P.J. Achtemier , Harper's Bible Dictionary, , Othniel is presented as an ideal leader. He is followed by Cushan-rishathaim who may be Irsu, a Syrian usurper in Egypt (late thirteenth century b.c.).
Encyclopedie , Jewish Encyclopedia, , Morris Jastrow Jr. John Dyneley Prince, CHUSHAN-RISHATHAIM; Biblical Data:
A king of Mesopotamia, or, more specifically, of Aram-naharaim ("Aram of the two rivers"), probably a kingdom in northern Mesopotamia (see Aram). He was the first of the oppressors of Israel in the time of the judges. The tyrant, who held Israel in subjection for eight years after Joshua's death, was finally conquered by the Judahite judge Othniel, who freed Israel from his rule (Judges iii. 8 et seq.).
Critical View:
Critics (see Moore's commentary to Judges iii.) consider that the two statements: (1) that the land of Israel was conquered by an early Aramaic king, and (2) that the Israelites were freed by a Judahite hero, are contradictory. In all probability the ancient Judean clans had practically no connection with Israel, and, in fact, would not aid the Israelites in Deborah's insurrection (see Judges v.). Budde ("Richter und Samuel," p. 95) also denies the possibility of Israel having been helped by Othniel. He thinks that the later editor of Judges was a Judean who arranged the story so as to give his own tribe a representative among the judges. On the other hand, there is no reason to doubt the truth of the tradition that Arameans may at one time have held Israel in subjugation.
The name "Chushan-rishathaim" appears nowhere outside of the Biblical record. It has not yet been found on the cuneiform monuments; and no satisfactory explanation of its derivation has been given.
Rabbi Dr. I. Epstein , Soncino Babylonian Talmud, 105a, Tractate Sanhedrin Folio 105a; A Tanna taught: Beor, Cushan-rishathaim and Laban the Syrian are identical; Beor denotes that he committed bestiality; Cushan-rishathaim, that he perpetrated two evils upon Israel: one in the days of Jacob1), and the other in the days of the Judges.2) But what was his real name? Laban the Syrian.
1) When he pursued him, wishing to destroy him (Gen. XXVI, 23 et seq.).
2) Judges III, 8; Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushon-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia. Rish'athaim is taken as dual of Rish'ah, [H] 'evil'.
John Gill , Exposition of the Entire Bible, Jud 3:8, or Aramnaharaim; that is, Syria, between the two rivers, which were Tigris and Euphrates; hence the Greek name of this place is as here called Mesopotamia. Josephus {Antiqu. l. 5. c. 3. sect. 2.} calls him king of Assyria, and gives him the name of Chusarthus; and indeed Chushanrishathaim seems to be his whole name, though the Targum makes Rishathaim to be an epithet, and calls him Cushan, the wicked king of Syria; the word is of the dual number, and signifies two wickednesses; which, according to the mystical exposition of the Jews {T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 105. I.}, refers to two wicked things Syria did to Israel, one by Balaam the Syrian, and the other by this Cushan. Mr. Bedford {Scripture Chronology, p. 507.} thinks it may be rendered,
"Cushan, king of the two wicked kingdoms;''
the Assyrian monarchy being at this time like two kingdoms, Babylon being the metropolis of the one, and Nineveh of the other; but it is question whether the monarchy was as yet in being. Hillerus {Onomastic. p. 154, 155.} makes Cushan to be an Arab Scenite, from Hab 3:7; and Rishathaim to denote disquietudes; and it represents him as a man very turbulent, never quiet and easy, and so it seems he was; for not content with his kingdom on the other side Euphrates, he passed over that, and came into Canaan, to subject that to him, and add it to his dominions. Kimchi says that Rishathaim may be the name of a place, and some conjecture it to be the same with the Rhisina of Ptolemy {Geograph. l. 5. c. 18.}; but it seems rather a part of this king's name, who came and fought against Israel, and the Lord delivered them into his hands
Keil & Delitzsch , Commentary on the Old Testament, , [0], Jdg_3:7-8, The first chastisement which the Israelites suffered for their apostasy from the Lord, is introduced with the same formula which had been used before to describe the times of the judges generally (Jdg_2:11-12), except that instead of את־יי ויּעזבוּ ("they forsook the Lord") we have here את־יי ויּשׁכּחוּ ("they forgot the Lord their God") from Deu_32:18 (cf. 1Sa_12:9), and Asheroth (rendered "groves") instead of Ashtaroth (see at Jdg_2:13). As a punishment for this apostasy, the Lord sold them (Jdg_2:14) into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim, the king of Mesopotamia, whom they were obliged to serve for eight years. All that we know about this king of Mesopotamia is what is recorded here. His name, Chushan-rishathaim, is probably only a title which was given to him by the Israelites themselves. Rishathaim signifies "double wickedness," and the word was rendered as an appellative with this signification in the Targums and the Syriac and Arabic versions. Chushan is also formed as an adjective from Cush, and may denote the Cushites. According to M. v. Niebuhr (Gesch. Assurs u. Babels, p. 272), the rulers of Babylon at that time (1518-1273) were Arabs. "Arabs, however, may have included not only Shemites of the tribe of Joktan or Ishmael, but Cushites also." The invasion of Canaan by this Mesopotamian or Babylonian king has a historical analogy in the campaign of the five allied kings of Shinar in the time of Abraham (Gen 14).