Jephthah has another dispute with an ally, Ephraim, about his attack on the Ammonites. They fight. Jephthah defeats Ephraim and dies after having judged Israel for six years. Ibzan,Elon, and Abdon are mentioned briefly. Then, the Isrealites are delivered into the power of the sea people, the Philistines, "for forty years". We hear the familiar story of the barren wife of Manoah who is visited by an angel of the Lord. The mysterious messenger tells of the birth of Samson. Samson grows up and wants to marry a Philistine. Samson's very strange marriage is confusingly told by two scribes, the later of which does not understand the terms of a marriage where the bride stays at home with her family, and the groom brings a present when he visits. The commentators refer to this as an exogamous marriage. The people of that day seemed confused as well. The Philistines marry Samson's wife off to his best man. In his rage, Samson "killed a thousand men" with the jawbone of an ass. After the fight he cried out that he was thirsty at which time God split the cavity in Lehi where Samson satified his thirst.
Jephthah has another dispute with an ally, Ephraim, about his attack on the Ammonites. They fight. Jephthah defeats Ephraim and dies after having judged Israel for six years. Ibzan,Elon, and Abdon are mentioned briefly. Then, the Isrealites are delivered into the power of the sea people, the Philistines, "for forty years". We hear the familiar story of the barren wife of Manoah who is visited by an angel of the Lord. The mysterious messenger tells of the birth of Samson. Samson grows up and wants to marry a Philistine. Samson's very strange marriage is confusingly told by two scribes, the later of which does not understand the terms of a marriage where the bride stays at home with her family, and the groom brings a present when he visits. The commentators refer to this as an exogamous marriage. The people of that day seemed confused as well. The Philistines marry Samson's wife off to his best man. In his rage, Samson "killed a thousand men" with the jawbone of an ass. After the fight he cried out that he was thirsty at which time God split the cavity in Lehi where Samson satified his thirst.
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