Shofetim 12:14

14 And he had arba’im banim and thirty grandsons, that rode on threescore and ten donkeys; and he judged Yisroel shmoneh shanim.

Shofetim 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).

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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.

Shofetim 12:14 In-Context

12 And Elon the Zevuloni died, and was buried in Ayalon in Eretz Zevulun.

13 And after him Avdon ben Hillel, a Piratoni, judged Yisroel.

14 And he had arba’im banim and thirty grandsons, that rode on threescore and ten donkeys; and he judged Yisroel shmoneh shanim.

15 And Avdon ben Hillel the Piratoni died, and was buried in Piraton in Eretz Ephrayim, in the har HaAmaleki.