Richter 3:8

8 Da entbrannte der Zorn Jehovas wider Israel, und er verkaufte sie in die Hand Kuschan-Rischathaims, des Königs von Mesopotamien; und die Kinder Israel dienten dem Kuschan-Rischathaim acht Jahre.

Richter 3:8 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 3:8

Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel
Because of their idolatry; see ( Judges 2:14 Judges 2:20 ) ;

and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim, king of
Mesopotamia;
or Aramnaharaim; that is, Syria, between the two rivers, which were Tigris and Euphrates; hence the Greek name of this place is as here called Mesopotamia. Josephus ^F12 calls him king of Assyria, and gives him the name of Chusarthus; and indeed Chushanrishathaim seems to be his whole name, though the Targum makes Rishathaim to be an epithet, and calls him Cushan, the wicked king of Syria; the word is of the dual number, and signifies two wickednesses; which, according to the mystical exposition of the Jews ^F13, refers to two wicked things Syria did to Israel, one by Balaam the Syrian, and the other by this Cushan. Mr. Bedford ^F14 thinks it may be rendered,

``Cushan, king of the two wicked kingdoms;''

the Assyrian monarchy being at this time like two kingdoms, Babylon being the metropolis of the one, and Nineveh of the other; but it is question whether the monarchy was as yet in being. Hillerus ^F15 makes Cushan to be an Arab Scenite, from ( Habakkuk 3:7 ) ; and Rishathaim to denote disquietudes; and it represents him as a man very turbulent, never quiet and easy, and so it seems he was; for not content with his kingdom on the other side Euphrates, he passed over that, and came into Canaan, to subject that to him, and add it to his dominions. Kimchi says that Rishathaim may be the name of a place, and some conjecture it to be the same with the Rhisina of Ptolemy ^F16; but it seems rather a part of this king's name, who came and fought against Israel, and the Lord delivered them into his hands:

and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years;
became tributaries to him during that space of time, but when that began is not easy to say. Bishop Usher ^F17 places it in A. M. 2591, and before Christ 1413.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F12 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 3. sect. 2.
F13 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 105. I.
F14 Scripture Chronology, p. 507.
F15 Onomastic. p. 154, 155.
F16 Geograph. l. 5. c. 18.
F17 Annal. Vet. Test. p. 42.

Richter 3:8 In-Context

6 und sie nahmen sich deren Töchter zu Weibern und gaben ihre Töchter deren Söhnen und dienten ihren Göttern.

7 Und die Kinder Israel taten, was böse war in den Augen Jehovas und vergaßen Jehovas, ihres Gottes, und sie dienten den Baalim und den Ascheroth.

8 Da entbrannte der Zorn Jehovas wider Israel, und er verkaufte sie in die Hand Kuschan-Rischathaims, des Königs von Mesopotamien; und die Kinder Israel dienten dem Kuschan-Rischathaim acht Jahre.

9 Und die Kinder Israel schrieen zu Jehova; und Jehova erweckte den Kindern Israel einen Retter, der sie rettete: Othniel, den Sohn Kenas', den jüngeren Bruder Kalebs.

10 Und der Geist Jehovas kam über ihn, und er richtete Israel; und er zog aus zum Streite, und Jehova gab Kuschan-Rischathaim, den König von Aram, in seine Hand, und seine Hand wurde stark wider Kuschan-Rischathaim.