Minor Judges

Shamgar

31 After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.

God’s instruments of deliverance seem to have an interesting if odd collection of tools. Shamgar’s ox-goad joins Ehud’s dagger (3:16), Jael’s hammer (4:21), Gideon’s horns and torches (7:16), the woman’s millstone (9:53), and Samson’s jawbone (not his but a donkey’s; 15:15). God’s deliverances have plenty of color and interest.

Tola and Jair

10 After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir.

3 After him arose Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities, called Havvoth-jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Kamon.

The writer seems to have put a certain negative cast over that situation. Hence I suggest we may regard Jair with the same concern.

The writer seems to have put a certain negative cast over that situation. Hence I suggest we may regard Jair with the same concern.

We need not begrudge Jair his success, his influence, his evidently peaceful administration. Yet surely we understand him. In all our ways there is this subtle urge to secure our position, to display our status, to extend our influence, to guarantee our recognition. Christ’s servants seldom care to be servants (see Mark 10:35–45). We have never gotten over the garden (Gen. 3:5)—our program to unseat the true King has a way of slipping out from behind our largest fig leaves.

We need not begrudge Jair his success, his influence, his evidently peaceful administration. Yet surely we understand him. In all our ways there is this subtle urge to secure our position, to display our status, to extend our influence, to guarantee our recognition. Christ’s servants seldom care to be servants (see Mark 10:35–45). We have never gotten over the garden (Gen. 3:5)—our program to unseat the true King has a way of slipping out from behind our largest fig leaves.

Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon

8 After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. 9 He had thirty sons, and thirty daughters he gave in marriage outside his clan, and thirty daughters he brought in from outside for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. 10 Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.

11 After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years. 12 Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

13 After him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. 14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys, and he judged Israel eight years. 15 Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.

It is as if Scripture cries, ‘Behold your God!’ (cf. Isa. 40:9), and we reply, ‘Thank you, but we have found something more interesting to us.’ And if a little frustration over Ibzan and associates makes us aware of this danger, they will not have lived in vain.

We don’t know why the Bible tells us so little about Ibzan, but by telling us so little about Ibzan (and Elon and Abdon) the Bible tells us a lot about the Bible. It tells us that its purpose is not to tell us about every Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon. The Bible is saying that its focus is not on man’s life but on God’s action. The Bible is theo-centric. That does not mean that man does not count but that man is not the center. Even though Gideon, for example, may receive three chapters, the writer’s purpose is not to relate Gideon’s eventful life (not even his problems, struggles, victories, or failures in themselves) but to depict Yahweh’s saving activity. For this reason I question the validity of much biographical preaching and Bible studies billed as character studies of biblical figures. Almost by their very nature, by their chosen starting points, such efforts begin by looking in the wrong direction. It is as if Scripture cries, ‘Behold your God!’ (cf. Isa. 40:9), and we reply, ‘Thank you, but we have found something more interesting to us.’ And if a little frustration over Ibzan and associates makes us aware of this danger, they will not have lived in vain.