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Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
Matthew Henry on Judges 7:9-15
Gideon's army being diminished as we have found it was, he must either fight by faith or not at all; God therefore here provides recruits for his faith, instead of recruits for his forces. I. He furnishes him with a goo…
The Midianites Surprised. (b. c. 1249.)
THE MIDIANITES SURPRISED. (B. C. 1249.) Here is, I. The alarm which Gideon gave to the hosts of Midian in the dead time of the night; for it was intended that those who had so long been a terror to Israel, and had so of…
Gideon's Victory. (b. c. 1249.)
GIDEON'S VICTORY. (B. C. 1249.) We have here the prosecution of this glorious victory. 1. Gideon's soldiers that had been dismissed, and perhaps had begun to disperse themselves, upon notice of the enemies' flight got t…
Gideon Pacifies the Ephraimites. (b. c. 1249.)
GIDEON PACIFIES THE EPHRAIMITES. (B. C. 1249.) No sooner were the Midianites, the common enemy, subdued, than, through the violence of some hot spirits, the children of Israel were ready to quarrel among themselves; an…
Gideon Pursues the Midianites. (b. c. 1249.)
GIDEON PURSUES THE MIDIANITES. (B. C. 1249.) In these verses we have, I. Gideon, as a valiant general, pursuing the remaining Midianites, and bravely following his blow. A very great slaughter was made of the enemy at f…
Zebah and Zalmunna Slain. (b. c. 1249.)
ZEBAH AND ZALMUNNA SLAIN. (B. C. 1249.) Judgment began at the house of God, in the just correction of the men of Succoth and Penuel, who were Israelites, but it did not end there. The kings of Midian, when they had serv…
Gideon Declines the Proffered Crown. (b. c. 1249.)
GIDEON DECLINES THE PROFFERED CROWN. (B. C. 1249.) Here is, I. Gideon's laudable modesty, after his great victory, in refusing the government which the people offered him. 1. It was honest in them to offer it: Rule thou…
Israel's Return to Idolatry. (b. c. 1249.)
ISRAEL'S RETURN TO IDOLATRY. (B. C. 1249.) We have here the conclusion of the story of Gideon. 1. He lived privately, Judges 7:29. He was not puffed up with his great honours, did not covet a palace or castle to dwell i…
The Usurpation of Abimelech. (b. c. 1209.)
THE USURPATION OF ABIMELECH. (B. C. 1209.) We are here told by what arts Abimelech got into authority, and made himself great. His mother perhaps had instilled into his mind some towering ambitious thoughts, and the nam…
Jotham's Parable. (b. c. 1209.)
JOTHAM'S PARABLE. (B. C. 1209.) We have here the only testimony that appears to have been borne against the wicked confederacy of Abimelech and the men of Shechem. It was a sign they had provoked God to depart from them…
Gaal's Insurrection; Gaal's Defeat. (b. c. 1206.)
GAAL'S INSURRECTION; GAAL'S DEFEAT. (B. C. 1206.) Three years Abimelech reigned, after a sort, without any disturbance; it is not said, He judged Israel, or did any service at all to his country, but so long he enjoyed…
The Death of Abimelech. (b. c. 1206.)
THE DEATH OF ABIMELECH. (B. C. 1206.) We have seen the ruin of the Shechemites completed by the hand of Abimelech; and now it comes to his turn to be reckoned with who was their leader in villany. Thebez was a small cit…
Government of Tola and Jair. (b. c. 1183.)
GOVERNMENT OF TOLA AND JAIR. (B. C. 1183.) Quiet and peaceable reigns, though the best to live in, are the worst to write of, as yielding least variety of matter for the historian to entertain his reader with; such were…
Israel Oppressed by the Ammonites. (b. c. 1161.)
ISRAEL OPPRESSED BY THE AMMONITES. (B. C. 1161.) While those two judges, Tola and Jair, presided in the affairs of Israel, things went well, but afterwards, I. Israel returned to their idolatry, that sin which did most…
The Repentance and Reformation of Israel. (b. c. 1161.)
THE REPENTANCE AND REFORMATION OF ISRAEL. (B. C. 1161.) Here is, I. A humble confession which Israel make to God in their distress, Judges 10:10. Now they own themselves guilty, like a malefactor upon the rack, and prom…
Jephthah's Promotion. (b. c. 1143.)
JEPHTHAH'S PROMOTION. (B. C. 1143.) The princes and people of Gilead we left, in the close of the foregoing chapter, consulting about the choice of a general, having come to this resolve, that whoever would undertake to…
Matthew Henry on Judges 11:4-11
Here is, I. The distress which the children of Israel were in upon the Ammonites' invasion of their country, Judges 11:4. Probably this was the same invasion with that mentioned, Judges 10:17, when the children of Ammon…
The War with the Ammonites. (b. c. 1143.)
THE WAR WITH THE AMMONITES. (B. C. 1143.) We have here the treaty between Jephthah, now judge of Israel, and the king of the Ammonites (who is not named), that the controversy between the two nations might, if possible,…
Jephthah's Vow. (b. c. 1143.)
JEPHTHAH'S VOW. (B. C. 1143.) We have here Jephthah triumphing in a glorious victory, but, as an alloy to his joy, troubled and distressed by an unadvised vow. I. Jephthah's victory was clear, and shines very brightly,…
Displeasure of the Ephraimites; Punishment of the Ephraimites. (b. c. 1143.)
DISPLEASURE OF THE EPHRAIMITES; PUNISHMENT OF THE EPHRAIMITES. (B. C. 1143.) Here is, I. The unreasonable displeasure of the men of Ephraim against Jephthah, because he had not called them in to his assistance against t…
Jephthah's Successors. (b. c. 1112.)
JEPHTHAH'S SUCCESSORS. (B. C. 1112.) We have here a short account of the short reigns of three more of the judges of Israel, the first of whom governed but seven years, the second ten, and the third eight. For the trans…
An Angel Appears to Manoah's Wife. (b. c. 1161.)
AN ANGEL APPEARS TO MANOAH'S WIFE. (B. C. 1161.) The first verse gives us a short account, such as we have too often met with already, of the great distress that Israel was in, which gave occasion for the raising up of…
The Angel's Appearance to Manoah. (b. c. 1161.)
THE ANGEL'S APPEARANCE TO MANOAH. (B. C. 1161.) We have here an account of a second visit which the angel of God made to Manoah and his wife. I. Manoah earnestly prayed for it, Judges 13:8. He was not incredulous of the…
Manoah's Alarm. (b. c. 1161.)
MANOAH'S ALARM. (B. C. 1161.) We have here an account, I. Of what further passed between Manoah and the angel at this interview. It was in kindness to him that while the angel was with him it was concealed from him that…