Judges 10

Tola and Jair

1 After Abimelech, Tola son of Puah, son of Dodo [became judge] and began to deliver Israel. He was from Issachar and lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.

2 Tola judged Israel 23 years, and when he died, was buried in Shamir.

3 After him came Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel 22 years.

4 He had 30 sons who rode on 30 young donkeys. They had 30 towns^[a] in Gilead, which are called Jair's Villages^[b] to this day.

5 When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.

Israel's Rebellion and Repentance

6 Then the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.^[c] They worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and the Philistines. They abandoned the Lord and did not worship Him.

7 So the Lord's anger burned against Israel, and He sold them to^[d] the Philistines and the Ammonites.

8 They shattered and crushed the Israelites that year, and for 18 years [they did the same to] all the Israelites who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites in Gilead.

9 The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim. Israel was greatly oppressed,

10 so they cried out to the Lord, saying, "We have sinned against You. We have abandoned our God and worshiped the Baals."

11 The Lord said to the Israelites, "When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines,

12 Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites^[e] oppressed you, and you cried out to Me, did I not deliver you from their power?

13 But you have abandoned Me and worshiped other gods. Therefore, I will not deliver you again.

14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen.^[f] Let them deliver you in the time of your oppression."

15 But the Israelites said, "We have sinned. Deal with us as You see fit;^[g] only deliver us today!"

16 So they got rid of the foreign gods among them and worshiped the Lord, but He became weary of Israel's misery.

17 The Ammonites were called together, and they camped in Gilead. So the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.

18 The rulers^[h] of Gilead said to one another, "Which man will lead the fight against the Ammonites? He will be the leader of all the inhabitants of Gilead."

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]. LXX; MT reads donkeys
• [b]. Or called Havvoth-jair
• [c]. Jdg 3:12; 4:1
• [d]. Lit into the hand of
• [e]. LXX reads Midianites
• [f]. Dt 32:37-38; Jr 2:28; 11:12
• [g]. Lit Do to us what is good in Your eyes
• [h]. Lit The people, rulers

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.