Notes on Judges

Name: Notes on Judges
Author: Origen of Alexandria

Adnotationes in Iudices

Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–c. 254 AD) · de La Rue (1857)

Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–c. 254) wrote these notes on Judges. They are not his homilies on Judges, and they are not his selections on Judges.

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Contents2 passages

15The alternative reading of Judges 15:19
20Why Israel was defeated before justice came

Author

Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–c. 254 AD) — Teacher at Alexandria and later Caesarea, and the first great Christian scholar of the Bible. He wrote commentaries, sermons and treatises on nearly every book of Scripture and compiled the Hexapla, a six-column Old Testament. He was tortured in the Decian persecution and died soon after.

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About this text

Origen's short notes on hard phrases in Judges, such as Samson's jawbone and Israel's defeats by Benjamin.

One note reads the jawbone another way. Instead of God breaking a wound in the jawbone, he split the earth by the blow, and waters came out. The other note asks why Israel was defeated by Benjamin after going out justly. He says it was because of earlier causes.

After two defeats, wrath came on the wrongdoers and Israel won a just judgment. The note quotes the psalm about judging in due time, and the line that Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. The citations use the old names of the biblical books.

New English from the Greek base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from de La Rue, Origen's Works, vol. 7 (Migne PG 17, Paris 1857) (Greek)

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.

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The alternative reading of Judges 15:19§15

Origen opens his Notes on Judges by quoting Judges 15:19 and then giving an alternative reading of the same verse.

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15Judges 15:19: “And God broke the wound in the jawbone, and water came out of it.” Instead of this, it means: He split the earth by the blow of the jawbone, and waters came out.

Greek · §15

The Greek is on each section page: §15

Why Israel was defeated before justice came§20

Origen is commenting on Judges 20:21, where the sons of Benjamin go out and defeat the Israelites, and he explains the defeat as due to earlier causes before wrath came on the wrongdoers.

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20Verse 21: “And the sons of Benjamin went out.” Why are they defeated when they went out justly? Clearly, it is because of earlier causes. And the psalm says, “When I take the time, I will judge uprightnesses” (Psalm 75:2, LXX 74:3). Then he says: after being defeated once and then a second time, wrath came upon the wrongdoers, and they win a just justice.

The multitude of the Israelites is worthy of admiration, because, having gone out justly against the Benjaminites and having been defeated, they did not think anything evil against God, but rather did not cease weeping beforehand until they obtained justice against the wrongdoers.

They did not say, finding fault with God, “But this is enough.” They were begging to learn the manner. “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours, and in the evening he distributes food” (Genesis 49:27) is fulfilled here. For having conquered first, he became food of the people at the last.

Greek · §20

The Greek is on each section page: §20

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