Judges 6:8

6:7-10 They cried to God for a deliverer, and he sent them a prophet to teach them. When God furnishes a land with faithful ministers, it is a token that he has mercy in store for it. He charges them with rebellion against the Lord; he intends to bring them to repentance. Repentance is real when the sinfulness of sin, as disobedience to God, is chiefly lamented.

And the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel,.... "A man, a prophet" (f), as in the Hebrew text, not an angel, but a man; and this not Phinehas, as say some Jewish writers (g); for it is not probable he should live so long as more than two hundred years; and had he been living, it is very much he should not have been heard of in the times of the preceding judges, and that he was not made use of before now to reprove the people for their sins; but who the prophet was we have no account now nor hereafter, here or elsewhere. Abarbinel supposes he was raised up for a short time: which said unto them, thus saith the Lord God of Israel; he came in the name of the Lord, and using the form and manner of speech the prophets of Israel did, putting them in mind of the true God they had forgot, and who yet was their Lord and God: I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; reminding them of the benefits they received from God, and the obligations they lay under to serve him, who, when they were bond slaves in Egypt, he appeared for them, and brought them out of their miserable condition. (f) "virum prophetam", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. (g) Seder Olam Rabba, c. 20. p. 53.

Verse 8. - A prophet . Literally, a man , a prophet , just as Deborah was described as a woman , a prophetess ( Judges 4:4 ). It is interesting to observe the flow of the spirit of prophecy in those early days between Moses and Samuel, before the dispensation of the prophets had risen to its height. I brought you up from Egypt . Note the constant reference to the exodus as a fixed point in their national and religious life (see ver. 13; Judges 2:1 ). CHAPTER 6:11-24 Judges 6:8

A prophet - His name is not given. (Compare 1 Kings 13 .) This message is somewhat similar to that of the Angel, Judges 2:1-3 . The reference to Exodus 20:2 is plain, and supposes the people to whom the prophet addresses these words to be familiar with the facts recorded in that text.

(8) A prophet. —He is here left nameless, but Jewish legend says that he was Phinehas, the son of Eleazar. Their Hagadah (legendary information) generally enables them to name these nameless prophets. Thus they say that the prophet who came to Bethel was Iddo (1 Kings 13), and that the young man who anointed Jehu was Jonah. Unto the children of Israel.—Perhaps assembled at some solemn feast, like the Passover. I brought you up.—With the prophet’s message compare Judges 2:1-3; 2Kings 17:36-38. Out of the house of bondage.—A clear reference to Exodus 20:2. (Comp. Psalm 44:1-2.)

But before helping them, the Lord sent a prophet to reprove the people for not hearkening to the voice of their God, in order that they might reflect, and might recognise in the oppression which crushed them the chastisement of God for their apostasy, and so be brought to sincere repentance and conversion by their remembrance of the former miraculous displays of the grace of God. The Lord God, said the prophet to the people, brought you out of Egypt, the house of bondage, and delivered you out of the hand of Egypt ( Exodus 18:9 ), and out of the hand of all your oppressors (see Judges 2:18 ; Judges 4:3 ; Judges 10:12 ), whom He drove before you (the reference is to the Amorites and Canaanites who were conquered by Moses and Joshua); but ye have not followed His commandment, that ye should not worship the gods of the Amorites. The Amorites stand here for the Canaanites, as in Genesis 15:16 and Joshua 24:15 .

It is much more natural, consequently, to suppose, considering the very frequent recurrence, though sometimes in slightly different shapes, of the formula "the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt" ( Exodus 20:2 ; Exodus 29:45, 46 ; Leviticus 19:36 ; Leviticus 23:43 ; Leviticus 25:38 ; Leviticus 26:13, 45 ; Numbers 15:41 ; Numbers 16:13 ; Numbers 20:16 ; Deuteronomy 5:6, 15 ; Deuteronomy 6:12 ; Deuteronomy 8:14 ; Deuteronomy 9:26 ; Joshua 24:6, 17 ; Judges 6:8 ; 1 Samuel 8:8 ; 1 Samuel 10:18 ; 1 Kings 8:21 , etc.) that the correspondence is accidental, the more so as Jeroboam does not quote the exact words, and that he has used a phrase which was constantly in their ears, insisting thereby that his calves were emblems of the God of their race, the God whose great glory it was that He had taken their nation out of the midst of another nation, etc. ( Deuteronomy 4:34 ), and delivered them from a thraldom with which, perhaps, the tyranny of Rehoboam is indirectly compared. Or it there was any reference to the golden calf, it must have been depreciatory, as if to say," That was rank idolatry, and as such it was punished. That calf was an image of Apis. My calves are cherubic symbols, symbols such as He has Himself appointed, of the Great Deliverer of our race. Behold thy God, which really brought thee up," etc.] 1 Kings 12:28

[Reformed Biblical] For although the generality of the Midianites had been cut off by Moses about two hundred years ago, yet many of them doubtless fled into the neighbouring countries, whence afterwards they returned into their own land, and in that time might easily grow to be a very great number; especially when God furthered their increase, that they might be a fit scourge for his people Israel when they transgressed. Judges 6:2 In which they might secure their persons and provisions from the hands of the Midianites. ## Judges 6:3 The children of the east, i.e. the Arabians, who are commonly called the children of the east , as Gen_29:1 Jud_8:10 ,11 Job 1:3 Eze_25:4. Not all the Arabians, for in that were many and divers people; but in the eastern part of Arabia. ## Judges 6:4 Till thou come unto Gaza, i.e. from the east, on which side they entered, to the west, where Gaza was near the sea; so they destroyed the whole land. ## Judges 6:5 Without number, i.e. so many that it was not easy to number them. It is an hyperbole . Judges 6:6 No text from Poole on this verse. Judges 6:7 No text from Poole on this verse. Judges 6:8 No text from Poole on this verse. Judges 6:9 No text from Poole on this verse. ## Judges 6:10 Fear not, i.e. do not serve or worship them. ## Judges 6:11 In Ophrah, to wit, in Manasseh; for there was another Ophrah in Benjamin, Jos_18:23. The Abi-ezrite ; of the posterity of Abi-ezer; of whom see Jos_17:2 1Ch_7:18. See Jud_8:27 ,32 .