Judges 12:14

14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged Israel eight years.

Judges 12:14 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 12:14

And he had forty sons, and thirty nephews
Or sons' sons, that is, grandsons; so that he lived not only to see his sons married, but his grandchildren grown up to men's estate; since it follows,

that rode on seventy ass colts;
who were either employed by him to ride about on these animals, which in those times were honourable; see ( Judges 5:10 ) to administer justice throughout the nation in their circuits; or rather, not following any trade, or being concerned in husbandry, or feeding cattle, but being men of estates, rode about like gentlemen:

and he judged Israel eight years;
in his time it is said F2 the city of Troy was destroyed; so Eusebius F3, who calls this judge Labdon, though he elsewhere F4 places it in the times of Eli; (See Gill on Judges 12:9).


FOOTNOTES:

F2 Juchasin, ut supra. (fol. 136. 1.)
F3 Evangel. Praepar. l. 10. c. 11. p. 484.
F4 Evangel. Praepar. l. 10. c. 11. p. 503.

Judges 12:14 In-Context

12 Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
13 After him, Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.
14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged Israel eight years.
15 Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim in the Amalekite hill country.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.