Judges10

After Abimelech, Tola and Jair judged Israel for a combined 45 years. Following their time, the children of Israel again committed evil by serving numerous foreign gods, forsaking the Lord. Consequently, the Lord's anger burned, and He allowed them to be oppressed by the Philistines and Ammonites for eighteen years. When Israel cried out, the Lord initially rebuked them for their repeated apostasy, but upon their repentance and removal of idols, His soul was grieved for their misery, leading to a renewed hope for deliverance.

The Judges Tola and Jair

1
After Avimelekh there arose to save Isra'el Tola the son of Pu'ah, the son of Dodo, from the tribe of Yissakhar. He lived in Shamir, in the hills of Efrayim. ​
2
He judged Isra'el twenty-three years, and when he died he was buried in Shamir.
3
After him arose Ya'ir, from Gil'ad. He judged Isra'el twenty-two years.
4
He had thirty sons who rode on thirty young donkeys. They owned thirty cities which are called Havot-Ya'ir to this day; they are in the territory of Gil'ad. ​
5
When Ya'ir died, he was buried in Kamon.

Israel's Renewed Apostasy and Oppression

6
Again the people of Isra'el did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective - they served the ba'alim, the 'ashtarot, the gods of Aram, the gods of Tzidon, the gods of Mo'av, the gods of the people of 'Amon and the gods of the P'lishtim. They abandoned ADONAI and did not serve him; ​
7
so the anger of ADONAI blazed against Isra'el, and he handed them over to the P'lishtim and the people of 'Amon. ​
8
For eighteen years, starting that year, they oppressed and persecuted all the people of Isra'el who lived beyond the Yarden, in the territory of the Emorim, in Gil'ad. ​
9
The people of 'Amon also crossed the Yarden to fight Y'hudah, Binyamin and the house of Efrayim; so that Isra'el was greatly distressed.

God Rebukes Israel's Hypocrisy

10
Then the people of Isra'el cried to ADONAI, "We have sinned against you by forsaking our God and serving the ba'alim." ​
11
ADONAI said to the people of Isra'el, "I saved you from the Egyptians, the Emorim, the people of 'Amon, and the P'lishtim, didn't I?
12
Likewise, when the people of Tzidon, 'Amalek and Ma'on oppressed you, you cried out to me; and I rescued you from their power. ​
13
Yet you abandoned me and served other gods; therefore I will not rescue you any more.
14
Go and cry to the gods you chose; let them rescue you when you're in trouble!" ​
15
The people of Isra'el said to ADONAI, "We have sinned! Treat us in whatever way seems good to you, but save us today, please!" ​
16
They got rid of their foreign gods and served ADONAI, and he became troubled by Isra'el's misery. ​

Preparation for Battle Against Ammon

17
Then the people of 'Amon gathered together and set up camp in Gil'ad, while the people of Isra'el assembled and camped at Mitzpah. ​
18
The people, the chiefs of Gil'ad, said to each other, "Whoever leads the battle against the army of 'Amon will be head over everyone living in Gil'ad." ​

Study Notes for Judges 10

Verse 1

Tola and Jair are often categorized as 'minor judges.' Their accounts are brief and formulaic, focusing on lineage, tenure, and burial, suggesting a period of internal stability rather than dramatic military crisis.

Verse 4

Jair’s thirty sons riding on ass colts signifies considerable wealth and status, as the ass was the preferred mount for tribal leaders and nobility. The name 'Havothjair' means 'Jair’s tent villages,' confirming his regional influence in Gilead.

Verse 6

This extensive list of seven different foreign deities (Baalim, Ashtaroth, and gods of five surrounding nations) illustrates the depth and comprehensiveness of Israel's spiritual failure, adopting the worship of nearly every neighbor.

Verse 7

The Lord 'sold them' into the hands of two separate enemies simultaneously: the Philistines (in the west) and the Ammonites (in the east), indicating a widespread divine judgment across the land.

Verse 8

The 18 years of oppression primarily targeted the tribes east of the Jordan (Gilead), who suffered the brunt of the Ammonite invasion. This regional focus sets the stage for the next deliverer, Jephthah, who is a Gileadite.

Verse 10

This cry of distress follows the standard pattern of the Judges cycle, but their prayer is notable for its explicit confession of sin, recognizing that they have both forsaken God and served idols.

Verse 12

God recounts past deliverances to emphasize Israel’s consistent pattern of covenant infidelity, saving them repeatedly only to be replaced by idolatry after each crisis passed.

Verse 14

This powerful, rhetorical rejection forces Israel to confront the futility and powerlessness of the false gods they chose, challenging them to seek help from those they preferred over Yahweh.

Verse 15

Israel responds with genuine repentance and submission, acknowledging God's right to judge ('do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good') while still pleading for immediate mercy and deliverance.

Verse 16

The repentance is authenticated by their actions of putting away the foreign gods. The phrase 'his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel' (Hebrew: *qatsar*) reveals God’s profound compassion overriding his just anger.

Verse 17

The armies gather in anticipation of battle: the Ammonites in Gilead and the Israelites at Mizpeh, likely Mizpeh of Gilead, a key assembly point for the eastern tribes.

Verse 18

This verse sets the stage for the introduction of Jephthah in the next chapter. The inhabitants of Gilead are desperate for a military leader and offer the position of 'head' (chief ruler) to anyone who will begin the fight.

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