Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 12:14
And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.
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 Jud 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 b the city of Troy was destroyed; so Eusebius c, who calls this judge Labdon, though he elsewhere d places it in the times of Eli;
[See comments on Jud 12:9].
b Juchasin, ut supra. (fol. 136. 1.) c Evangel. Praepar. l. 10. c. 11. p. 484. d Evangel. Praepar. l. 10. c. 11. p. 503.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(14) Thirty nephews.The Hebrew has sons of sons (ben bhanm), and the word nephews in our version always means grandsons (nepoles), e.g., in Job. 18:19, Isa. 14:22, 1Ti. 5:4, as in old English generally; similarly nieces means granddaughters in Wiclifs Bible (Gen. 31:43, &c). The Emperor Augustus . . . saw ere he died the nephew of his niece, that is to say, his progenie to the fourth degree of lineal descent (Hollands Pliny, vii. 13; Bible Word Book).
That rode on threescore and ten ass colts.Riding on asses foals in trappings of state implies that they were all wealthy and distinguished persons (Jdg. 10:4)perhaps, like the Turkish pennon on the horsetail, that they commanded a division (Ewald, 2:38, 39). Again the LXX. euphemise the ass-colts into the grand and poetic word plous. Josephus says that Abdon used to ride in state with his seventy sons and grandsons, who were all very skilful in riding horses.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. Thirty nephews Rather, grandsons. His family greatness was much like that of Ibzan and of Jair. Forty sons and thirty grandsons, seventy in all, made up a perfect number, and was of itself a fact worth recording.
Threescore and ten ass colts One for each child. Compare notes on Jdg 5:10; Jdg 10:4.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jdg 12:14 a
‘And he had forty sons, and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy ass colts.’
He had an abundant family, described in this way to bring to the number seventy, divine perfection intensified. Compare Gideon (Jdg 8:30). The fact that they rode on ass colts demonstrates that they exercised authority.
Jdg 12:14 b
‘And he judged Israel eight years.’
He clearly began to judge while quite old to have so many grandsons. These judges may have been partly contemporary. He too had the privilege of divinely appointed authority over some of God’s people.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jdg 12:14 And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.
Ver. 14. And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode. ] Equestris ordinis, potent and opulent. In Persia the peasant never rides; the gentleman never goes on foot, but fights, trades, confers, doth all on horseback. a
a The Preacher’s Travels, 63.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
nephews = grandsons.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
nephews: Heb. sons’ sons
rode: Jdg 5:10, Jdg 10:4
Reciprocal: Jdg 8:30 – threescore Jdg 12:9 – General 1Sa 7:16 – in circuit 1Sa 8:1 – sons judges 2Ki 10:1 – seventy sons Mat 21:5 – sitting Joh 12:15 – sitting 1Ti 5:4 – nephews