Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 3:11
And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
11. And the land had rest forty years ] A formula of the editor, to whom the chronological scheme of the Book is due; cf. Jdg 3:30, Jdg 5:31, Jdg 8:28; and Jos 11:23; Jos 14:15.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The land – means here, as in Jdg 1:2, not the whole land of Canaan, but the part concerned, probably the land of the tribe of Judah. Forty years, here and elsewhere, is (like fourscore years, Jdg 3:30) a round number, perhaps equivalent to a generation.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
The land had rest; either, first, It rested about forty years, or the greatest part of forty years; it being most frequent in Scripture to use numbers in such a latitude. Thus the Israelites are said to bear their iniquities forty years in the wilderness, Num 14:34, when there wanted near two years of that number; and to dwell in Egypt four hundred and thirty years, when there wanted many years of that number. Thus Josephs kindred, sent for and called by him into Egypt, are numbered seventy-five souls, Act 7:14, although they were but seventy, as is affirmed, Gen 46:27; Exo 1:5. So here
the land is said to
rest forty years, although they were in servitude eight of those years, Jdg 3:8. And in like manner the land is said to have rest eighty years, though eighteen of them they served the king of Moab, Jdg 3:14. And so in some other instances. Nor is it strange and unusual, either in Scripture or in other authors, for things to be denominated from the greater part, as here it was; especially when they did enjoy some degrees of rest and peace, even in their times of slavery, which here they did. Or, secondly, It rested, i.e. began to rest, or recovered its interrupted rest, in the fortieth year, either after Joshuas death, or after the first and famous rest procured for them by Joshua, as is noted, Heb 4:9, when he destroyed and subdued the Canaanites, and gave them quiet possession of the land; and the land had rest from war, as is said, Jos 11:23; 14:15. So there is this difference between the years of servitude and oppression, and those of rest, that in the former he tells us how long it lasted; in the latter, when it began; by which, compared with the other years, it was easy also to know how long the rest lasted. To strengthen this interpretation, two things must be noted.
1. That resting is here put for beginning to rest, as to beget is put for beginning to beget, Gen 5:32; 11:26; and to reign, for to begin to reign, 2Sa 2:10; and to build, 1Ki 6:15,36, for to begin to build, 2Ch 3:1.
2. That forty years is put for the fortieth year; the cardinal number for the ordinal, which is common both in the Holy Scripture, as Gen 1:5; 2:11; Exo 12:2; Hag 1:1; Mar 16:2 and in other authors.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. Othniel . . . diedHowpowerful the influence of one good man is, in church or state, isbest found in his loss [BISHOPHALL].
Jud3:12-30. EHUD SLAYSEGLON.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the land had rest forty years,…. As it should seem from the time of this deliverance; though, according to Ben Gersom and Abarbinel, the eight years’ servitude are to be included in them; and Bishop Usher r reckons these forty years from the rest first settled in the land by Joshua; but the former sense seems best:
and Othniel the son of Kenaz died: not at the end of the forty years; it is not likely he should live so long, but when he died is not certain; Eusebius s says he judged Israel fifty years.
r Anual. Vet. Test. p. 42. s Evangel. Praepar. l. 1O. c. 14. p. 502.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(11) The land had rest forty years.Rabbi Tanchum interprets this to mean, till forty years after the death of Joshua. For the very difficult chronology of this period, see the Introduction. Many questions have been raised, such asDo the forty years include or exclude the period of servitude? Is forty meant to be an exact or a general number? Are the various periods of rest and servitude continuous and successive, or do they refer to different parts of the Holy Land, and do they synchronise? Perhaps no final answer to these questions is as yet possible, and no less than fifty schemes of the chronology of the period of the judges have been attempted, which fact alone proves how insufficient are the data on which to decide.
Died.Probably during the forty years, unless we suppose that he attained a most unusual age. After this event the tribe of Judah sinks into the background till the days of David.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Forty years This long period of peace and independence was necessary to the development of the nation.
Othniel died How remarkable the fact that a nation may be held back for nearly a half century from rebellion against God by the influence of a faithful ruler. It is not necessary to suppose that Othniel lived during all the forty years of rest. His influence may have held the people in check long after he was dead, and ever after those years of rest were associated with his name. Few individuals or nations, however, can endure undisturbed prosperity without damage to their moral character.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And the land had rest forty years, and Othniel the son of Kenaz died.’
This really means that the land had rest ‘for a generation’. Forty years is a round number signifying a generation. It is also a significant number for forty is a period that signifies a time of testing and a time of waiting and a time of preparation (Gen 7:4; Gen 7:12; Gen 7:17; Gen 8:6; Gen 25:20; Gen 26:34; Exo 16:35; Exo 34:28; Num 13:25; Num 14:33-34; Deu 8:2; Deu 9:18; Joshuah Jdg 14:7). The idea here is that they were under trial, waiting for the next period of testing. But notice what it meant. For a whole generation that part of Israel enjoyed rest and more or less faithfully served Yahweh.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Observe how many years the land had rest after God’s deliverance. But oh! what an everlasting rest remaineth for the people of God, when Jesus hath given them rest, who is indeed himself the rest of his weary and afflicted ones. Heb 4:9 ; Mat 11:28 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jdg 3:11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
Ver. 11. And the land had rest forty years, ] sc., From the death of Joshua to the death of Othniel, and the eight years of servitude under the Syrians being taken in, as it may be gathered from 1Ki 6:1 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
had rest. Repeated four times: Jdg 3:11, Jdg 3:30; Jdg 5:31; Jdg 8:20, to prevent the periods of rest and servitude being “telescoped”. See App-50. Introduction.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the land: Jdg 3:30, Jdg 5:31, Jdg 8:28, Jos 11:23, Est 9:22
Othniel: Jdg 3:9, Jos 15:17, 1Ch 4:13
Reciprocal: Gen 49:15 – rest Jos 14:15 – And the land Jdg 2:19 – when the Jdg 10:11 – children Jdg 11:26 – three hundred 1Sa 7:15 – judged 2Ch 14:6 – for the land Neh 9:28 – did evil again
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3:11 And the land had rest {f} forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
(f) That is, 32 under Joshua , 8 under Othniel.