And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He arranged marriages for his daughters with men from other families, and he brought in thirty young women from other families to marry his sons. He served as a judge over Israel for seven years.
This verse describes a judge of Israel who had a large family of sixty children and arranged marriages for all of them during his seven-year leadership.
📚 Historical Context
In the Book of Judges, which recounts the period after Joshua's death when Israel was led by various judges raised by God to deliver them from oppressors, Ibzan served as one of these leaders. He was from Bethlehem and is described as having a large family, which in ancient Israelite culture signified God's blessing and prosperity, often linked to covenant faithfulness. This verse fits into the broader narrative of judges who ruled for short periods, highlighting how God used ordinary people with family responsibilities to guide the nation.
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