Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 4:3
And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
Oppressed – The same word is used Exo 3:9 of the oppression of Israel by the Egyptians. If they were put to task-work in hewing timber, their condition was very like that of their ancestors making bricks.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. Nine hundred chariots of iron] Chariots armed with iron scythes, as is generally supposed; they could not have been made all of iron, but they might have been shod with iron, or had iron scythes projecting from the axle on each side, by which infantry might be easily cut down or thrown into confusion. The ancient Britons are said to have had such chariots.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
More than the former tyrants; partly from his malice and hatred against the Israelites; and principally from Gods just judgement, the growing punishment being most suitable to their aggravated wickedness.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord,…. Because of their hard bondage, and begged deliverance from it, being brought to a sense of their sins, and humbled for them:
for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; the same with the
, chariots which carried scythes at the side of them, fastened to the orbs of the wheels x, and were on both sides; and in some stood out ten cubits y which running furiously among the infantry, cut them to pieces in a terrible manner; of which Cyrus had in his army at first but an hundred, afterwards increased to three hundred z; and yet here a petty prince of Canaan had nine hundred of them; and which Josephus a has increased, beyond all belief, to the number of three thousand; which struck great terror into the Israelites, and who therefore durst not attempt to shake off his yoke, but cried to the Lord for help:
and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel; as they increased their sins, and repeated their revolts, the Lord increased their oppressions, and continued them the longer; the first was only eight years, the next eighteen, and this twenty, and which was a very heavy one; the other being foreign princes that oppressed them, but this a Canaanitish king, an implacable enemy, and who doubtless used them the more severely for what they had done to his ancestors, killed his father or grandfather, burnt the city of Hazor, and destroyed the inhabitants of it in Joshua’s time; and the servitude was the harder, and the more intolerable to the Israelites, that they were under a people whose land had been given them to possess, and whom they had expelled, and now were become subject to them.
x Vid. Suidam in voce . y Curtius, l. 4. c. 9, 12, 15. Liv. Hist. l. 37. c. 41. z Xenophon. Cyropaedia, l. 6. c. 13. a Antiqu. l. 5. c. 5. sect. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(3) Cried unto the Lord.Jdg. 3:9; Jdg. 3:15; Psa. 107:13.
Nine hundred.Josephus magnifies the number to 3,000.
Chariots of iron.Jdg. 1:19; Jos. 17:10. We may notice that as the children of Israel burnt these chariots at Misrephoth-maim (Joshua 11), they could not have been of solid iron throughout.
Mightily oppressed.The word mightily is rendered sharply in Jdg. 8:1; by force in 1Sa. 2:16.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Israel cried Compare Jdg 3:9; Jdg 3:15, note.
Nine hundred chariots The Jabin with whom Joshua fought had also many chariots. For cut of ancient war chariot, see at Jos 11:4.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and he mightily oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years.’
They once again recognised that Yahweh alone could help them in a situation like this and began to turn from their idols and to seek Him once again, paying more attention to the tribal covenant, becoming more faithful to the central sanctuary, and reinstating the law of God. The old ways had never been completely forgotten, but had fallen into partial disuse. Now they were restored.
“For he had nine hundred chariots of iron.” Gathering together the strength of his confederate cities he possessed nine military units (‘hundreds’) of chariots. No wonder they cried to Yahweh. Who else could deal with a menace like this? The nine may represent a threefold three, thus signifying totally complete in itself.
“And he mightily oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years.” This was longer than both Cushan-rishathaim and the Moabites, although the latter in a totally different area and possibly concurrent. ‘Mightily oppressed’ suggests that this was worse than they had previously experienced anywhere among the tribes, partly possibly in consequence of revenge because of the ruin that they had previously brought on Hazor, and their behaviour then. They had not been too kind either. The tribes in mind here would include Naphtali, Issachar, and Zebulun and possibly parts of Manasseh. They were thus impoverished and ill-used.
Eight (Jdg 3:8), eighteen (Jdg 3:14), twenty (Jdg 4:3) years of oppression might not seem to us a progression mathematically, but it would be different to his readers. For eight progressed to eight plus ten and then to doubled ten. They were increasing in intensity.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Observe how grace works. The cry of the soul, and that cry, directed unto the Lord; these are sure marks of grace. If the Reader would see the contrast of this, it will not be far to find. Carnal men will cry out, in their affliction, and by reason of the multitude of oppressions, complain. But their cry is not to God for deliverance; none of them saith, where is God my Maker? Job 35:9-10 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jdg 4:3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
Ver. 3. He mightily oppressed the children of Israel. ] See Jdg 4:2 . In the Canaanites the same wickedness prospereth that is punished in Israel. Our very profession hurteth us, if we be not innocent.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
twenty years. A long time to wait for deliverance.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
cried: Jdg 3:9, Jdg 3:15, Jdg 10:16, 1Sa 7:8, Psa 50:15, Psa 78:34, Jer 2:27, Jer 2:28
chariots: Jdg 1:19, Jos 17:16
mightily: Jdg 5:8, Deu 28:29, Deu 28:33, Deu 28:47, Deu 28:48, Psa 106:42
Reciprocal: Exo 14:7 – General Lev 25:14 – General Num 10:9 – oppresseth Deu 20:1 – horses Deu 28:43 – General Jdg 3:31 – Israel Jdg 4:13 – nine 1Sa 12:10 – And they 2Sa 7:10 – as beforetime 1Ki 20:1 – and horses 1Ch 17:10 – And since 1Ch 19:7 – hired Job 3:18 – they Psa 22:5 – cried Psa 106:44 – General Psa 107:13 – General Ecc 4:1 – and considered Hos 5:15 – in their Joh 8:33 – and were
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jdg 4:3. Mightily oppressed More than former tyrants, from his malice and hatred against the Israelites, and from Gods just judgment, the growing punishment being suitable to their aggravated wickedness.