Matthew Poole and continuators on Judges 13:1

AND the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years .

To be computed, not from Abdon's death, but before that time, as is evident both from v. 5. where it is declared, that Israel was under the Power of the Philistines; and from Iudg. 15. 20. where only twenty of these Years are said to have been in Sampson's days. And it is probably conceived, that that great slaughter of the Ephraimites made by Iephthah did greatly encourage the Philistines to rise against Israel, when one of their chief Bulwarks was so much weakned; and therefore that the Philistines began to domineer over them not long after Iepthah's death.

i. e. Fell into Idolatry, &c. not now after the death of Abdon the last Judge, but in the days of the former Judges.

Marginal references: Heb. added to commit, &c.; Chap. 2. 11. and 3. 7. and 4. 1. and 6. 1. and 10. 6.