And they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a saviour, and delivered them; to wit, Othoniel, the son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb:
וַיִּזְעֲק֤וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶל־יְהוָ֔ה וַיָּ֨קֶם יְהוָ֥ה מוֹשִׁ֛יעַ לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיּֽוֹשִׁיעֵ֑ם אֵ֚ת עָתְנִיאֵ֣ל בֶּן־קְנַ֔ז אֲחִ֥י כָלֵ֖ב הַקָּטֹ֥ן מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
How can it be that Gethoniel is referred to as the brother of Caleb and the son of Kenez, while Caleb himself is the son of Jephunneh? It is also conceivable that Jephthah had an alternate name and was known as Keneses. Additionally, it is plausible that Gethoniel and Caleb had different fathers but shared the same mother; Caleb's father was Jephunneh, and following Jephunneh's passing, his mother married Ceneses, which resulted in the birth of Gethoniel.
In Scripture, we frequently encounter cries of desperation from the people when, due to their transgressions, the Lord allows the Israelites to fall into the hands of their adversaries. Under the weight of oppression and severe hardship, they began to call out to the Lord for help. In response, the Lord raised up a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, a man who was able to use both hands skillfully (Judges 3:15). Furthermore, the Scriptures document another occasion when the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and He raised up a deliverer, Othniel, the son of Kenaz, who was Caleb’s younger brother. The Psalms reflect on their situation, stating: “When He struck them down, they sought Him; they turned to God and earnestly sought Him.
They remembered that God was their refuge, and the Most High their Deliverer” (Psalms 77:34-35). Additionally, it is written: “They cried out to the Lord in their distress, and He delivered them from their troubles” (Psalm 106:6,13,19,28).
Among these three instances of invoking the Lord in times of need, although the first two may appear to start more favorably, we observe that even in the third instance mentioned by the psalmist, where the circumstances seem less commendable, there have arisen individuals of great and fervent spirit who began their service to the Lord with excellence and continued to show remarkable zeal throughout their lives. Conversely, many have had a promising start only to cool off and ultimately falter, often leading to a regrettable conclusion. Despite their initial transformation appearing to arise from necessity rather than their own volition, the goodness of the Lord igniting their sense of remorse, their conversion brought them no true benefit, as they did not strive to align their lives with God’s purposes thereafter.
Israel could possess soldiers, weapons, influential leaders, and great strength, which is all well and good, but that alone is insufficient. Even if his foes were more numerous, more skilled, more cunning, and more audacious, it would not matter. What is of utmost importance is that Israel listens to God and follows His ways. Have faith, O Israel, in the Lord; pray to Him; heed His words; live according to His commandments with justice, righteousness, morality, and mercy; if you have sinned, do not hesitate to repent and make amends; place your trust not in your own strength, but in God, who is ready "to humble your enemies" and grant you a sure and easy victory over them. The period of the Judges of Israel illustrates this truth through various events.
"The sons of Israel did evil before the Lord, and He sold them into the hand of their enemies." However, "the sons of Israel cried unto the Lord, and the Lord raised up a deliverer for Israel," a victorious leader against their adversaries (Judges 3:7-9).
Following the initial prophet cited in the book of Judges, Judah Gethoniel, a courageous leader and the nephew of Caleb, emerges among the Israelites. He is described as a man 'on whom the Spirit of the Lord was upon him.' Though the prophetic words of his predecessor faded from the people's memory, he is acknowledged in the epistle to the Hebrews as one of those chosen who ‘through faith overcame kingdoms.’ The accounts in Judges reveal that he did not limit his battles to the immediate adversaries of the tribe of Judah, such as the Philistines and the inhabitants of Edom, but he also triumphed over Husarsaphem from Mesopotamia, who attacked Palestine from across the Jordan. During this period, the Hittites and Canaanites dominated northern Syria.
It is likely that the defeat of Husarsaphem was achieved through the collaboration of various Israelite tribes, suggesting that Gethoniel was able to unify the scattered and weakened portions of the people residing in different regions of Palestine. However, the exact location where Gethoniel confronted Husarsaphem is uncertain; one might speculate that it took place in the fields beyond the Jordan, particularly if the Mesopotamian king advanced through Damascus. There is also a possibility that he could have traversed Cela-Syria, perhaps urged by the Hittites and Canaanites to repel the tribe they detested, which had recently claimed land in Palestine.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS