Judges 3:11

11 There was peace in the land for forty years, and then Othniel died.

Judges 3:11 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 3:11

And the land had rest forty years
As it should seem from the time of this deliverance; though, according to Ben Gersom and Abarbinel, the eight years' servitude are to be included in them; and Bishop Usher F18 reckons these forty years from the rest first settled in the land by Joshua; but the former sense seems best:

and Othniel the son of Kenaz died:
not at the end of the forty years; it is not likely he should live so long, but when he died is not certain; Eusebius F19 says he judged Israel fifty years.


FOOTNOTES:

F18 Anual. Vet. Test. p. 42.
F19 Evangel. Praepar. l. 1O. c. 14. p. 502.

Judges 3:11 In-Context

9 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he sent someone to free them. This was Othniel, the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz.
10 The spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he became Israel's leader. Othniel went to war, and the Lord gave him the victory over the king of Mesopotamia.
11 There was peace in the land for forty years, and then Othniel died.
12 The people of Israel sinned against the Lord again. Because of this the Lord made King Eglon of Moab stronger than Israel.
13 Eglon joined the Ammonites and the Amalekites; they defeated Israel and captured Jericho, the city of palm trees.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.