Bedan

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

A judge of Israel between Jerubbaal and Jephthah, in  1 Samuel 12:11. Seemingly not, mentioned in Judges, but the name is probably identical with Abdon, which has the same radical consonants ( Judges 12:13-15). No achievement of his for Israel's deliverance is recorded, but may it not be inferred from the record "he was buried ... in the mount of the Amalekites," that he probably smote them, and took the land which they had robbed Israel of? Compare  Judges 3:13;  Judges 3:27;  Judges 5:14. A Bedan is mentioned among Manasseh's descendants ( 1 Chronicles 7:17), whence some identify him with the Jair ( Judges 10:3), and suppose the surname Bedan was added to distinguish him from the elder Jair ( Numbers 32:41).

The Chaldee paraphrase reads "Samson" for "Bedan" in  1 Samuel 12:11. Whence some guess Bedan = Ben-Dan, or Be (Hebrew In ) Dan, to be an epithet of Samson, namely, the Danite; compare  Judges 13:25. But the order of the names forbids it. The Septuagint, Syrian, and Arabic versions read "Barak," which also the order forbids; however, see  Hebrews 11:32. Other and spiritual considerations, besides chronology, often rule the order.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

BEDAN . 1 . Mentioned with Jerubbaal, Jephthah, and Samuel as one of the deliverers of Israel (  1 Samuel 12:11 ). The name does not occur in Jg., and it is probably a corruption for Barak (so LXX [Note: Septuagint.] and Pesh.). Chronologically Barak should precede Gideon, but the order cannot be pressed (cf. V. 9). 2 . A Manassite (  1 Chronicles 7:17 ).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Be'dan. (Son Of Judgement).

1. Mentioned in  1 Samuel 12:11, as a judge of Israel between Jerubbaal (Gideon) and Jephthah. The Chaldee Paraphrase reads Samson for Bedan; the LXX, Syriac and Arabic, all have Barak. Ewald suggests that it may be a false reading for Abdon. (B.C. about 1150).

2. The son of Gilead.  1 Chronicles 7:17.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 1 Samuel 12:11 Judges 4-5 1 Chronicles 7:17  Judges 11:1 Judges 13:2 Judges 13:24 Judges 12:13-15 1 Chronicles 7:17

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Bedan ( Bç'Dan ), Servile. 1. In  1 Samuel 12:11 the name of this judge stands between Jerubbaal, or Gideon, and Jephthah, but probably it is a copyist's error for Barak. See Revised Version, margin. The difference in Hebrew is not great. 2. A Manassite.  1 Chronicles 7:17.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

1. Judge of Israel, between Gideon and Jephthah, mentioned in  1 Samuel 12:11; but not found in the book of Judges. The LXX, Syriac, and Arabic give the name as Barak.

2. Son of Ulam, descendant of Manasseh.  1 Chronicles 7:17 .

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 1 Samuel 12:11 Judges 12:13

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Bedan', בְּדָן , signif. doubtful; see below), the name of two men.

1. In  1 Samuel 12:11, we read that the Lord sent as deliverers of Israel Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, Samuel. Three of these we know to have been judges of Israel, but we nowhere find Bedan among the number. The Targum understands it of Samson, and so Jerome and the generality of interpreters; but this interpretation goes on the supposition that the name should be rendered In Dan, i.e. one in Dan, or of the tribe of Dan, as Samson was. In this sense, as Kimchi observes, it would have the same force as Ben-Dan, a son of Dan, a Danite. Such an intermixture of proper names and appellatives, however, is very doubtful; and it is to be noted that Bedan is mentioned before Jephthah, whereas Samson was after him. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic have Barcak, which many think the preferable reading (comp.  Hebrews 11:32). Others think there was an actual judge of this name not mentioned in the O.T.; but this view is subversive of the whole history, and discountenanced by the parallel account of Josephus. (See Judge).

A man of the name of Bedan occurs, however, among the posterity of Manasseh ( 1 Chronicles 7:17), and Junius, followed by some others, thinks that the judge Jair is meant, and that he is here called Bedan to distinguish him from the more ancient Jair, the son of Manasseh. The order in which the judges are here named is not at variance with this view ( Numbers 32:41;  Judges 10:3-4); but surely, if Jair had been really intended, he might have been called by that name without any danger of his being, in this text (where he is called a deliverer of Israel, and placed among the judges), confounded with the more ancient Jair. It is therefore most probable that Bedan is a contracted form for the name of the judge ABDON (See Abdon) (q.v.).

2. (Sept. Βαδάμ .) The son of Ullam, the great-grandson of Manasseh ( 1 Chronicles 7:17). B.C. post 1856. See the foregoing.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bē´dan ( בּדן , bedhān , "son of judgment" (?)):

(1) One of the leaders in Israel who with Jerubbaal, Jephthah and Samuel is mentioned as a deliverer of the nation ( 1 Samuel 12:11 ). The text is questioned because the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic read "Barak" instead.

(2) A son of Ulam of the house of Manasseh ( 1 Chronicles 7:17 ).