Rashi
Jewish
1040–1105
“Five Pelishtite sovereignties. These were the nations whom He permited to remain as a test.”
The interpretation timeline
Judg 3:3
How this passage has been read — the sources, oldest to newest.
From the early Church Fathers to now.
1 Jewish · 1 Catholic
Judg 3:3 · Douay-Rheims
“The five princes of the Philistines, and all the Chanaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hevites that dwelt in mount Libanus, from mount Baal Hermon to the entering into Emath.”
Scholastic
c. 1100 – 1500
1105
A.D.
744 years pass — nothing from this stretch is hosted yet
Post-Reformation
c. 1650 – 1900
1849
A.D.
George Leo Haydock
Catholic
1774–1849
“Princes, ( satrapas ) a Persian word. (Menochius) — These heads of the five great cities of the Philistines, are called Seranim, (Haydock) but never kings, whether they were governors of so many petty states, united in the same form of republican or aristocratical government, or independent of each other. See Josue xiii. Three of these cities are said to have been take by Juda, (chap. i. 18,) unless the Septuagint be more accurate, as this passage would seem to insinuate. (Calmet) — They might have thrown off the yoke in a short time, as we before observed. These five cities were Gaza, Geth, Ascalon, Azotus, and Accaron. (Haydock) — All but Geth were on the Mediterranean sea. (Calmet) — All the Chanaanites, &c., who dwelt in Libanus, with some others, who were dispersed through the country, ver. 5. (Haydock) — These chiefly inhabited the environs of Sidon. — Baal Hermon. The idol of Baal might probably be adored on this mountain. (Menochius) — We find Baal-gad in the same neighbourhood, and both may mean the same city. (Calmet)”
Modern · 1953 →
The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.