(14) Thirty nephews.--The Hebrew has "sons of sons" (beni bhanim), and the word nephews in our version always means "grandsons" (nepoles), e.g., in Job 18:19, Isaiah 14:22, 1Timothy 5:4, as in old English generally; similarly nieces means "granddaughters" in Wiclif's Bible (Genesis 31:43, &c). "The Emperor Augustus . . . saw ere he died the nephew of his niece, that is to say, his progenie to the fourth degree of lineal descent" (Holland's Pliny, vii. 13; Bible Word Book).

That rode on threescore and ten ass colts.--Riding on asses' foals in trappings of state implies that they were all wealthy and distinguished persons (Judges 10:4)--perhaps, like the Turkish pennon on the horsetail, that they commanded a division (Ewald, 2:38, 39). Again the LXX. euphemise the ass-colts into the grand and poetic word p?lous. Josephus says that Abdon used to ride in state with his seventy sons and grandsons, "who were all very skilful in riding horses."

Verse 14. - Nephews. Rather, grandsons. Hebrew, son's son. The number of his family, and their being all mounted on asses, are indications of his wealth and state (see above, Judges 8:30; Judges 10:4), and perhaps also of peaceful and prosperous times.

12:8-15 We have here a short account of three more of the judges of Israel. The happiest life of individuals, and the happiest state of society, is that which affords the fewest remarkable events. To live in credit and quiet, to be peacefully useful to those around us, to possess a clear conscience; but, above all, and without which nothing can avail, to enjoy communion with God our Saviour while we live, and to die at peace with God and man, form the substance of all that a wise man can desire.And he had forty sons, and thirty nephews,.... Or sons' sons, that is, grandsons; so that he lived not only to see his sons married, but his grandchildren grown up to men's estate; since it follows:

that rode on seventy ass colts; who were either employed by him to ride about on these animals, which in those times were honourable; see Judges 5:10 to administer justice throughout the nation in their circuits; or rather, not following any trade, or being concerned in husbandry, or feeding cattle, but being men of estates, rode about like gentlemen:

and he judged Israel eight years; in his time it is said (b) the city of Troy was destroyed; so Eusebius (c), who calls this judge Labdon, though he elsewhere (d) places it in the times of Eli; See Gill on Judges 12:9.

(b) Juchasin, ut supra. (fol. 136. 1.) (c) Evangel. Praepar. l. 10. c. 11. p. 484. (d) Evangel. Praepar. l. 10. c. 11. p. 503.