Judges 12:14
in Judges 12He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. And he judged Israel eight years.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he had forty sons and thirty sons’ sons, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.
KJV
And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.
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This verse in Judges 12
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
After Jephthah, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel
on Judges 12:8-15
Three judges close the chapter, and what is recorded of them is households and graves. Abdon's forty sons and thirty grandsons ride seventy donkeys. Which Bethlehem Ibzan came from is unsettled, since Joshua 19:15 names one in Zebulun, and the rabbis quoted by John Gill identify him with Boaz.
This site's exposition
forty sons and thirty grandsons
Abdon lived to see his sons' sons, the blessing of Psalm 128:6. Matthew Henry holds that by his day the Philistines had begun to press on Israel, whose forty years open at 13:1. Abdon judged Israel eight years.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
It was a satisfaction to him thus to see his children's children, but it is feared he did not see peace upon Israel, for by this time the Philistines had begun to break in upon them. Concerning this, and the rest of these judges that have ever so short an account given of them, yet notice is taken where they were buried (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
3 And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the L ORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:96%@v3
And he had forty sons, and thirty nephews,....
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִי־ | vayhi- | and it belonged | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| ל֞וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| אַרְבָּעִ֣ים | ʾarbaim | forty | H705 → | 136 times |
| בָּנִ֗ים | banim | sons | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וּשְׁלֹשִׁים֙ | usheloshim | and thirty | H7970 → | 172 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בָנִ֔ים | vanim | sons | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| רֹכְבִ֖ים | rokhevim | [who] rode | H7392 → | 78 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שִׁבְעִ֣ים | shivim | seventy | H7657 → | 91 times |
| עֲיָרִ֑ם | ʾayarim | donkeys | H5895 → | |
| וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט | vaiyishpot | and he judged | H8199 → | 202 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| שְׁמֹנֶ֥ה | shemoneh | eight | H8083 → | 109 times |
| שָׁנִֽים׃ | shanim | years | H8141 → | 877 times |
וַיְהִי־and it belonged
vayhi-H1961 →3559 times
ל֞וֹto <the> him
lo
אַרְבָּעִ֣יםforty
ʾarbaimH705 →136 times
בָּנִ֗יםsons
banimH1121 →4930 times
וּשְׁלֹשִׁים֙and thirty
usheloshimH7970 →172 times
בְּנֵ֣יsons of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
בָנִ֔יםsons
vanimH1121 →4930 times
רֹכְבִ֖ים[who] rode
rokhevimH7392 →78 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שִׁבְעִ֣יםseventy
shivimH7657 →91 times
עֲיָרִ֑םdonkeys
ʾayarimH5895 →
וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥טand he judged
vaiyishpotH8199 →202 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
שְׁמֹנֶ֥הeight
shemonehH8083 →109 times
שָׁנִֽים׃years
shanimH8141 →877 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Judges 5:10You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
it leads to
- Judges 10:4
He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. And they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth-jair.
- Psalms 105:2
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders.
- Psalms 145:11
They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might,
- Joel 3:12
Let the nations be roused and advance to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the nations on every side.
- Isaiah 28:6
a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and a strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.
- Judges 10:4
Through
Judges 10:4He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. And they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth-jair.
it leads to
- Numbers 32:41
Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair.
- Deuteronomy 3:14
Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He renamed Bashan after himself, Havvoth-jair, by which it is called to this…
- Judges 5:10
You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
- Numbers 32:41
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Judges
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.