Othniel Gothoniel
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(lion of God) a) (Josh. 1:13; 15:16, 17) — the first of the judges of Israel, son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. He took the city of Kiriath-sepher and for this received, as a reward, Caleb’s daughter Achsah as wife (Josh. 15:16, 17). After the death of Joshua, probably some 30 years later, when the Israelites, having intermarried with the daughters of the Canaanites, fell into idolatry and were punished for it with eight years of servitude to the king of Mesopotamia, then, in consequence of their repentance, the Lord raised up for them a deliverer in the person of Othniel.
“The Spirit of the Lord was upon him,” the sacred writer relates of him, “and he judged Israel… and the Lord delivered Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, into his hand” (Judg. 3:10). He judged Israel until his death, and the land of Israel had rest for 40 years (Judg. 3:11). According to 1 Chronicles (4:13, 14), Othniel had sons, of whom one was named Hathath, and another Meonothai; b) (Judith 6:15) father of Chabris, one of the chiefs of the city of Bethulia, besieged by Holofernes.