Judges 12:8

8 After him Ibzan, of Bethlehem, judged Israel,

Judges 12:8 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 12:8

And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
] There were two Bethlehems, one in the tribe of Zebulun, ( Joshua 19:15 ) of which some think this man was; and another in the tribe of Judah, the city of Jesse and David, and of the Messiah; and Josephus says ^F24, Ibzan was of the tribe of Judah, of the city of Bethlehem; and because Boaz was of the same place, and lived in the times of the judges, the Jewish Rabbins ^F25 are of opinion that he is the same with Ibzan; so Jarchi and Ben Gersom.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 7. sect. 13.
F25 T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 91. 1.

Judges 12:8 In-Context

6 then they would say unto him, Now say Shibboleth. {Heb. a flowing stream}. And he would say Sibboleth; {Heb. an ear of wheat}; for he could not pronounce it the same. Then they would take him and slay him at the passages of the Jordan. And at that time forty-two thousand of those of Ephraim fell.

7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

8 After him Ibzan, of Bethlehem, judged Israel,

9 who had thirty sons and thirty daughters, whom he married abroad and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.

10 Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.