Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 11:33
And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, [even] twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
33. Aroer ] Probably not the Aroer of Jdg 11:16, but another place of the same name E. of Rabbath-ammon, Jos 13:25, on the Ammonite border. Minnith is identified by Eusebius ( Onom. Sacr. 280, 44; 140, 3) with Maanith, 4 rom. miles from Heshbon, on the way to Philadelphia (Rabbath-ammon). Abel-chermim according to Onom. Sacr. 225, 5; 96, 10 = Abel, 6 or 7 miles from Philadelphia. The two last identifications are uncertain. The direction of the campaign is twice mentioned ( until thou come and unto); the twenty cities come in awkwardly between the two places; probably the text has received additions.
were subdued ] See Jdg 3:30 n.
As in the conflicts with the Moabites, Canaanites, and Midianites Judg. 3; 4; 7, the battle was on Israelite territory, in self-defense, not in aggressive warfare. The plain of the vineyards – Rather, Abel-Ceramim (compare Abel-Meholah), identified with an Abel situated among vineyards, 7 miles from Robbah. Minnith is Maanith, 4 miles from Heshbon, on the road to Rab-bah. Verse 33. Twenty cities] That is, he either took or destroyed twenty cities of the Ammonites, and completely routed their whole army. Minnith; a place not far from Rabbah, the chief city of; the Ammonites. And he smote them from Aroer,…. A city which lay near the river Arnon, on the borders of Moab, De 3:12
even till thou come to Minnith; which seems to have been a place famous for wheat, Eze 27:17 so David de Pomis a says it was a place where the best wheat grew. Jerom says b in his time was shown a village called Mannith, four miles from Esbus (or Heshbon), as you go to Philadelphia. Josephus c calls it Maniathe, and it is thought by some to be the Anitha of Ptolemy d, which he places in Arabia Petraea even “twenty cities”; which he pursued them through and took:
and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter; or, Abel Ceramim. Jerom says e in his time was seen a village called Abela, planted with vineyards, seven miles from Philadelphia:
thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel; so that they were not able to oppress them any more.
a Tzemach David, fol. 81. 3. b De loc. Heb. fol. 93. E. c Antiqu. l. 5. c. 7. sect. 10. d Geograph. l. 5. c. 17. e De loc. Heb. fol. 88. K.
(33) To Minnith.According to Eusebius and Jerome, this is Maanith, four miles from Heshbon (Eze. 27:17).
Unto the plain of the vineyards.Rather, unto Abel-ceramim. The place is either Abela, a few miles beyond Maanith, or another Abela, twelve miles from Gadara (Euseb., Jer.).
Were subdued before.Jdg. 3:30; Jdg. 8:28.
33. Aroer See at Jos 13:25.
Minnith A place that was noted for its wheat, (Eze 27:17😉 but its exact site is unknown.
Plain of the vineyards This is a literal translation of a Hebrew proper name Abel-keramim so called, probably, because of its vineyards. The place is mentioned by Eusebius as lying six miles from Rabbah, and was still rich in vineyards in his day.
For want of precise details of the battle, and from uncertainty as to the exact sites of Aroer and Minnith, we find it impossible to trace the course of Jephthah’s victory. We most naturally suppose that from the height of Mount Gilead he marched southward and encountered the Ammonites near Aroer, somewhere between Jordan and Rabbah, probably at Ayra on the Wady Nimrin. Here he put them to flight, and chased them towards the south and east, probably capturing Rabbah, their capital, among the twenty cities which fell into his hands by this great victory. See the map of Gilead, page 234.
Jdg 11:33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, [even] twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
Ver. 33. And he smote them from Aroer. ] The Ammonites had better have kept home, content with their own country, a great part whereof they now lose by reaching after more, like the dog in the fable, and are so beaten that they cannot recruit.
Aroer: Deu 2:36
Minnith: Situated, according to Eusebius, four miles from Heshbon, towards Philadelphia or Rabbath. Eze 27:17
the plain: or, Abel
Jdg 11:33. Till thou come to Minnith A place not far from Rabbah, the chief city of the Ammonites. The children of Ammon were subdued before Israel It does not appear that Jephthah offered to take possession of their country. Though the attempt of others to wrong us will justify us in the defence of our own right, yet it will not authorize us to do them wrong.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments