Ibzan of Bethlehem

2022-04-12

And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. 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. Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem. (Judges 12:8-10)

Ibzan was a judge who was born and died in Bethlehem. He may have never gone far from home much, but he maintained relationships with the surrounding tribes. We see this in having his children intermarry with other people in the surrounding cities or tribes. It does not seem to be a control tactic; otherwise, his children would have continued to judge after his father’s passing.

For us today, we can learn from Ibzan’s example. We can live and die in the same town, and still have an impact for the Lord.

This is a part of the Judges of Israel series. To go back to the table of contents, proceed here.