“And the land had rest forty yeres: and Othniel the sonne of Kenaz died.”
1611 King James Version (KJV)
3:11 Forty years - It rested about forty years, or the greatest part of forty years: it being most frequent in scripture to use numbers in such a latitude. Nor is it unusual either in scripture, or in other authors, for things to be denominated from the greater part; especially, when they enjoyed some degrees of rest and peace even in their times of slavery.