18 And the people H5971 and princes H8269 of Gilead H1568 said H559 one H376 to another, H7453 What man H376 is he that will begin H2490 to fight H3898 against the children H1121 of Ammon? H5983 he shall be head H7218 over all the inhabitants H3427 of Gilead. H1568
Then Jephthah H3316 went H3212 with the elders H2205 of Gilead, H1568 and the people H5971 made H7760 him head H7218 and captain H7101 over them: and Jephthah H3316 uttered H1696 all his words H1697 before H6440 the LORD H3068 in Mizpeh. H4709
Now after H310 the death H4194 of Joshua H3091 it came to pass, that the children H1121 of Israel H3478 asked H7592 the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 Who shall go up H5927 for us against the Canaanites H3669 first, H8462 to fight H3898 against them?
And it was so, that when the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 made war H3898 against Israel, H3478 the elders H2205 of Gilead H1568 went H3212 to fetch H3947 Jephthah H3316 out of the land H776 of Tob: H2897 And they said H559 unto Jephthah, H3316 Come, H3212 and be our captain, H7101 that we may fight H3898 with the children H1121 of Ammon. H5983 And Jephthah H3316 said H559 unto the elders H2205 of Gilead, H1568 Did not ye hate H8130 me, and expel H1644 me out of my father's H1 house? H1004 and why are ye come H935 unto me now when ye are in distress? H6887 And the elders H2205 of Gilead H1568 said H559 unto Jephthah, H3316 Therefore we turn again H7725 to thee now, that thou mayest go H1980 with us, and fight H3898 against the children H1121 of Ammon, H5983 and be our head H7218 over all the inhabitants H3427 of Gilead. H1568
And Jephthah H3316 judged H8199 Israel H3478 six H8337 years. H8141 Then died H4191 Jephthah H3316 the Gileadite, H1569 and was buried H6912 in one of the cities H5892 of Gilead. H1568
And the men H376 of Israel H3478 said, H559 Have ye seen H7200 this man H376 that is come up? H5927 surely to defy H2778 Israel H3478 is he come up: H5927 and it shall be, that the man H376 who killeth H5221 him, the king H4428 will enrich H6238 him with great H1419 riches, H6239 and will give H5414 him his daughter, H1323 and make H6213 his father's H1 house H1004 free H2670 in Israel. H3478
For, behold, the Lord, H113 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 doth take away H5493 from Jerusalem H3389 and from Judah H3063 the stay H4937 and the staff, H4938 the whole stay H4937 of bread, H3899 and the whole H3605 stay H4937 of water, H4325 The mighty man, H1368 and the man H376 of war, H4421 the judge, H8199 and the prophet, H5030 and the prudent, H7080 and the ancient, H2205 The captain H8269 of fifty, H2572 and the honourable H5375 man, H6440 and the counsellor, H3289 and the cunning H2450 artificer, H2791 and the eloquent H995 orator. H3908 And I will give H5414 children H5288 to be their princes, H8269 and babes H8586 shall rule H4910 over them. And the people H5971 shall be oppressed, H5065 every one H376 by another, H376 and every one H376 by his neighbour: H7453 the child H5288 shall behave himself proudly H7292 against the ancient, H2205 and the base H7034 against the honourable. H3513 When a man H376 shall take hold H8610 of his brother H251 of the house H1004 of his father, H1 saying, Thou hast clothing, H8071 be thou our ruler, H7101 and let this ruin H4384 be under thy hand: H3027 In that day H3117 shall he swear, H5375 saying, H559 I will not be an healer; H2280 for in my house H1004 is neither bread H3899 nor clothing: H8071 make H7760 me not a ruler H7101 of the people. H5971 For Jerusalem H3389 is ruined, H3782 and Judah H3063 is fallen: H5307 because their tongue H3956 and their doings H4611 are against the LORD, H3068 to provoke H4784 the eyes H5869 of his glory. H3519
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Judges 10
Commentary on Judges 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 10
Jud 10:1-5. Tola Judges Israel in Shamir.
1. after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel, Tola—that is, "to save." Deliverance was necessary as well from intestine usurpation as from foreign aggression.
the son of Puah—He was uncle to Abimelech by the father's side, and consequently brother of Gideon; yet the former was of the tribe of Issachar, while the latter was of Manasseh. They were, most probably, uterine brothers.
dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim—As a central place, he made it the seat of government.
3. Jair, a Gileadite—This judge was a different person from the conqueror of that northeastern territory, and founder of Havoth-jair, or "Jair's villages" (Nu 32:41; De 3:14; Jos 13:3; 1Ch 2:22).
4. he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts—This is a characteristic trait of Eastern manners in those early times; and the grant of a village to each of his thirty sons was a striking proof of his extensive possessions. His having thirty sons is no conclusive evidence that he had more than one wife, much less that he had more than one at a time. There are instances, in this country, of men having as many children by two successive wives.
Jud 10:6-9. Israel Oppressed by the Philistines and Ammonites.
6. the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord—This apostasy seems to have exceeded every former one in the grossness and universality of the idolatry practised.
7. Philistines, and … the children of Ammon—The predatory incursions of these two hostile neighbors were made naturally on the parts of the land respectively contiguous to them. But the Ammonites, animated with the spirit of conquest, carried their arms across the Jordan; so that the central and southern provinces of Canaan were extensively desolated.
Jud 10:10-15. They Cry to God.
10. The children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee—The first step of repentance is confession of sin, and the best proof of its sincerity is given by the transgressor, when he mourns not only over the painful consequences which have resulted from his offenses to himself, but over the heinous evil committed against God.
11. the Lord said … Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians—The circumstances recorded in this and the following verses were not probably made through the high priest, whose duty it was to interpret the will of God.
12. Maonites—that is, "Midianites."
Jud 10:16-18. They Repent; God Pities Them.
16. they put away the strange gods … and served the Lord; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel—On their abandonment of idolatry and return to purity of worship, God graciously abridged the term of national affliction and restored times of peace.
17, 18. the children of Ammon were gathered together—From carrying on guerrilla warfare, the Ammonites proceeded to a continued campaign. Their settled aim was to wrest the whole of the trans-jordanic territory from its actual occupiers. In this great crisis, a general meeting of the Israelitish tribes was held at Mizpeh. This Mizpeh was in eastern Manasseh (Jos 11:3).