Charles Ellicott Commentary Judges 13:1

"And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years." — Judges 13:1 (ASV)

Did evil again. —Judges 3:7; Judges 4:1; Judges 6:1–11; Judges 10:6.

Of the Philistines. — Until now the nation has only been cursorily mentioned (Judges 3:31; Judges 10:7–11); from this time to the reign of David they play an important part. They were not Canaanites, but foreign conquerors.

The district which they held, and from which the name of "Palestine" has been derived, was originally in the hands of the Avim (Deuteronomy 2:23). The name means "emigrants."

They seem to have been also called Caphtorim (Jeremiah 47:4), from living in Caphtor, i.e., Crete (Tac. Hist. v. 3); but it is uncertain whether they were Semitic (Ewald, Mövers), Hamitic , or Aryan (Hitzig). Their connection with Crete is inferred from the name Cherethites (Septuagint, Kretes). They were in Palestine by Abraham’s time (Genesis 21:32).

Forty years. — These terminated with the battle of Ebenezer (1 Samuel 7:13). The ark had been taken and sent back about twenty years before this battle, and the acts of Samson probably fall within those twenty years, so that Eli died about the time that Samson came of age.