Judges 8:1-3 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why have you served us thus, that you called us not.(Gideon didn't call upon the army of Ephraim when he went to battle {the story} because God wanted him to use only three hundred men, so Gideon here uses psychology when answering them who were more than willing to help him go to battle), when you went to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

Comprised with.American Tract Society, Barnes Notes, Clarke's Commentary, Eclectic Notes, JFB, Matthew Henry's Commentary: 

The."the vintage of Abiezer".means the first rout of the thousands of Midianites by only 300 men, who were mostly Abiezrites.."The gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim".means the capture of Oreb and Zeeb and other fruits of the victory, gathered by the Ephraimites. He is saying 'your exploits are so much greater than our meager victory, so much so that there is really no comparison' and there wasn't any comparison because Ephraim had captured princes of Midian and we just chased away the Midianites. The Ephraimites were benefited as largely as any of the other neighboring tribes from Gideon's victory, but they were piqued at not having been sharers in the glory of the victory, their leading men could not repress their wounded pride.

A civil war with the great tribe of Ephraim would soon have turned Israel's victory into mourning. Gideon therefore soothes their wounded pride by confessing that Ephraim had done more, though they had joined him so late in the day, than he, Gideon, had been able to effect in the whole campaign. The grape-gleaning of Ephraim was better than the whole vintage of Abiezer, that is, the Ephraimites have performed more important services than Gideon and his men and Gideon supports that assertion by observing that it was the Ephraimites who took the two Midianitish generals, having discomfited their forces at the passes of Jordan.

Gideon had taken a lowly place in meeting what was really self-importance. The way to meet self-importance is to exhibit the opposite spirit:.Proverbs 15:1 "A soft answer.(Proverbs 25:15).turns away wrath but grievous words stir up anger.".Gideon meets the situation by making much of what they had done and little of what he had done. The attitude Gideon showed was what corrected the attitude that the men of Ephraim had. Ephraim had taken previously two princes and Gideon makes the most of what they had done. Gideon was saying 'What have I done now in comparison of you?' In the midst of these exciting scenes, the spirit of a great as well as good man, was calm, collected and self-possessed: Proverbs 16:3 "Commit your works unto the Lord and your thoughts shall be established."

We should always do similarly, that is, make the most of what others have done:.Philippiams 2:3,4 "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

If you can only serve, you do not want any importance; that's humility. Gideon says 'I have done nothing in comparison to what you have done. Your gleanings are better than my vintage' or 'your works far outstripped mine'. The Ephraimites were brothers of Gideon through the lineage of the twelve tribes:.Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city...".If you can win an offended brother, you have done more than great military exploits:.1Corinthians 13:4; Philippians 2:3. Gideon ascribes to his querulous brethren a greater share of merit and glory than belonged to himself. The discontent really was groundless, for Gideon acted according to divine directions. The tribe of Ephraim was conterminous with that of Gideon.

This event with Gideon shows us that envy can be removed by humility. The Ephraimites had shown that reason runs low when chiding flies high.

Judges 8:4-20 And Gideon came to Jordan and passed over, he and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me, for they be faint and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. And he went up thence to Penuel and spake unto them likewise and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east, for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah and smote the host, for the host was secure.(not secure enough I guess). And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna and discomfited all the host. And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up, And caught a young man of the men of Succoth and enquired of him and he described unto him the princes of Succoth and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men. And he came unto the men of Succoth and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary? And he took the elders of the city and thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them he taught.(showed them how to fight with what was available, the thorns and briers).the men of Succoth. And he beat down the tower of Penuel and slew the men of the city. Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom you slew at Tabor? And they answered, As you are, so were they. Each one resembled the children of a king. And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword, for he feared, because he was yet a youth. 

Judges 8:21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise you and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks. 

Judges 8:22-26 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou and thy son and thy son's son also, for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. The Lord shall rule over you. And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey, for they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites. And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, beside ornaments and collars and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.

Judges 8:27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof and put it in his city, even in Ophrah. And all Israel went thither a whoring after it; which thing became a snare unto Gideon and to his house.

Judges 8:28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.

But were these Israelites of low consciousness at all thankful? verses 34,34 below.

Judges 8:29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

Judges 8:29 And Jerubbaal.(another name for Gideon, which was given to him;.Easton's Bible Dictionary.the name meant 'contender with Baal' or 'let Baal plead', a name given to him because he destroyed the altar of Baal:.Judges 6:32; 7:1; 1Samuel 12:11).the son of Joash.(a different Joash than those with the same name that were kings {*} of ancient Israel and Judah).went and dwelt in his own house.

Judges 8:30-32 And Gideon begot threescore and ten sons, for he had many wives. And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Judges 8:33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again.(these people were dummer than a bag of frozen hammers, as they were like this time and time again).and went a whoring after Baalim and made Baalberith.(meaning 'having an agreement with Baal').their God.

Judges 8:34,35 And the children of Israel remembered not their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side. Neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had showed unto Israel.

Easton's Bible Dictionary: Jerubbaal means 'contender with Baal'. Jerubbaal was a surname of Gideon, a name given to him because he destroyed the altar of Baal:.Judges 6:32.

Judges 9:1 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren and communed with them and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

This Abimelech was a cruel selfish con man out to elevate himself over all others to their destruction. Same attitude as the bitch Delilah:.Judges 16:4-31.

Judges 9:2,3 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem.(Genesis 35:4), Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten individuals, reign over you or that one reign over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.('vote for me'). And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said he is our brother.

Judges 9:4,5 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light individuals.(lackeys), which followed him. And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten individuals, upon one stone, notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal.(Gideon-verse 1 above in this chapter).was left, for he hid himself.

Judges 9:6 And all the men of Shechem.(Genesis 35:4).gathered together and all the house of Millo and went and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

Barnes Notes: It looks as if the Shechemites alone had made him king and the rest of Israel just submitted to his dominion, without allowing his title of king and without much thinking about it; typical of elections today; consider all those having voted for Biden. Many are now sorry because they didn't use their brains then and now we all have been harmed because of that. Consider all those who got the jab, who today if not dead have been severely injured. Like, wake up! Learn how?

Judges 9:18 And you are risen up against my father's house this day and have slain his sons, threescore and ten individuals, upon one stone and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother.

Judges 9:23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem and then the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech.

Judges 9:24 That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them and upon the men of Shechem.(Genesis 35:4).which aided him in the killing of his brethren.

Judges 9:37 And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land and another company comes along by the plain of Meonenim.(Genesis 35:2).

Easton's Bible Dictionary: the word 'gaal' means 'loathing'. He was the son of Ebed, in whom the Shechemites placed their confidence when they became discontented with Abimelech. Gaal headed a revolution and led out the men of Shechem against Abimelech, but was defeated and fled to his own home. We hear no more of him after this battle.

Judges 9:43-48 And Abimelech took the people and divided them into three companies and laid wait in the field and looked and behold, the people were come forth out of the city and he rose up against them and smote them. And Abimelech and the company that was with him, rushed forward and stood in the entering of the gate of the city and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields and slew them. And Abimelech fought against the city all that day and he took the city and slew the people that was therein and beat down the city and sowed it with salt.(put salt on the land to poison it so it wouldn't grow food, much the same today with the cabal's poisoning food). And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the God Berith. And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him and Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees and took it and laid it on his shoulder and said unto the people that were with him, What you have seen me do, make haste and do as I have done. 

Judges 9:49 And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough and followed Abimelech and put them to the hold and set the hold on fire upon them, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.

Judges 9:50-52 Then went Abimelech to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and took it. But there was a strong tower within the city and thither fled all the men and women and all they of the city and shut it to them and gat them up to the top of the tower. And Abimelech came unto the tower and fought against it and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

Judges 9:53-56 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head and all to brake his skull. Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer and said unto him, Draw thy sword and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through and he died. And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place. Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren.

Judges 10:1 And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.

Judges 10:2 And he judged Israel twenty and three years and died and was buried in Shamir.

Judges 10:3-5 And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite and judged Israel twenty and two years. And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead. And Jair died and was buried in Camon.

Judges 10:6 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord and served Baalim and Ashtaroth and the Gods of Syria and the Gods of Zidon and the Gods of Moab and the Gods of the children of Ammon and the Gods of the Philistines and forsook the Lord and served not him.

Judges 10:6 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord and served Baalim and Ashtaroth and the Gods of Syria and the Gods of Zidon and the Gods of Moab and the Gods of the children of Ammon.(Moab and Ammon {Ammon also called 'Benammi'} were the two incestuous sons of Lot's {Lot was Abraham's nephew} daughters:.Genesis 19:30-38).and the Gods of the Philistines and forsook the Lord and served not him.

They were this way because they were steeped in low consciousness to one degree or the other, as all mankiind becomes early in life. They were hopeless on their own (and this then is the plan of life, hopelessness to happiness), so the Creator-Father did something to help:.1John 4:10. It shows without God in one's life, he doesn't have a hope that's valid for a better life. There is no other way than fulfilling the purpose we were put on the Earth to fulfil.

Judges 10:7-9 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel.and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the children of Ammon. And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel. Eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side of the Jordan river in the land of the Amorites.(Genesis 15:16), which is in Gilead. Moreover the children of Ammon passed over the Jordan river to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was sore distressed.

Judges 10:10-12 And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God and also because we served Baalim. And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon and from the Philistines? The.Zidonians.(another name for the Sidonians).also and the Amalekites and the.Maonites.(an Arabian tribe named with the Amalekites/Amalekintes and other foes of ancient.Israel and Judah; their abode may have been near the place now called Maan, nearly east of Petra, on the Haj route from Damascus to Mecca; Uzziah defeated them), did oppress you and you cried to me and I delivered you out of their hand.

Judges 10:13 Yet you have forsaken me and served other Gods.(and they did this time and time again). Wherefore I will deliver you no more.

Judges 10:14-16 Go and cry unto the Gods which.you.have chosen. Let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, We have sinned. Do thou unto us whatsoever seems good unto thee. Deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.(just deliver us one more time and we'll be good from now on). And they put away the strange Gods from among them and served the Lord and his.(God's).soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

They were in misery because they lacked the heart to listen and do something about it:.Deuteronomy 5:29.

Judges 11:2 And Gilead's wife bare him sons and his wife's sons grew up and they thrust out Jephthah and said unto him, You shalt not inherit in our father's house, for you are the son of a strange woman.

A 'strange woman' means a woman of foreign.descent. At that time, one who was not a part of the tribes of Israel.

Judges 11:11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead and the people made him head and captain over them and Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh.

Judges 11:12-28 And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What have you to do with me that you are come against me to fight in my land? And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok and unto Jordan. Now therefore restore those lands again peaceably. And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon. And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon. But when Israel came up from Egypt and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea and came to Kadesh, then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land. But the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab. But he would not consent. So, Israel abode in Kadesh. Then they went along through the wilderness and compassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab and came by the east side of the land of Moab and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab, for Arnon was the border of Moab. And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place. But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast and instead Sihon gathered all his people together and pitched in Jahaz and fought against Israel. And the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel and they smote them. So Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok and from the wilderness even unto Jordan. So now the Lord God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel and shouldest thou possess it? Why not possess that which Chemosh your God gives you to possess? So whomsoever the Lord our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess. And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them, while Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns and in Aroer and her towns and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? Why therefore did you not recover them within that time? Wherefore I have not sinned against thee but thou doest me wrong to war against me. The Lord the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon. Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.

Judges 11:29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

Judges 11:30,31 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever comes forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. 

Judges 11:32,33 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them and the Lord delivered them into his hands. 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 by the children of Israel.

Judges 11:34-40 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances. She was his only child. Beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes and said, Alas, my daughter! Thou hast brought me very low and thou art one of them that trouble me. For I have opened my mouth unto the Lord and I cannot go back. And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me. Let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows. And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months and she went with her companions and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed. And she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

Judges 12:1 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and went northward and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passed you over to fight against the children of Ammon and didn't call us to go with you? we will burn your house upon you with fire.

Judges 12:2-6 And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon and when I called you, you delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that you delivered me not, I put my life in my hands and passed over against the children of Ammon and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why are you then come up unto me this day to fight against me? Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites. And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites and it was so that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over, that the men of Gilead said unto him, Are you an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay, then said they unto him, Say now the word Shibboleth and he said Sibboleth, but he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him and slew him at the passages of Jordan and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

Not that they asked each and every man to pronounce, but their leaders of different groups of them.

Judges 12:8 And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

Judges 12:9-10 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. Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem. 

Judges 12:11 And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel and he judged Israel ten years.

Judges 12:12 And Elon the Zebulonite died and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

Judges 12:13-15 And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts and he judged Israel eight years. And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.

Judges 13:1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

Judges 13:2,3 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah and his wife was barren and bare not.(this was about B.C.E. 1200 - 1000). And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman and said unto her, Behold now, you are barren and bear not, but you shall conceive and bear a son.

Judges 13:4,5 Now therefore beware, I pray thee and drink not wine nor strong drink and eat not any unclean thing, for lo, you shall conceive and bear a son and no razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Judges 13:6-11 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible.(she was fearful), but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name. But he said unto me, Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean.(certain foods were classified as being unclean back then).thing for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death. Then Manoah intreated the Lord and said, O my Lord, let the man of God.(the angel).which you did send come again unto us and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her. And the woman made haste and ran and showed her man and said unto him, Behold, the man has appeared unto me that came unto me the other day. And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said unto him, Are you the man that spoke unto the woman? And he said, I am. And Manoah said, Now let your words come to pass.

Judges 13:12 How shall we order the child and how shall we do unto him?

Judges 13:13-21 And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe. And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid.(the young of the goat; provide a meal).for you. And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Though you detain me, I will not eat of your bread and if you will offer a burnt offering, you must offer it unto the Lord. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, What is your name, that when your sayings come to pass we may do you honour? And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why ask you thus after my name, seeing it is secret? So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering and offered it upon a rock unto the Lord and the angel did wondrously.(probably as the Angel that appeared to Gideon had done, bringing fire from the rock).and Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it and fell on their faces to the ground. But the angel of the Lord did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the Lord.

Judges 13:22,23 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.(he thought of God as a cruel monster:.Exodus 33:20). But his wife said unto him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering.(about offerings).at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.

Judges 13:24 And the woman bare a son and called his name Samson and the child grew and the Lord blessed him.

Samson lived about B.C.E. 1200 - 1000.

Judges 13:25 And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Judges 14:1,2 And Samson went down to Timnath and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. And he came up and told his father and his mother and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. Now therefore get her for me to wife.

That's the way things were done in those days. Samson probably said excitedly, 'That's the woman I want forever'. por Samson, no doubt blinded by her beauty and desiring sex with her:.Proverbs 31:30.

Judges 14:3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of your brethren or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me, for she pleases me well.

Judges 14:4,5 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines, for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. Then went Samson down and his father and his mother to Timnath and came to the vineyards of Timnath and behold, a young lion roared against him.

Judges 14:6 And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him and he rent him as he would have rent a kid and he had nothing in his hand And he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

Judges 14:7-11 And he went down and talked with the woman. And she pleased Samson well. And after a time he returned to take her and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. And he took thereof in his hands and went on eating and came to his father and mother and he gave them and they did eat, but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion. So his father went down unto the woman and Samson made there a feast, for so used the young men to do. And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

Judges 14:12-16 And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you. If you can certainly declare it to me within the seven days of the feast and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. But if you cannot declare it me, then shall you give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth your riddle, that we may hear it. And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat.and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice your husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire.(do what we tell you or you'll have no place to live; these were cabal, people of great evil; those much later in the time of the crucifixion, were of the same satanic attitude). Have you called us to take that we have? Is it not so? And Samson's wife wept in front of Samson saying, You must hate me and love me not.(boo-hoo! 'You're not sharing with me', 'you don't love me'; this treacherous greedy bitch says as she uses her 'crocodile tears'). You have put forth a riddle unto the children of my people and have not told it to me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not even told it to my father nor my mother and shall I tell it to you? And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted.

Judges 14:17 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him.(this manipulative evil bitch of a woman was also a nag.{'oh please, please tell me, I wouldn't tell anyone'}; her ass should have been kicked down the street long ago). And she told the riddle to the children of her people.

See above verses 12-16.

Judges 14:18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If you had not plowed with my heifer, you had not found out my riddle.

Barnes Notes:."They try to give the answer in a way to make it appear that they had guessed it. Samson saw at once that she had betrayed him. He lets them know in a speech, which was of the nature of a riddle, that he had discovered the treachery.".Clarke's Commentary:."If my wife had not been unfaithful to my bed, she would not have been unfaithful to my secret and you being her paramours, your interest was more precious to her than that of her husband. She has betrayed me through her attachment to you. Calmet.(a Bible researcher).has properly remarked, in quoting the Septuagint, that to plough with one's heifer or to plough in another man's ground, are delicate terms of expression used both by the Greeks and Latins, as well as the Hebrews, to point out a wife’s infidelities."

Delilah was surely an evil woman!

Judges 14:19 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he went down to Ashkelon and slew thirty men of them and took their spoil and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled and he went up to his father's house.

Judges 14:20 But Samson's wife was given to his companion, who was his friend.

Judges 15:1-3 But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in. And her father said, I verily thought that you had utterly hated her.(probably thought this after listening to his daughter Delilah complain about Samson many times), therefore I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her. 

Judges 15:3-10 And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure. And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes and took firebrands and turned tail to tail and put a firebrand.(pieces of burning wood).in the midst between two tails. And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines and burnt up both the shocks and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives. Then the Philistines said, Who has done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up and burnt her and her father with fire. And Samson said unto them, Though you have done this, yet will I be avenged of you and after that I will cease. And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter. And he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam. Then the Philistines went up and pitched in Judah and spread themselves in Lehi. And the men of Judah said, Why are you come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he has done to us.

Judges 15:11 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam and said to Samson, Know you not that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this that you have done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.

Judges 15:12,13 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver you into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that you will not fall upon me yourselves. And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind you fast and deliver you into their hand, but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords and brought him up from the rock.

Judges 15:14 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire and his bands loosed from off his hands.

Judges 15:15-17 And he found a new jawbone of an ass and put forth his hand and took it and slew a thousand men therewith. And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand and called that place Ramathlehi.

Judges 15:18,19 And he was sore athirst and called on the Lord and said, You have given this great deliverance into the hand of your servant and now shall I die for thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised? But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw and there came water thereout and when he had drunk, his spirit came again and he revived, wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.

Judges 15:20 And he judged.(Samson was one of the judges back then of Israel).Israel in the days of the Philistines.twenty years.

Judges 16:1,2 Then went Samson to Gaza and saw there a harlot and went in unto her. And this was told to the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.

Judges 16:3 And Samson lay till midnight and arose at midnight and took the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts and went away with them, bar and all and put them upon his shoulders and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.

Barnes Notes: Instead of forcing the doors open, Samson tore the posts up, as it were, by the roots, with the barred doors attached to them. The word original rendered "went away with them", means 'to pluck up the tent-pins' and hence 'to remove'.

Judges 16:4-9 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her and said unto her, Entice him and see wherein his great strength lies and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him and we will give every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.(this was a great amount of money back then; the Philistine leaders viewed Samson as a threat to their power and control; Samson's beginning:.Judges 13:2,3). And Delilah said to Samson.(the bitch starts her manipulation to kill Samson), Tell me, I pray thee, wherein your great strength lies and wherewith you might be bound to afflict you. And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs.(slender strong twigs twisted into cords, ropes).that were never dried, then shall I be weak and be as another man. Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried and she bound him with them.(at this point, Samson was 'putting her on'). Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon you, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow.(a string of flax).is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known.

Judges 16:10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies.(note how this bitch tries a few times to lay a guilt trip on him in order to get information she can sell for money to those who want Samson dead; she obviously was not of humanity genes, but one of the mankind ones). Now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith you might be bound. And he said unto her,

Judges 16:11 If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak and be as another man. Delilah therefore took new ropes and bound him therewith and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.

Judges 16:13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me wherewith you might be bound. And he said unto her, If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web.

Incredulous that Samson hadn't kicked this bitch's ass out of his house by now!

Judges 16:14 And she fastened it with the pin and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep and went away with the pin of the beam and with the web.

Judges 16:15 And she said unto him, How can you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me?.(this woman was one evil, selfish and manipulative.bitch, as were other evil women).You have mocked me these three times and have not told me wherein your great strength lies.

Judges 16:16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death.(he must have been hooked on her sex; why else after her tricks would he even stay with her? and you can imagine the quality of parents Delilah must have had for her to grow up into being the horrible person that she became:.Proverbs 31:30); That he told her all his heart and said unto her, There has not come a razor upon mine head, for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb. If I be shaven, then my strength will go from me and I shall become weak and be like any other man.

Judges 16:18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he has showed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her and brought money in their hand.

Judges 16:19 And she made him sleep upon her knees and she called for a man and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head and she began to afflict him and his strength went from him. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson.(Samson had a protective heart toward Philistine threats). And he awoke out of his sleep and said, I will go out as at other times before and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him. But the Philistines took him and put out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of brass and he did grind in the prison house.

Comprised with.Clarke's Commentary:.as the Philistines did not know whether or not his strength would return, they put out his eyes, that he might never be able to plan any enterprise against them.

Before the invention of wind and water mills, the grain was at first bruised between two stones, afterwards ground in hand mills. This is still practiced in China and in different parts of the East.

Judges 16:20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep and said, I will go out as at other times before and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.

Judges 16:21 But the Philistines took him and put out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of brass and he did grind in the prison house.

They abused Samson by making him go in circles all day long to grind grain with a millstone, tying him up probably, so he couldn't get away. 

Judges 16:22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

Judges 16:23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon.(a fish God of the ancient Philistines).their God and to rejoice, for they said, Our God has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

Judges 16:24-31 And when the people saw him, they praised their God, for they said, Our God has delivered into our hands our enemy and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport.(let's see what he can do with his eyesight gone; they wanted to mock him; evil people they were). And they called for Samson out of the prison house and he made them sport and they set him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house stands, that I may lean upon them. Now the house was full of men and women and all the lords of the Philistines were there and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. And Samson called unto the Lord and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand and of the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he had been twenty years a judge of Israel.

....continues to Chapters 17-18

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