The very first thing that is mentioned in chapter 8 was an event promised before the birth of Samson (Judges 13:5). I’m not sure how many years passed between the time the Philistines began oppressing Israel and the day that God used David expelled them from the land. The occupation lasted during the generation of Samson, and the lifetimes of Samuel and Saul. The fact that the passage starts with “sometime later” could span a number of years. I wonder if the victory and expulsion was finalized not because of David’s military prowess, but rather the holy example that he set for Israel to follow. Was it the righteousness of the leaders of Israel and shifted the culture of Israel back into a submissive relationship to the God of Israel. The fact that David was king as God answered all of the promises he had made to Israel before they entered the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 7:12-26) seems to indicated that the change in leadership had be accompanied by a change in the hearts of the people.
Stuart
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