What does Judges 12:13 mean?
ESV: After him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.
NIV: After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, led Israel.
NASB: Now Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel after him.
CSB: After Elon, Abdon son of Hillel, who was from Pirathon, judged Israel.
NLT: After Elon died, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, judged Israel.
KJV: And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.
NKJV: After him, Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.
Verse Commentary:
Nothing is known about the three judges over Israel named at the end of this chapter besides what is in the recent verses (Judges 12:8–12). They are the ninth, tenth, and eleventh judges described in the book of Judges, and they apparently served during a time of relative peace and even prosperity for Israel.
Abdon, the eleventh judge, is described as the son of a man named Hillel the Pirathonite. Pirathon was in the hills of Ephraim. Again, as with some of the other judges, Abdon's fame will be tied to the number of his children and grandchildren, along with his wealth and power (Judges 12:14).
Verse Context:
Judges 12:8–15 briefly names three men who follow Jephthah as judges. These, along with men like Shamgar (Judges 3:31), Tola (Judges 10:1), and Jair (Judges 10:3) are sometimes called "minor" or "secondary" judges since so little is known about them. This passage mentions Ibzan of Bethlehem, Elon of Zebulun, and Abdon of Pirathon.
Chapter Summary:
Jephthah's controversial term as judge continues. The men of Ephraim arrive, armed for war and demanding to know why they weren't invited to fight against the Ammonites. They insult Gilead and threaten Jephthah. Jephthah's army defeats them and cuts off their escape back to Ephraim. A tragic number of Ephraimites are killed in the civil war between the two peoples of Israel. Jephthah dies and is followed by three lesser-known judges: Ibzan of Bethlehem, Elon the Zebulunite, and Abdon of Pirathon.
Chapter Context:
Judges 12 follows Jephthah's terrible task of fulfilling his foolish vow, which costs him his only child. Now he faces an unexpected confrontation from the men of Ephraim. They cross over the Jordan from the west, threatening to kill Jephthah for not including them in the fight against the Ammonites and taunting the people of Gilead. Jephthah defeats the men of Ephraim, killing many in a civil war. Jephthah is followed as judge by Ibzan of Bethlehem, Elon the Zebulunite, and Abdon of Pirathon. This leads to the introduction of another infamous biblical figure: Samson.
Book Summary:
The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).
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