| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Judges Chapter
Ten
Judges 10
Chapter Contents
Tola and Jair judge Israel. (1-5) The Philistines and
Ammonites oppress Israel. (6-9) Israel's repentance. (10-18)
Commentary on Judges 10:1-5
(Read Judges 10:1-5)
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.
Commentary on Judges 10:6-9
(Read Judges 10:6-9)
Now the threatening was fulfilled
that the Israelites
should have no power to stand before their enemies
Leviticus 26:17
37. By their evil ways and their
evil doings they procured this to themselves.
Commentary on Judges 10:10-18
(Read Judges 10:10-18)
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.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Judges》
Judges 10
Verse 1
[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.
There arose —
Not of himself
but raised by God
as the other Judges were.
To defend —
Or
to save
which he did not by fighting against
and overthrowing their
enemies
but by a prudent and pious government of them
whereby he kept them
from sedition
oppression
and idolatry.
In Shamir —
Which was in the very midst of the land.
Verse 3
[3] And after him arose Jair
a Gileadite
and judged Israel twenty and two
years.
A Gileadite — Of
Gilead beyond Jordan.
Verse 4
[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.
And he had thirty sons — They were itinerant judges
who rode from place to place
as their
father's deputies to administer justice.
Havoth-jair —
These villages were called so before this time from another Jair
but the old
name was revived and confirmed upon this occasion.
Verse 6
[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.
Forsook the Lord —
They grew worse and worse
and so ripened themselves for ruin. Before they
worshipped God and idols together
now they forsake God
and wholly cleave to
idols.
Verse 7
[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.
Philistines
… —
The one on the west
the other on the east; so they were molested on both
sides.
Verse 8
[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.
That year —
Or
that year they had vexed and oppressed the children of Israel eighteen
years - This was the eighteenth year from the beginning of that oppression. And
these eighteen years are not to be reckoned from Jair's death
because that
would enlarge the time of the judges beyond the just bounds; but from the
fourth year of Jair's reign: so that the greatest part of Jair's reign was
contemporary with this affliction. The case of Jair and Samson seem to be much
alike. For as it is said of Samson
that he judged Israel in the days of the
tyranny of the Philistines
twenty years
Judges 15:20
by which it is evident
that his
judicature
and their dominion
were contemporary; the like is to be conceived
of Jair
that he began to judge Israel
and endeavoured to reform religion
and
purge out all abuses; but being unable to effect this through the backwardness
of the
people
God would not enable him to deliver the people
but gave them
up to this sad oppression; so that Jair could only determine differences
amongst the Israelites
but could not deliver them from their enemies.
Verse 10
[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.
And served also —
Because not contented to add idols to thee
we have preferred them before thee.
Verse 11
[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?
The Lord said —
Either by some prophet whom he raised and sent for this purpose: or by the
high-priest
who was consulted in the case.
From the Amorites —
Both Sihon and Og
and their people
and other kings of the Amorites within
Jordan.
Of Ammon —
Who were confederate with the Moabites
Judges 3:13
14.
Verse 12
[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.
The Zidonians — We
do not read of any oppression of Israel
particularly
by the Zidonians. But
many things were done
which are not recorded.
The Maonites —
Either first
those who lived in
or near the wilderness of Maon
in the south
of Judah
1 Samuel 23:25; 25:2
whether Edomites or others. Or
secondly
the Mehunims
a people living near the Arabians
of whom
2 Chronicles 26:7. For in the Hebrew
the
letters of both names are the same
only the one is the singular
the other the
plural number.
Verse 13
[13] Yet
ye have forsaken me
and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no
more.
No more —
Except you repent in another manner than you yet have done; which when they
performed
God suspended the execution of this threatning.
Verse 14
[14] Go
and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of
your tribulation.
Chosen —
You have not been forced to worship those gods by your oppressors; but you have
freely chosen them before me.
Verse 15
[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.
Do thou unto us — Do
not give us up into the hands of these cruel men
but do thou chastise us with
thine own hand as much as thou pleasest; if we be not more faithful and
constant to thee
than we have hitherto been.
Verse 16
[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.
They put away —
This was an evidence of the sincerity of their sorrow
that they did not only
confess their sins
but also forsake them.
His soul
… — He
acted towards them
like one that felt their sufferings; he had pity upon them
quite changed his carriage towards them
and punished their enemies as sorely
as if they had grieved and injured his own person.
Verse 17
[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.
Mizpeh —
That Mizpeh which was beyond Jordan.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Judges》
10 Chapter 10
Verse 14
Cry unto the gods which ye have chosen.
Man in trouble crying to his god
I. Every sinner is
destined to meet with trouble. Personal afflictions; social bereavements;
death.
II. in great
trouble he instinctively cries to his god.
1. Every man has a god.
2. Every man’s god ought to be able to help him when help is needed.
III. No god can help
him in trouble but the true one. (Homilist.)
No help in trouble save from God
Travellers tell us that they who are at the top of the Alps can
see great showers of rain fall under them
but not a drop of it falls on them.
They who have God for their portion are in a high tower
and thereby safe from
all troubles and showers. A drift rain of evil will beat in at the creature’s
windows
be they never so well pointed: all the garments this world can make up
cannot keep them that travel in such weather from being wet to the skin. No
creature is able to bear the weight of its fellow-creature
but as reeds break
under
and as thorns run into the sides that lean on them. The bow drawn beyond
its compass breaks in sunder
and the string wound above its strength snaps in
pieces. Such are outward helps to all that trust to them in hardships. (G.
Swinnock.)
Helpless gods
It is a most grievous casting them in the teeth
by an ironical
mocking of them with their idolatry
as if he should say
“Now ye prove and see
what your gods can do.” As Elias did the like to the prophets of Baal.
Therefore by thus speaking
and bidding them go seek help at their idols’
hands
they having shaken off the Lord
he teacheth us that they whom we have
served
and committed ourselves to
must pay us our wages
and to them the Lord
justly doth and will send us to their patronage in our greatest need
even to
our horror
yea
destruction
if He take us not
as He did these here
to His
mercy. They therefore that have trusted
and still do in man
and have made
flesh their arm
shall know by experience one day that they have trusted to a
bruised reed. Briefly to conclude this doctrine with some other uses thereof
we see secondly by this that God doth import no less than that (by the law of
like equity
and by virtue of a far stronger covenant) if this people had
persisted faithful in His service He could not have denied their suit for help
and defence against their enemies. Thirdly
these words note out this
that it
is wisdom for a man to bestow his chief cost there whence he looks for best
recompense and acknowledgment in the time of most need. A man is not ashamed of
that labour which hath brought him in plentiful gain
but of that which answers
not his cost and hope. Men that have run themselves out of breath all their
life
groping after a blind happiness
in their unprofitable
superstitious
profane course
at length
seeing themselves deceived
wish they had served a
Master who might have saved them and received them into everlasting
habitations. Thus the Lord is fain to upbraid men (though not by word
saying
“Go to your idols
” yet in effect
in that He leaveth them shiftless)
or else
who should persuade one of a hundred that he soweth among thorns
or loseth his
labour and cost
when he casteth it and himself away upon idols? (R. Rogers.)
The misery of forsaking God
I know not how anything can be imagined more sublime
more
edifying
or more truly affecting than the delineations of the moral character
of the Almighty Governor of the universe
afforded us by Scripture. Immensity
of power
combined with the most unrestricted condescension to the wants of the
meanest of His creatures; and purity
which charges the very heavens with
comparative uncleanness
united with plenitude of compassion. Perhaps
however
there is no passage in the book of the Old Testament more completely to this
purpose than the text. Now
be it remembered
that a correct theory of the
Divine Being
and sound views of practical morality
are as closely connected
with each other as cause and effect. All real morality being the adaptation of
our actions to some authentic first rule
and that rule being the presumed will
of the great Being who has an undisputed claim to our obedience
it follows as
a matter of course that
in order that our standard of morals should be high
our notions of Him to whose approbation that standard is referable should be
high in a like proportion. We might as well expect the subsequent course of a
stream to be more elevated than its fountain as imagine holy and perfect
actions to proceed from belief in an imperfect or impure deity. This con-
sideration will at once show us that spiritual debasement is a necessary result
of false worship; and will point out the fallaciousness of that favourite
assertion of the unbeliever
that accuracy of our abstract notions respecting
the Deity is of no consequence provided our practical theory of morality be
correct
And now
then
by this infallible test let us try the Christian
revelation
comparing it with all that the most plausible surmises of pagan
philosophy
or of modern infidelity
have at any time suggested in opposition
or rivalry to it. The more substantial theories of paganism on this subject lie
in very small compass. It is true that the better disposed heathens in all ages
have
from an instinctive feeling of religion
been ready to admit the
occasional intervention of Providence with the affairs of mankind
and
something like a general system of rewards and punishments
having reference to
the morality of human actions. These opinions
however
so far as they went
were
I believe
on all such occasions
rather the spontaneous suggestion of
the moral feeling within them
acting against theory
than the result of any
deliberate assent of the understanding
founded upon rational inquiry. In fact
I know only of two views of the great question
“What is God?” or
“What is the
great moral sanction for the guidance of man’s actions?” as taken up after
mature deliberation by the philosophers of antiquity
which can lay claim to
the character of a regular system; the one is that adopted by the Stoics
which
pronounces virtue to be so intrinsically lovely in itself as
under all
external circumstances
to prove its own reward; the other
that which
though
not formally avowed
would
if strictly reasoned out
necessarily result from
the principles of the Peripatetics
which
considering the Creator of the
universe as the summit of all possible perfection
would represent Him as
eternally wrapt up in the contemplation of His own transcendental nature
and
consequently indifferent to the vicissitudes which may befall inferior beings.
Now it is obvious that both these views
either if entertained as physically
true
as affording a substantial first principle of religious morality
are
quite unsatisfactory and inoperative. Strange
then
as the proposition may
sound in the ears of those who have not been accustomed to consider the
doctrines of paganism in all their strictness and in all their consequences
it
is undoubtedly true that the belief in a Being at once all perfect in His own
nature
and yet at the same time watchfully attentive to all that passes in the
creation beneath Him
is the result of revelation only. Our natural reason not
only never could have arrived at such a conclusion
but in fact
at the first
blush of the question
it absolutely recoils from it. Can God really regard
not merely perishable man
but even the very worms that creep at our feet? Our
first impulse
when we consider the presumed impassiveness of its nature
is to
say
“Certainly not.” How can He be at once complete in His own perfection and
happiness and accessible to prayer; or
in other words
liable to be influenced
by causes external to Himself? Our natural reason is quite unequal to the
solution of this difficulty. It is only
I repeat
when we reflect how entirely
the whole sum and substance of religion
the elevation of our souls
the
establishment of all morality
and the consequent entire welfare of society
turn upon this very doctrine
that we learn how much more complete is the
revealed wisdom which is from heaven than that which it is given to unassisted
man to find out. The question is
not what God might have done
but what He
actually has done. The infidel may try to get rid of the difficulty by turning
the whole discussion into ridicule
and attempting to show that human life
and
all connected with it
is merely like a feverish dream or an ill-told tale
without object or connection. The worldly man may assert that
after all that
may be said against it
life is still a state of tolerable ease and comfort
and contented with living like the brutes
may think it unnecessary to inquire
further; or the more stern philosopher
arguing upon the principles of the
ancient Stoics
may assert
contrary to self-evident fact
that life in reality
possesses no evil for the truly wise
and that the theory of a future state is
not necessary for the vindication of the ways of Providence. But meanwhile the
really painful circumstances of our existence will make themselves felt
whether we will or not; and
if we would explain them in a manner satisfactory
to our highest notions of God’s goodness
we must have recourse to our Bible. I
do not
indeed
say that even in our Bibles we shall find all our difficulties
removed. Very far from it; but I do say
that the Bible presupposes the
existence of all these very difficulties; that the theory of the Bible would be
false did we not find the world precisely what we do find it; and that the
great object of the Bible is to show how this very state of things (the great
stumbling-block of every other form of religious belief) is part and parcel of
the Divine arrangements for the accomplishment of God’s wise and beneficent
purposes. Let us pass on to the inferences resulting from these momentous
facts. Consider
then
in what a new position
with respect to everything
around us
we are all of us placed by this circumstance of the intimate
and
almost social
connection which revelation thus declares to exist between
ourselves arid our Maker. What a vast interest is communicated to the whole
tenor of our existence when we recollect that we are not
as heathen speculation
would teach us
placed as in a dreary moral solitude
withdrawn from the
superintendence of the Divine mind
who has other and better occupations than
to trouble Himself with the details of our sorrows or of our pleasures
of our
good or of our bad actions; but that we subsist day and night under His
all-searching eye; that not a thought passes through our breasts
not a word
escapes our lips
but is pregnant with the consequences of our future weal or
woe; that every apparent blessing
every seeming evil with which we are
visited
has its peculiar errand and object
viz.
the disciplining of our
hearts
and the preparing us for immortality! (Bp. Shuttleworth.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》