Judges 10 Commentary
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Judges 10 Commentary PREVIOUS NEXT Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission Chart on Judges - Nice Summaries of the Various Judges - Charles Swindoll Another Overview Chart of Judges Israel's deliverance (Judges 10:17-12:7) - Hannah's Bible Outline 1. The preparations for battle (Judges 10:17-11:28) a. The armies gathered (Judges 10:17-18) b. The leader secured (Judges 11:1-11) 1. His background (Judges 11:1-3) 2. His covenant (Judges 11:4-11) c. The messages to Ammon (Judges 11:12-28) 2. The vow and victory in battle (Judges 11:29-40) a. The vow made (Judges 11:29-31) b. The victory secured (Judges 11:32-33) c. The vow observed (Judges 11:34-40) 3. The strife with Ephraim (Judges 12:1-6) a. Ephraim's jealousy (Judges 12:1-3) b. Ephraim's defeat (Judges 12:4-6) 4. The death of Jephthah (Judges 12:7) Paul Apple (Judges 10:6-12:15) Cycle # 5 – Deliverance from Philistines and Ammonites Jephthah (Judge #8) God can use a man who is rejected by the world but appropriates His grace 1. Judges 10:6-11:28 Rise of Jephthah – From Despised Reject to Desired Recruit -- Don’t Underestimate the Love of God in Remaining Faithful to His People Despite Their Repeated Apostasies . And Don’t Underestimate the Grace of God in Transforming Human Outcasts Into Conquering Heroes 2. Judges 11:29-40 Jephthah’s Tragic Vow – Don’t Bargain With God – Commitments Made to the Lord Must Be Kept Regardless of the Cost 3. Judges 12:1-7 Jephthah’s Legacy -- Internal Conflict Tears Apart the People of God – Inflated Egos and a Harsh Spirit Erupt in Tragic Conflict for the People of God Remember what was prophesied of the Lord Jesus Christ: “the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” (1 Peter 2:7-8; Ps. 118:22 – “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” Acts 4:11-12) All of the judges point to the ultimate Deliverer in some form or fashion. Today we are going to be amazed at the love of God for His people and the grace of God to make leaders out of cast off rubble. Whatever our past may have been, by the providence of God it can be used to shape us and mold us for great usefulness to the Lord in the future. Judges 10:1 Now after Abimelech died, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, arose to save Israel; and he lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. A.M. 2772, B.C. 1232, An, Ex, Is, 259 arose (KJV): Jdg 2:16 3:9 defend (KJV): or, deliver, Heb. save Shamir (KJV): Jos 15:48 Judges 10 Resources Sin Restrained - Judges 10:1-5 Sin Resurgent - Judges 10:6-9 Sin Rebuked - Judges 10:10-14 Sin Rejected - Judges 10:15-18 TOLA: means "scarlet," "purple," "worm," a sign of luxury (see Tola) SAVE: deliver, rescue. There is no mention of any external threat while he was in office. yâkom lehōshia, arose to save or deliver. To sustain the office and act the יקם להושיע .George Bush - 1. Arose to defend. Heb part of a savior or deliverer, in case it should be necessary. They were now freed from the tyranny of Abimelech, and as far as appears enjoyed prevailing peace, yet they were still liable to annoyance and incursions from the neighboring powers, and it was fitting that they should have a head to preside over their concerns, repressing internal discords, maintaining union, guarding against idolatry, and prepared at all times to take the field in their defence. Dwelt in Shamir, in mount Ephraim. Though of the tribe of Issachar, yet when raised to the government, he came and dwelt in mount Ephraim, as being a more central station, one to which the people might more conveniently resort for judgment. (Judges 10 Commentary) A R Fausset -And after Abimelech [who though an usurper of kingship, yet was son of Gideon, and de facto, though not de jure, judge] there arose [at God’s call], to defend [Heb., Lehoshia, “to save” (Neh. 9:27) “saviours who saved them”] Israel [from internal conspirators like Abimelech, or external foes like Midian, and above all from the apostasy and idolatry which had so often provoked God to send such executioners of His wrath against Israel. That Tola kept Israel from idols, appears from the fact that, when he and Jair were dead, Israel relapsed into idolatry], Tola the son of Puah [both bore names the same as the original founders of families in Issachar (Gen. 46:13; Numb. 26:23). Puah is written also Pua and Phuvah], the son of Dodo [not “his uncle” as the Septuagint translate it; but a proper name (2 Sam. 23:9; 1 Chron. 11:12], a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in Mount Ephraim [Tola resided here, rather than in his own tribe Issachar, as being a more convenient centre of government. Van de Velde identifies it with the modern Khirbet Sammer, a ruin in the mountains overlooking the Jordan valley, ten miles south-east of Nablus or Shechem. Distinct from Shamir of Judah (Josh. 15:48)]. (Judges 10 Commentary) Keith Krell - “God’s Honorable Mentions” (Judges 10:1-5; 12:8-15) The judgeship of Jephthah (Judges 10:6–12:7) is framed by a brief mention of the five so-called “minor judges” (10:1–5; 12:8–15). For several reasons, their role in ancient Israel seems to have differed from the other judges: 1. Each is mentioned only briefly in a notation containing primarily genealogical information. 2. Missing is any indication that they led Israel in battle against a foreign enemy. 3. The length of time which each served is given in an exact number of years rather than as a round number. The ministries of these minor judges teach two lessons, one negative and the other positive. Negatively they did not change any of the previous problems in Israel but seem to have maintained the status quo. The fact that several of the judges fathered extremely large families points to their living like the eastern kings of their day. This is further evidence that Canaanite culture was influencing the Israelites adversely. Positively these accounts indicate God’s gracious blessing of His apostate people despite themselves. McCann writes, “Elsewhere in the Old Testament, children are gifts from God [Ps 127:3]; they indicate God’s blessing. So amid the increasing chaotic and violent stories that indicate the Israelites are abandoning God, the two lists of minor judges suggest that God is not abandoning the Israelites (see Judges 2:1, where God says, ‘I will never break my covenant with you.’).”2 Furthermore, for forty–five years, the people of Israel enjoyed peace and security, thanks to the leadership of Tola and Jair. This fact suggests that God is working behind the scenes in and through the family and political institutions to promote stability and prosperity. (Sermon) Judges 10:2 And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir. Judges 10 Resources A R Fausset - And he judged Israel [i.e., the northern and eastern tribes; not the southern tribes, Judah, Benjamin, and Simeon, which had no share in Gideon’s victory, and had not come under Abimelech’s usurpation] twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir. (Judges 10 Commentary) Judges 10:3 And after him, Jair the Gileadite arose, and judged Israel twenty-two years. A.M. 2795, B.C. 1209, An, Ex, Is, 282 a Gileadite: Ge 31:48 Nu 32:29 Judges 10 Resources See Jair A R Fausset - And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite [of course, not the same as Jair the Manassite, who in the time of Moses gave the name Havoth-Jair to the towns of Bashan which he had conquered (Numb. 32:41). This name was brought into use again by the sons of the judge Jair. The earlier Jair took Argob or Trachonitis, the Lejah, and called from his own name certain villages or groups of dwellings, twenty-three in number originally, which afterwards the sons of the judge Jair increased to thirty; they probably also fortified and enlarged the towns. Havoth means ‘dwelling-places,’ from Havah, “life,” as the German Leben, ‘life,’ is a termination of many names of towns; so Eisleben. The total number of such villages of Jair in Argob was sixty, of which thirty-seven were conquered by Nobah (a family of sons of Machir related to Jair) and twenty-three by Jair (Josh. 13:30; 1 Kings 4:13; 1 Chron. 2:22, 23). As Nobah was of a subordinate branch of the Jair family, Moses comprehends the whole sixty under Jair’s name, Havoth-Jair. Og’s sixty fenced cities, Moses observes as a marvellous monument of God’s grace to Israel, are become even “unto this day” (the day when he wrote) ‘Havoth-Jair,’ the dwellings of Jair (Deut. 3:14)], and judged Israel twenty and two years. (Judges 10 Commentary) Judges 10:4 And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities in the land of Gilead that are called Havvoth-jair to this day. rode (KJV): Jdg 5:10 12:14 called (KJV): Nu 32:41 Dt 3:14 Havothjair (KJV): or, the villages of Jair Judges 10 Resources Very large families (cp Jdg 12:9,14) suggests a marriage to several wives, a part of life tolerated but never ordained or approved in God’s blueprint of one man and one woman for life (Ge 2:24).