Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 12:9
And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, [whom] he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
Took in thirty daughters, i.e. took them home for wives to his sons. See Gen 24:67; 31:50; Deu 21:12; 2Sa 11:27.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And he had thirty sons and thirty daughters,…. Which was a very uncommon case for a man to have so many children, and those as to their sex to be equal. Between the former judge and him there was a great difference, in respect of this circumstance of children; he had but one daughter, an only child; and she, by reason of his vow, not suffered to marry. Such a difference does God, in his all wise Providence, make even among good men: nor is this any certain characteristic of a good man. Danaus had fifty daughters, and his brother Egyptus fifty sons, who were married to each other; and the husbands were all slain by their wives but one, on the wedding night, and so far from being happy in them: but it was otherwise with this judge:
whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons; his daughters he sent abroad, or married them, to persons not of another nation, nor of another tribe, but of another family of the same tribe, and these he dismissed from him to live with their husbands; and he took in daughters of families in the same tribe to be wives to his sons, and who seem to have dwelt together; it being the custom then for sons, though married, to abide with their father, and their wives with them; as Abarbinel says is the custom at Zenobia unto this day:
and he judged Israel seven years; and in his days the wars of Troy are said z to begin; but they began in the times of Jephthah his predecessor, and ended in his a.
z Juchasin, fol. 136. 1. a Gerard. Vossii Isagoge Chron. dissert. 1. p. 4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(9) Thirty sons, and thirty daughters.Implying polygamy, wealth, and state (Jdg. 8:30).
Whom he sent abroadi.e., whom he gave in marriage out of his house (Vulg., quas emittens foras maritis dedit). The only reason for recording the marriage of his sons and daughters is to show that he was a great man, and sought additional influence by intermarriages with other families. It showed no little prosperity that he lived to see his sixty children married.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Thirty sons, and thirty daughters This fact alone would make him great in Israel, and might have been one reason of his being elected judge. Notice that the daughters were sent abroad to find homes in Israel, but the sons remained at home to inherit the paternal estate. Notice, also, how complete a contrast between Ibzan’s family fortunes and those of Jephthah.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jdg 12:9 a
‘And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons.’
This was a sign of his prestige and wealth. It would appear that he was polygamous but encouraged his sons to be monogamous. His family gave him wide influence, for his daughters no doubt made influential matches, cementing alliances with important families and clans, and he would marry his sons well with the same idea in mind. ‘Thirty’ is probably a round number to indicate perfect completeness (three intensified). ‘Sent abroad’, that is, away from the family home. This brings home even more deeply the sacrifice that Jephthah made in order to please God when he gave his only daughter.
Jdg 12:9-10
‘And he judged Israel seven years. And Ibzan died, and was buried in Bethlehem.’
He died at the end of his divinely perfect judgeship, and was buried in his native place, in the family grave.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jdg 12:9 And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, [whom] he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
Ver. 9. Thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad. ] Providing fit matches for them in due time; which is the father’s duty, since there is in most people a propensity to the nuptial conjunction. The man misseth his rib, and the woman would be in her old place again, under the man’s arm or wing. “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee” – that is, a husband – “that it may be well with thee?” Rth 3:1
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jdg 12:14, Jdg 10:4
Reciprocal: Jdg 8:30 – threescore Pro 5:16 – dispersed Jer 29:6 – take wives
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jdg 12:9. Took in thirty daughters That is, took them home for wives to his sons. What a difference between his and his predecessors family! Ibzan had sixty children, and all married; Jephthah but one, and she dies unmarried. Some are increased, others diminished; all is the Lords doing.