Judges 12:10 Meaning and Explanation

The brief account of Ibzan ends as it began, with a single line. He died and was buried at Bethlehem, his hometown. His seven years of leadership close without fanfare.

The repeated rhythm of these chapters, a judge raised up and then laid to rest, sounds like a solemn refrain over the whole age. Each leader, however blessed, returns to the dust. The mention of Bethlehem may stir the reader's memory, for from that same town would one day come the Shepherd of Israel, whose throne would never see decay. Mortal judges fall asleep; the Son born in Bethlehem lives forever.