Judges 12:8

8 After Jephthah died, Ibzan from 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 they would tell him to say “Shibboleth.” If he was from Ephraim, he would say “Sibboleth,” because people from Ephraim cannot pronounce the word correctly. Then they would take him and kill him at the shallow crossings of the Jordan. In all, 42,000 Ephraimites were killed at that time.

7 Jephthah judged Israel for six years. When he died, he was buried in one of the towns of Gilead.

8 After Jephthah died, Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel.

9 He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He sent his daughters to marry men outside his clan, and he brought in thirty young women from outside his clan to marry his sons. Ibzan judged Israel for seven years.

10 When he died, he was buried at Bethlehem.