Judges and Ruth (Teach the Text Commentary Series)

Kenneth C. Way

• Publisher: Baker Books
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781493405350
• Topic: Theologie & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblischer Kommentar

Focused Biblical Scholarship to Teach the TextThe Teach the Text Commentary Series utilizes the best of biblical scholarship to provide the information a pastor needs to communicate the text effectively. The carefully selected preaching units and focused commentary allow pastors to quickly grasp the big idea and key themes of each passage of Scripture. Each unit of the commentary includes the big idea and key themes of the passage and sections dedicated to understanding, teaching, and illustrating the text.The newest Old Testament release in this innovative commentary series is Kenneth C. Way's treatment of Judges and Ruth.

Judges 1:1–2:5

Military Failure

Big Idea

Disobedience can result in hardship and the failure to appropriate God’s promises.

Key Themes

• God selects the tribe of Judah to lead the nation.
• Victory comes from the Lord.
• Israel’s tribes are all unfaithful to the covenant.
• God is faithful to uphold his covenant promises.
• Obedience leads to successful occupation of the land.
• Disobedience leads to foreign oppression and loss of land.

Understanding the Text

The Text in Context

The book of Judges continues the story of the conquest, which was introduced by the book of Joshua. Whereas Joshua emphasizes God’s faithfulness in giving the land to Israel, the book of Judges—especially chapter 1—emphasizes Israel’s ongoing responsibility and delinquency in occupying the land. The apparent differences between the accounts of Joshua and Judges should be viewed not as contradictory but as complementary accounts that serve distinct theological purposes.1

The prologue to the book of Judges consists of two parts, 1:1–2:5 and 2:6–3:6. These two passages focus, respectively, on the military and religious failures of Israel and set the theological stage for the “deliverer” stories that will follow in 3:7–16:31. The general theme of chapter 1 is Israel’s military fight against their external enemies. Midway through the book, this same theme will be first revisited and then reversed in the Gideon narrative (in 6:33–7:25 and 8:1–21, respectively). Then at the very end of the book, in the second part of the epilogue (19:1–21:25), the theme of chapter 1 will be mirrored so that Israel’s military fight is against their internal enemies.

The rhetorical connections between the opening and closing sections of the book include the following: (1) designation of Judah’s leadership (1:1–2; 20:18); (2) employment of the key verb “to go up” (1:1–4, 16, 22; 2:1; 20:3, 18, 23, 26, 28, 30–31; 21:5, 8); (3) inquiring of the Lord (1:1; 18:5; 20:18, 23, 27); (4) prominence of women (1:12–15; 19:1–30; 21:1–25); (5) application of the ban (1:17; 21:11; cf. 20:48); (6) attention to all Israel (1:1–2:5; 20:1–21:25); and the mention of (7) Jerusalem/Jebus (1:7, 8, 21; 19:10–12), (8) Bethel (1:22–26; 20:18, 26, 31; 21:2, 19), (9) weeping and sacrifice (2:4–5; 20:23, 26; 21:2, 4), and (10) dispersing “each to his inheritance” (2:6; 21:24; author’s translation).

The tribal allotments

Structure

A great deal of symmetry is evident in this opening passage. It is framed by the assembly of all Israel receiving a word from the Lord: first a word of commissioning (1:1–2) and finally a word of indictment (2:1–5). Between these bracketing units are two sections: one about Judah (1:3–20) and the other about the remaining Cisjordanian tribes (1:21–36),2 although Issachar is not mentioned. These four units form an A-B-Bʹ-Aʹ structure, and each unit employs the key verb “to go up” (1:1–4, 16, 22; 2:1).3

The geographical progression for 1:3–36 moves from the southernmost tribe to what will become the northernmost tribe (from Judah/Simeon to Dan), but the section dealing only with Judah (1:3–20) moves from north to south. The general south-to-north geographical arrangement of 1:3–36 is paralleled by a good-to-bad pattern in the tribal success rate for possessing the land. Relatively speaking, Judah gains ground while Dan loses ground. Both the south-to-north and the good-to-bad patterns will be utilized again by the composer for arranging the sequence of deliverer stories in the parallel sections of the book (3:7–16:31).

Historical and Cultural Background

The numerous place names in this chapter are prominent in Bronze Age texts (see the “Additional Insights” following the unit on Judg. 2:6–3:6). Perhaps the most important document regarding the historical geography of Judges 1 is the Merneptah Stele (ca. 1209 BC), in which Pharaoh boasts: “Canaan is plundered, Ashkelon is carried off, and Gezer is captured. Yenoam is made into non-existence; Israel is wasted, its seed is not; and Hurru is become a widow because of Egypt.”4 This is the earliest extrabiblical reference to Israel in ancient Near Eastern sources, and it indicates that Israel was an ethnic group (rather than a region or city) that was present in the land at the end of the thirteenth century BC.5 In a similar fashion, the Israelites are designated as “the people of YHWH/God” during this period (see Num. 11:29; 16:41 [Heb. 17:6]; Judg. 5:11, 13; 20:2; 1 Sam. 2:24; 2 Sam. 1:12; 6:21; 14:13).

Interpretive Insights

1:5 Adoni-Bezek. This is most likely a title meaning “Lord of Bezek,” with the second element designating a place (identified with either Khirbet Salhab or Khirbet Ibzik; cf. 1 Sam. 11:8).

1:6 cut off his thumbs and big toes. Physical mutilation of enemies is well attested in biblical and ancient Near Eastern texts6 and is illustrated in the iconography of Egypt and Assyria. This wartime practice was intended not merely to punish and incapacitate but especially to humiliate the enemy.7

1:7 Seventy kings. This number is often employed in royal contexts and should be understood as a figure of speech.8

God has paid me back for what I did to them. The words of this Canaanite ruler introduce the prominent theme of retribution. In the first half of the book, justice is often meted out by God (1:7; 2:2–3, 20–21; 5:23), but in the second half revenge often characterizes the Israelites (esp. chaps. 8; 9; 12; 15–16; 19–21).

1:8 Jerusalem . . . on fire. Apparently the Judahite razing of Jerusalem is short lived, and the Jebusites quickly assume control (1:21; 3:5; 19:10–12). The site would not become Israelite until David’s conquest (2 Sam. 5:6–9). This pattern of initial gain with subsequent loss may also be observed for the region of Philistia (cf. Judg. 1:18–19; 3:3).

1:10 Kiriath Arba . . . Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. Sheshai and Talmai are Hurrian names, whereas Ahiman is West Semitic.9 These are the “three sons of Anak” (1:20; cf. Num. 13:22; Josh. 15:14), who are elsewhere described as having “great size” (Num. 13:32; see the “Additional Insights” following the unit on Judg. 2:6–3:6). Arba is also a personal name. He was apparently the founding father of Hebron and is called “the greatest man among the Anakites” (Josh. 14:15) and “the forefather of Anak” (Josh. 15:13; 21:11).

1:16 City of Palms. This most likely designates Jericho; see the comments on Judges 3:13.

1:17 totally destroyed. See the sidebar “The Ban” in the unit on Judges 21:1–25.

1:18 Judah also took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron. In the Septuagint this sentence is negated (“did not capture”), most likely due to an apparent contradiction between this verse and the following verse stating that Judah was not able to dispossess the inhabitants of the plain (cf. Josh. 13:2–3). But the supposed contradiction between verses 18 and 19 can be resolved by noting the semantic distinction (between the verbs “capture” and “dispossess”) and/or by positing a historical gap between the two remarks (perhaps the region was Canaanite in v. 18 and Philistine in v. 19; cf. 3:3). For further reference on the Philistines, see the sidebar “The Philistines” in the unit on Judges 15:1–20.

1:19 chariots. The early Israelites who were based in the hill country had little use for chariots, which were employed by the Canaanites and Philistines in the plains (cf. Josh. 17:16, 18; Judg. 4:3). The style of these chariots represented newer technology (cf. 1 Sam. 13:19–21), as they were likely plated or reinforced with iron.10

1:21 to this day. This phrase, both here and in Joshua 15:63, may indicate that this particular account was composed prior to David’s conquest of Jerusalem (2 Sam. 5:6–9).

2:1 angel of the LORD. This is apparently the divine messenger promised in Exodus 23:20–23; 33:2. See the “Additional Insights” following the unit on Judges 8:1–32.

Theological Insights

The key to understanding this passage is the speech from the angel of the Lord (2:1–3). His indictment, “Why have you done this?” (2:2), makes explicit what was only implicit in chapter 1, that Israel’s military failures are actually the consequences of spiritual failures. Israel cannot blame the Lord for their situation. While the Lord asserts that he is the covenant keeper (2:1) and that Israel is the covenant breaker (2:2; cf. 2:20), he explains that the ongoing oppression and testing is his punitive response to Israel’s disobedient behavior (2:3; cf. 2:21–23).

From Judah to Dan, both the level of spiritual offense and the extent of military failure are therefore expressed on a continuum from relatively best to worst. While Judah accomplishes more than any other tribe, they appear to be a reluctant leader since Judah persuades Simeon to join them on their God-given mission (1:3). Block also suggests that Judah’s retributive dealings with Adoni-Bezek are very “Canaanite” in character (1:6–7).11 The final note on Judah is the mixed report that although the Lord was “with” them, Judah did not dispossess the inhabitants of the plain (1:19)—an unacceptable outcome in light of Deuteronomy 7:2, 17...