Judges 10

Chapter context

What is happening in Judges 10?

apostasydeliverancedisorderleadership

Judges 10 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as the major judge cycles from Othniel to Samson. Judges recounts the troubled era of charismatic deliverers, recurring apostasy, local rescues, and the national unraveling summed up by the line that everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Read this chapter with the wider themes of apostasy, deliverance, and disorder in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim. ² And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir. ³ And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years. ⁴ And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead. ⁵ And Jair died, and was buried in Camon. ⁶ And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him. ⁷ And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon. ⁸ And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. ⁹ Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed. ¹⁰ And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. ¹¹ And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? ¹² The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. ¹³ Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. ¹⁴ Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. ¹⁵ And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. ¹⁶ And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. ¹⁷ Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh. ¹⁸ And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

Study helps

Glossary

Abimelech Person v. 1: My father a king, or father of a king, a common name of the Philistine kings, as “Pharaoh” was of the Egyptian kings. (1. ) The Philistine king of Gerar in the time of Abraham ( Gen. 20:1-18 ).
Dodo Person v. 1: Amatory; loving. (1. ) A descendant of Issachar ( Judg. 10:1 ). (2. ) An Ahohite, father of Eleazar, who was one of David’s three heroes ( 2 Sam. 23:9 ; 1 Chr. 11:12 ). He was the same with Dodai mentioned in 1 Chr. 27:4 .
Shamir Place v. 1-2: A sharp thorn. (1. ) One of the sons of Michah ( 1 Chr. 24:24 ). (2. ) A town among the mountains of Judah ( Josh. 15:48 ); probably Somerah, 2 1/2 miles north-west of Debir. Modern identification: Samaria.
Tola Person v. 1: A scarlet worm. (1. ) Eldest son of Issachar ( Gen. 46:13 ). (2. ) A judge of the tribe of Issachar who “judged” Israel twenty-three years ( Judg. 10:1 , 2), when he died, and was buried in Shamir. He was succeeded by Jair.
Gilead Place v. 3-4, 8, 17-18: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tell edh Dhahab esh Sherqiyeh.
Havvoth-jair Place v. 4: Biblical region. Modern identification: Qamm.
Kamon Place v. 5: Full of stalks, a place ( Judg. 10:5 ) where Jair was buried. It has usually been supposed to have been a city of Gilead, on the east of Jordan. Modern identification: Qamm.
Ammon Place v. 6-7, 9, 11, 17-18: Biblical region. Modern identification: Amman.
Moab Place v. 6: Biblical region. Modern identification: Kerak.
Philistia Place v. 6: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tel Ashkelon.
Sidon Place v. 6: A fishery, a town on the Mediterranean coast, about 25 miles north of Tyre. It received its name from the “first-born” of Canaan, the grandson of Noah ( Gen. 10:15 , 19). Modern identification: Sandikli archaeological site in Sidon.
Syria Place v. 6: Biblical region. Modern identification: Damascus.
Amorites People v. 8, 11: Highlanders, or hillmen, the name given to the descendants of one of the sons of Canaan ( Gen. 14:7 ), called Amurra or Amurri in the Assyrian and Egyptian inscriptions.
Jordan Place v. 8-9: Biblical river. Modern identification: Jordan River.
Benjamin Person v. 9: Son of my right hand. (1. ) The younger son of Jacob by Rachel ( Gen. 35:18 ). His birth took place at Ephrath, on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, at a short distance from the latter place.
Egypt Place v. 11: The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest kingdom of which we have any record, holds a place of great significance in Scripture. Modern identification: Ain Shams.
Amalek Place v. 12: Biblical region. Modern identification: Ain el Qudeirat.
Maon Place v. 12: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Main.
Mizpah Place v. 17: Or Miz’peh, watch-tower; the look-out. (1. ) A place in Gilead, so named by Laban, who overtook Jacob at this spot ( Gen. 31:49 ) on his return to Palestine from Padan-aram. Modern identification: Jel‘ad.