Samson's death. Before CHRIST The spies of Dan. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Before CHRIST cir. 1406. f ch. 18. 1. 25. Deut.33. 71 And there was a young man out &1.1.& 21. of Beth-lehem-judah of the family of 5 Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourn-See Josh. ed there. JUDGES. 26 T And Samson said unto the lad cir. 1120. that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. 27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon k Deut. 22. the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. 28 And Samson called unto the LORD, 1 Jer. 15. 15. and said, O Lord GOD, 'remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. .. 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, Or helen- and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. ed on them. + Heb, my soul. 30 And Samson said, Let †me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. m 31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, m ch. 13. 25- and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years. cir. 1120. eir. 1106. CHAP. XVII. 1 Of the money that Micah first stole, then AND there was a man of mount E phraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. Gen.14.19 And his mother said, "Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son. Ruth 3. 10. Deut. 12.8. 19.15. ch. 19. 1. Ruth 1.1, Matt. 2. 1, 5 8 And the man departed out of the 2 Mic.5.2. + Heb. in making his 9 And Micah said unto him, Whence way. k Gen. 45. & 10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and i ch. 18. 19. a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels Job 29. 16 of silver by the year, and a suit of Or, a dow apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite + Heb. a went in. 11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. m ble suit, &c. order of gar ments. 12 And Micah 'consecrated the Le- Iver. 5vite; and the young man became his m ch. 18.30 priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest. 2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from +Heb. sens. Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to d Numb. 13. search it; and they said unto them, Go, 17 Josh. 2.1. search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there. 3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? 4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath fhired me, and I am his priest. e ch. 17. t. f ch. 17. 10. 5 And they said unto him, & Ask councir. 1406 sel, we pray thee, "of God, that we may 1 Kings 22. know whether our way which we go shall Isa. 30. 1. be prosperous. Hos. 4. 12. h See ch. 17. 6 And the priest said unto them, 'Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go. i 1 Kings 22. 6. k Josh 19 called, Lehen 7¶ Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, 1how they dwelt careless, Iver... after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet +Heb per and secure; and there was not magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any 12 And they went up, and pitched in Josh 15. Kirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore ch. 12 25 they called that place 'Mahaneh-dan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim. t ver. 2. u 1 Sam. 14 23 13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah. 14 "Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know zeb. 17-5 that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do. 15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and Heb asked + saluted him. kun of peace. Gen. 43. 57. 17. 17.22 y ver. 11. Z ver. 2, 14 16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate. 17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, ch. 17.45 and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war. 18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, | The Danites take Laish. and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? c Before CHRIST cir. 1406. & 29. 9. & 40. 32. Mic. 7. 19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, b Job 21.5. and go with us, and be to us a father and 4. Prov. 30. a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest 16. unto the house of one man, or that thou ech. 17. 10 be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? 20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people. 21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them. 22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan. 23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that Heb. that thou comest with such a company? 24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee? thon art ga thered toge ther. 25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, Heb. bitter and thou lose thy life, with the lives of 2 Sam. 17. 8. thy houshold. 26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house. of soul. d ver. 7, 10. Deut. 33. 22. 27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of Josh. 19. the sword, and burnt the city with fire. e 47. 28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no f ver. 7. business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth "by Beth-rehob. And g Numb. 13. they built a city, and dwelt therein. h 21. 2 Sam. 10. 6. 47. 29 And they called the name of the Josh. 19. city 'Dan, after the name of Dan their Gen. 14 14. father, who was born unto Israel: how-th. 30. 1. beit the name of the city was Laish at 29, 30. & 15. the first. 20. Kings 12, The Levite and his concubine Before CHRIST cir. 1406. a ch. 17. 6. & 18. 1. & 21. 25. CHAP. XIX. JUDGES. 1 A Levite goeth to Beth-lehem to fetch home tribes. entertained by an old man. Before CHRIST cir. 1406. day was far spent; and the servant said 12 And his master said unto him, We AND it came to pass in those days, Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah. when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who Heb. a wo took to him fa concubine out of Bethlehem-judah. man a con cubine, or, a wife a concubine. b ch. 17.7. 2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Beth-lehemOr a year judah, and was there +four whole months. and four months. + Heb. days four months. heart. Gen. 34. 3. 3 And her husband arose, and went Heb. to her after her, to speak + friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. 4 And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there. 5 And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said unto his son in law, +Comfort thine heart with a morsel of eGen. 18. 5. bread, and afterward go your way. + Heb. strengthen. 6 And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry. 7 And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again. 8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I Heb. till pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them. the day de clined. 9 And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day +draweth toward evening, I pray you Heb. it is tarry all night: behold, † the day groweth the pitching to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go + Heb. is weak. time of day. +Heb. to thy home. 16 And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at i Ps. 104. 23. even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites. 17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou? 18 And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house. 19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing. 23 And 'the man, the master of the Gen. 1s house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not 25am. 13this folly. 24. 12. "Behold here is my daughter a u Gen. 19.& 25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they y Gen. 4 knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. Ieb. 29. 5 26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light. 27 And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold. 28 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place. 29¶ And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on a cá. 6. his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coast of Israel. bee 1 Sam. Israel warreth with Benjamin. slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead. Before CHRIST cir. 1406 26. + Heb. hum 6 And I took my concubine, and cut 8 ch. 19. 25, her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Is- bied. rael: for they have committed lewdness ch. 19. 29. and folly in Israel. k 7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel. 8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house. 9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it; 10 And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel. 11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, †knit together as one man. i Josh. 7. 15. k ch. 19. 30. lows. Deut. Heb. fe 12¶1And the tribes of Israel sent men Jet 13-14 through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, 16. What wickedness is this that is done among you? 13. cb. 19. Deut. 17. 13 Now therefore deliver us the men, "the children of Belial, which are in Gi- m Deut. 13. beah, that we may put them to death, 22. and "put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel: 14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel. 15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men. 12. 16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; ch. 3. 15. every one could sling stones at an hair 2. breadth, and not miss. 17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war. 21. ch. 1. J. 18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and p ver. 23, 26. asked counsel of God, and said, Which Numb. 27. of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first. 19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. The Israelites destroy all the Benjamites, Before CHRIST cir. 1406. r Gen. 49.27. s ver. 26, 27. t ver. 21. u ver. 18. x Josh. 18. JUDGES. 20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah. 21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men. 22 ¶ And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day. 23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.) 24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. 25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword. 26 ¶ Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, "went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. 27 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant Sam. 4 of God was there in those days, y Josh. 24. 33. & 18.5. y 28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, z Deut. 10.8. the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand. a So Josh. 8. 4. + Heb. to smite of the people 29 ¶ And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah. 30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. 31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other wounded as times, in the highways, of which one Or, Beth-el. goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel. at, c. 52 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways. 33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers in wait! | except six hundred. 45 Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease tover against Menuchah, Gibeah toward the sunrising. 44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour. 45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of 'Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them. 46 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour. |