Judges 10

1 And after Abimelech Thola the son of Phua rose up to save Israel, the son of his father's brother, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Samir in mount Ephraim.

2 And he judged Israel twenty-three years, and died, and was buried in Samir.

3 And after him arose Jair of Galaad, and he judged Israel twenty-two years.

4 And he had thirty-two sons riding on thirty-two colts, and they had thirty-two cities; and they called them Jair's towns until this day in the land of Galaad.

5 And Jair died, and was buried in Rhamnon.

6 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Astaroth, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Phylistines; and they forsook the Lord, and did not serve him.

7 And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and sold them into the hands of the Phylistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon.

8 And they afflicted and bruised the children of Israel at that time eighteen years, all the children of Israel beyond Jordan in the land of the Amorite in Galaad.

9 And the children of Ammon went over Jordan to fight with Juda, and Benjamin, and with Ephraim; and the children of Israel were greatly afflicted.

10 And the children of Israel cried to the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, because we have forsaken God, and served Baalim.

11 And the Lord said to the children of Israel, Did I not from Egypt and from the Amorite, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Phylistines,

12 and from the Sidonians, and Amalec, and Madiam, who afflicted you? and ye cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand?

13 Yet ye forsook me and served other gods; therefore I will not save you any more.

14 Go, and cry to the gods whom ye have chosen to yourselves, and let them save you in the time of your affliction.

15 And the children of Israel said to the Lord, We have sinned: do thou to us according to all good in thine eyes; only deliver us this day.

16 And they put away the strange gods from the midst of them, and served the Lord only, and his soul was pained for the trouble of Israel.

17 And the children of Ammon went up, and encamped in Galaad; and the children of Israel were gathered together and encamped on the hill.

18 And the people the princes of Galaad said every man to his neighbour, Who he that shall begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall even be head over all that dwell in Galaad.

Judges 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

Tola and Jair judge Israel. (1-5) The Philistines and Ammonites oppress Israel. (6-9) Israel's repentance. (10-18)

Verses 1-5 Quiet and peaceable reigns, though the best to live in, yield least variety of matter to be spoken of. Such were the days of Tola and Jair. They were humble, active, and useful men, rulers appointed of God.

Verses 6-9 Now the threatening was fulfilled, that the Israelites should have no power to stand before their enemies, Le. 26:17, Le. 26:37 . By their evil ways and their evil doings they procured this to themselves.

Verses 10-18 God is able to multiply men's punishments according to the numbers of their sins and idols. But there is hope when sinners cry to the Lord for help, and lament their ungodliness as well as their more open transgressions. It is necessary, in true repentance, that there be a full conviction that those things cannot help us which we have set in competition with God. They acknowledged what they deserved, yet prayed to God not to deal with them according to their deserts. We must submit to God's justice, with a hope in his mercy. True repentance is not only for sin, but from sin. As the disobedience and misery of a child are a grief to a tender father, so the provocations of God's people are a grief to him. From him mercy never can be sought in vain. Let then the trembling sinner, and the almost despairing backslider, cease from debating about God's secret purposes, or from expecting to find hope from former experiences. Let them cast themselves on the mercy of God our Saviour, humble themselves under his hand, seek deliverance from the powers of darkness, separate themselves from sin, and from occasions of it, use the means of grace diligently, and wait the Lord's time, and so they shall certainly rejoice in his mercy.

Footnotes

• [a]. Abimelech's.
• [b]. near the watch-tower.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 10

This chapter gives an account of two judges of Israel, in whose days they enjoyed peace, Jud 10:1-5, after which they sinning against God, came into trouble, and were oppressed by their enemies eighteen years, and were also invaded by an army of the Ammonites, Jud 10:6-9, when they cried unto the Lord for deliverance, confessing their sin; but he had first refused to grant them any, though upon their importunity and reformation he had compassion on them, Jud 10:10-16 and the chapter is concluded with the preparation made by both armies for a battle, Jud 10:17,18.