Three Minor Judges Series

Text: Judges 12:9-15 Theme: Three Minor Judges

Introduction:

Jephthah died after the terrible six years of reign. Israel now enters a period of twenty-five years under three minor judges. This passage tells us of three judges namely Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon who kept the peace in Israel between periods of trouble. These three judges were the leaders of the people for a time that God had called them. Their times mark nothing so special. However, their stories are described in the Scripture for our edification. Their predecessor and the successor had tough times with the enemies. But these judges enjoyed their days without much struggle. They were managers of their people and their welfare. Ibzan was a peacemaker who threw his family circle wide. Elon was a man who raised his tribe’s sense of worth. Abdon was a man who made his many sons into leadership.

Ibzan:

Ibzan means "their whiteness," "splendid," "illustrious," and "swift." Ibzan was from Bethlehem of the tribe of Zebulun and not of Judah (Joshua 19:15). His marriages probably cemented clan alliances and extended the scope of his political influence. He had sixty children, thirty sons, and thirty daughters, a sign of prestige and wealth in the ancient Near East (Judges 8:30). Ibzan’s large family was quite a contrast to that of Jephthah’s lineage. They were killed and gone but Ibzan’s family circle spread wide. It may have been that Ibzan conducted the marriages of his children in such a way as to secure good relations with the people of the various tribes around him. Ibzan was a true Jew and fulfilled the duty of a Father.

It is believed among them that every father owes three things to his son: to teach him to read the law, give him a trade, and get him a wife. He contrasts with Jephthah who had only one daughter. Whereas Jephthah slew his daughter, Ibzan obtained husbands for his 30 daughters. Seemingly, Ibzan was a polygamist, and Jephthah was not. He served for seven years and died and was buried.

Elon:

The name means “a terebinth.” Orientals to this day are often named after trees. He was also a man of Zebulun. Elon of Zebulun, in the north of Canaan, was next raised up to preside in public affairs, to administer justice, and to reform abuses. The tribe of Zebulon was known for its bravery, patriotism, and prowess in the time of Barak (Judges 4:10, 5:18). For ten years he continued a blessing to Israel and then died. He was buried in the city of Zebulun. Elon was buried at Ayalon, there is a wordplay. Elon and Aijalon are identical in Hebrew as far as the consonants are concerned. In just two verses, his tribe is mentioned three times.

Elon was the most obscure of all the judges of Israel during this period. He was the tenth judge and served for ten years, but nothing is told of his personality. Nor are we informed of the obstacles he faced or even of his children. The judge before him had thirty sons and thirty daughters, and the one who followed him had forty sons and thirty grandsons. No mention is made of Elon's offspring. One of the ways that Elon showed himself to be a good judge of his people is that he made his people feel good about who they were. Elon would be a man who felt that the lines of his inheritance in his tribe had fallen to him well, and he was thankful.

Abdon:

He was the son of Hillel the Pirathonite. Pirathon was a city of Ephraim. This Abdon was famous for the multitude of his offspring (Judges 11:14; Judges 11:14): he had forty sons and thirty grandsons, all of whom he lived to see grown up, and they rode on seventy ass-colts either as judges and officers or as gentlemen and persons of distinction. It was a satisfaction to him thus to see his children's children. Riding on donkeys was a significant symbol of nobility and authority, he was a wealthy judge (Judges 10:3-5; Judges 5:10). And all of his sons and grandsons rode them suggesting that they were all significant men of influence. He judged Israel for eight years. Abdon's sons and grandsons may have been involved with him in serving as judges over Israel, as they traveled from place to place on their donkeys (Judges 12:14).

An important note to observe is that Abdon was the last judge mentioned in the continuous account (Judges 2:6 - 13:1). After the account of him follows the statement that Israel was delivered into the hands of the Philistines forty years. Then we have a series of personnel with various episodes of Samson, of Micah and his Levite, of the Benjamite civil war, of Ruth, of Eli, and of Samuel, till Saul rose as King.