Bedan
בְּדָן/BEE-dan/
“Son of judgment”
Summary
A judge of Israel mentioned by Samuel, possibly identical with Abdon or Barak, and also a descendant of Manasseh.
☩Judge of Israel
Samuel lists Bedan along with Jerubbaal, Jephthah, and himself as deliverers whom the Lord sent to Israel. Since no judge named Bedan appears in the book of Judges, scholars have proposed various identifications. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions read 'Barak' instead. Others suggest Bedan is a contracted form of Abdon, who is recorded as judging Israel.
Key verses:1 Samuel 12:11
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Bedan," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Bedan," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).