by Wells, Steve
29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
(1.29) “Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites.”
30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.
31 Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:
32 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.
33 Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became tributaries unto them.
34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley:
35 But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributaries.
36 And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.
JUDGES 2
(2.1-4) “An angel of the LORD … said…”
An angel drops by to rebuke the Israelites for being too tolerant of the religious beliefs of the people they have been massacring. He tells them that since they didn’t complete their job (of killing everyone), God will not completely drive them out (like he promised to do). Instead he’ll keep some of them around so that the Israelites will be ensnared by their false gods. When the Israelites heard the angel’s words, they “lifted up their voices, and wept.”
2 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
(2.1-2) “An angel of the LORD … said … ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice.”
3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
(2.3) “Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.”
4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
(2.4) “When the angel of the LORD spake these words … the people lifted up their voice, and wept.”
5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.
6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.
7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.
8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
(2.11-12) After the angel’s visit, the people had a good cry and then got back to what they do best: doing evil in the sight of the Lord. They reject him and follow other gods, “provoking the Lord to anger.”
11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
(2.11) “The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim.”
12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
(2.12) “They forsook the LORD God of their fathers … and followed other gods … and provoked the LORD to anger.”
13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
(2.14) “The anger of the LORD was hot against Israel … and he sold them into the hands of their enemies.” God’s anger “was hot against Israel, and he sold them.” Well, I hope he got a good price. (See Jg 3.8, 4.2, 6.1, and 10.7 where he sells them again.)
15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.
(2.17) “They went a whoring after other gods.”
18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
23 Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
JUDGES 3
3 Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
4 And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:
(3.1-5) “These are the nations which the LORD left … the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites.” See note for 1.21-29
6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
(3.7-8) The Israelites do evil (again) in the sight of the Lord, and he sells them (again). (See Judges 2.14, 4.2, 6.1, and 10.7.)
7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.
(3.7) “The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD.”
8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.
(3.8) “The anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them.”
(3.9-10) The LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim
After God sold the Israelites, the Israelites cried out to God, so God sent a deliverer—Othniel, Caleb’s little brother. The spirit of the Lord comes upon Othniel and causes him to go to war. Whom did Othiniel go to war with? Chushanrishathaim—the guy that God sold the Israelites to.
God’s 42nd Killing
9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
(3.9) “When the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer … Othniel … Caleb’s younger brother.”
10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim.
(3.10) “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he … went to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim … into his hand.”
11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.
14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
(3.12-14) “The children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel … So the children of Israel served Eglon … eighteen years.”
(3.15-22) Ehud delivers a message from God
The Israelites cry out to God again. (“Yahweh! Yahweh!) And God raises up a hero for them, a left-handed guy named Ehud, whom God sends to deliver a present: a knife blade in pushed into Eglon’s belly so far that “the dirt came out.”
God’s 43rd Killing
15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
(3.15a) “When the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud … a man lefthanded.”
(3.15b) “And by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon.”
16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
(3.16) “Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length.”
17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
(3.17) “And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.”
18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.
19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
(3.20) “Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee.”
21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
(3.21) “Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.”
22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.
(3.22) “And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.”
23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
(3.24) “Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.” “Covering his feet” is a euphemism for taking a leak.
25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
(3.26-29) God delivers 10,000 lusty Moabites
After Ehud delivered God’s message to Eglon (a knife blade in the belly), he blew a trumpet to summon all the Israelites. When they all arrived, he told the people that God had delivered the Moabites into their hand. So they followed Ehud and God helped them kill 10,000 lusty Moabites.
145 How should the Moabites be treated?
God’s 44th Killing
26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.
(3.26-27) “Ehud … blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount.”
28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
(3.28) “He said … the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.”
29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.
(3.29) “And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.”
30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.
(3.31) “Shamgar … slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad.”
God’s 45th killing
JUDGES 4
(4.1-16) Barak and God massacre the Canaanites
This is just another variation on the same old story. If you’ve been following along, you know what’s going to happen. (See Judges 2.14, 3.8, 6.1, and 10.7 for other versions of the same silly story.)
God’s 46th Killing
This story is more interesting than most, though, because one of the characters is named Barak. (Although Barack Obama’s first name is not derived from this biblical character, believers sometimes like to pretend otherwise.)
Here are the details:
After Ehud dies, a woman became the leader of the Israelites. Her name is Deborah and she is called a prophetess and judge. She sat under a palm tree and everyone “came up to her for judgment.”
4 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.
2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
5 And she dwe
lt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
(4.4-5) “Deborah, a prophetess, … dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah … and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.” One day, she summoned Barak and told him to take 10,000 soldiers to fight Sisera.
6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
(4.6-7) “She sent and called Barak … and said … the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying … take with thee ten thousand men … to … Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army … and I will deliver him into thine hand.”
8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
Barak, who was a bit of a chicken shit, said: (4.8) “If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.” Deborah said that she would go with him and that God would deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.
9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
(4.9) “I will surely go with thee … for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak.”
10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
(4.11) “Hobab the father in law of Moses”