k Josh. 19:37; 21:32

  4:6 l Judg. 8:18

  4:6 1 march

  4:7 m Ex. 14:4

  4:7 n Judg. 5:21; 1 Kin. 18:40; Ps. 83:9, 10

  4:7 2 Lit. draw

  4:9 o Judg. 2:14

  4:10 p Judg. 5:18

  4:10 q Ex. 11:8; 1 Kin. 20:10

  4:10 3 Lit. at his feet

  4:11 r Judg. 1:16

  4:11 s Num. 10:29

  4:11 t Judg. 4:6

  4:14 u Deut. 9:3; 31:3; 2 Sam. 5:24; Ps. 68:7; Is. 52:12

  4:14 4 Arise!

  4:16 v Ex. 14:28; Ps. 83:9

  4:17 w Judg. 5:6

  4:18 5 rug

  4:19 x Judg. 5:24–27

  4:21 y Judg. 5:24–27

  Judges 5

  5:1 a Ex. 15:1; Judg. 4:4

  5:2 b Ps. 18:47

  5:2 c 2 Chr. 17:16

  5:2 1 Or When locks are loosed

  5:2 2 volunteer

  5:3 d Deut. 32:1, 3

  5:3 e Ps. 27:6

  5:4 f Deut. 33:2; Ps. 68:7

  5:4 g Ps. 68:8

  5:5 h Ps. 97:5

  5:5 i Ex. 19:18

  5:5 3 flowed

  5:6 j Judg. 3:31

  5:6 k Judg. 4:17

  5:6 l Is. 33:8

  5:8 m Deut. 32:17

  5:10 n Judg. 10:4; 12:14

  5:12 o Ps. 57:8

  5:14 p Judg. 3:13

  5:15 4 So with LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT And my princes in Issachar

  5:15 5 Lit. at his feet

  5:17 q Josh. 22:9

  5:17 r Josh. 19:29, 31

  5:17 6 Or at ease

  5:18 s Judg. 4:6, 10

  5:19 t Judg. 1:27

  5:21 u Judg. 4:7

  5:23 7 Or Angel

  5:24 v (Luke 1:28)

  5:27 w Judg. 4:18–21

  5:29 8 princesses

  5:29 9 Lit. repeats her words to herself

  5:31 x Ps. 92:9

  5:31 y 2 Sam. 23:4

  5:31 z Ps. 37:6; 89:36, 37

  5:31 a Ps. 19:5

  Judges 6

  6:1 a Judg. 2:11

  6:1 b Num. 22:4; 31:1–3

  6:2 c 1 Sam. 13:6; Heb. 11:38

  6:3 d Judg. 7:12

  6:4 e Lev. 26:16

  6:4 f Deut. 28:31

  6:5 1 innumerable

  6:6 g Ps. 50:15; Hos. 5:15

  6:8 h Josh. 24:17

  6:8 2 slavery

  6:9 i Ps. 44:2, 3

  6:10 j 2 Kin. 17:35, 37, 38; Jer. 10:2

  6:10 k Judg. 2:1, 2

  6:11 l Josh. 17:2; Judg. 6:15

  6:11 m Judg. 7:1; Heb. 11:32

  6:12 n Judg. 13:3; Luke 1:11, 28

  6:12 o Josh. 1:5

  6:13 p (Is. 59:1)

  6:13 q Josh. 4:6, 21; Ps. 44:1

  6:13 r Deut. 31:17; 2 Chr. 15:2; Ps. 44:9–16

  6:13 3 Heb. adoni, used of man

  6:14 s 1 Sam. 12:11

  6:14 t Josh. 1:9

  6:15 u 1 Sam. 9:21

  6:15 4 Heb. Adonai, used of God

  6:16 v Ex. 3:12; Josh. 1:5

  6:16 5 Lit. strike

  6:17 w Judg. 6:36, 37; 2 Kin. 20:8; Ps. 86:17; Is. 7:11; 38:7, 8

  6:18 x Gen. 18:3, 5

  6:19 y Gen. 18:6–8

  6:20 z Judg. 13:19

  6:20 a 1 Kin. 18:33, 34

  6:21 b Lev. 9:24

  6:22 c Gen. 32:30; Ex. 33:20; Judg. 13:21, 22

  6:22 d Gen. 16:13

  6:23 e Dan. 10:19

  6:24 f Judg. 8:32

  6:24 6 Heb. YHWH Shalom

  6:25 g Judg. 2:2

  6:25 h Judg. 3:7

  6:25 i Ex. 34:13; Deut. 7:5

  6:25 7 Heb. Asherah, a Canaanite goddess

  6:26 8 stronghold

  6:31 9 contend

  6:32 j Judg. 7:1; 1 Sam. 12:11; 2 Sam. 11:21

  6:32 10 Lit. Let Baal Plead

  6:33 k Judg. 6:3

  6:33 l Josh. 17:16; Hos. 1:5

  6:34 m Judg. 3:10; 1 Chr. 12:18; 2 Chr. 24:20

  6:34 n Num. 10:3; Judg. 3:27

  6:35 o Judg. 5:17; 7:23

  6:35 p Judg. 4:6, 10
; 5:18

  6:37 q (Ex. 4:3–7)

  6:39 r Gen. 18:32

  Judges 7

  7:1 a Judg. 6:32

  7:2 b Deut. 8:17; Is. 10:13

  7:3 c Deut. 20:8

  7:7 d 1 Sam. 14:6

  7:7 1 home

  7:9 e Gen. 46:2, 3; Judg. 6:25

  7:11 f Gen. 24:14; 1 Sam. 14:9, 10

  7:11 2 you shall be encouraged

  7:12 g Judg. 6:3, 33; 8:10

  7:12 h Judg. 6:5

  7:12 3 innumerable

  7:14 i Judg. 6:14, 16

  7:21 j Ex. 14:13, 14; 2 Chr. 20:17

  7:21 k 2 Kin. 7:7

  7:22 l Josh. 6:4, 16, 20

  7:22 m Ps. 83:9; Is. 9:4

  7:22 n 1 Sam. 14:20; 2 Chr. 20:23

  7:22 o 1 Kin. 4:12

  7:22 4 Heb. Beth Shittah

  7:23 p Judg. 6:35

  7:24 q Judg. 3:27

  7:24 r Judg. 3:28

  7:24 s John 1:28

  7:25 t Judg. 8:3

  7:25 u Ps. 83:11; Is. 10:26

  7:25 v Judg. 8:4

  Judges 8

  8:1 a Judg. 12:1; 2 Sam. 19:41

  8:2 b Judg. 6:11

  8:2 1 Few grapes left after the harvest

  8:2 2 The whole harvest

  8:3 c Judg. 7:24, 25

  8:3 d Prov. 15:1

  8:4 e Judg. 7:25

  8:4 f Judg. 7:6

  8:5 g Gen. 33:17; Ps. 60:6

  8:6 h 1 Kin. 20:11; Judg. 8:15

  8:6 i 1 Sam. 25:11

  8:6 3 Lit. Is the palm

  8:7 j Judg. 8:16

  8:8 k Gen. 32:30, 31; 1 Kin. 12:25

  8:9 l 1 Kin. 22:27

  8:9 m Judg. 8:17

  8:10 n Judg. 7:12

  8:10 o Judg. 6:5

  8:11 p Num. 32:35, 42

  8:11 q Judg. 18:27; (1 Thess. 5:3)

  8:11 4 Lit. struck

  8:12 r Ps. 83:11

  8:15 s Judg. 8:6

  8:16 t Judg. 8:7

  8:16 5 disciplined

  8:17 u Judg. 8:9

  8:17 v 1 Kin. 12:25

  8:18 w Judg. 4:6; Ps. 89:12

  8:21 x Ps. 83:11

  8:22 y (Judg. 9:8)

  8:22 z Judg. 3:9; 9:17

  8:23 a 1 Sam. 8:7; 10:19; 12:12; Ps. 10:16

  8:24 b Gen. 37:25, 28

  8:24 6 Lit. request a request

  8:27 c Judg. 17:5

  8:27 d Judg. 6:11, 24

  8:27 e (Ps. 106:39)

  8:27 f Deut. 7:16

  8:28 g Judg. 5:31

  8:29 h Judg. 6:32; 7:1

  8:30 i Judg. 9:2, 5

  8:31 j Judg. 9:1

  8:32 k Gen. 25:8; Job 5:26

  8:32 l Judg. 6:24; 8:27

  8:33 m Judg. 2:19

  8:33 n Judg. 2:17

  8:33 o Judg. 9:4, 46

  8:34 p Deut. 4:9; Judg. 3:7; Ps. 78:11, 42; 106:13, 21