Judges 10: Tola and Jair, and Israel cries to Yahweh under the Ammonites
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What happens?
After Abimelech, Tola of Issachar judges Israel for twenty-three years, and then Jair the Gileadite for twenty-two years; Jair has thirty sons with thirty towns in Gilead. Israel again serves the Baals and the gods of the nations around, and Yahweh sells them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, who oppress the Israelites in Gilead for eighteen years. Israel cries out to Yahweh, and he answers that he will not save them again: let the gods they have chosen save them. Israel says, "We have sinned," puts away the foreign gods and serves Yahweh, and the leaders of Gilead look for a man to lead the fight against Ammon.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in 4 of the 18 verses: Yahweh's answer to the Israelites in verses 11 to 14. The Israelites cry out to Yahweh in verses 10 and 15, and the leaders of Gilead speak to one another in verse 18. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1After Abimelech, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, arose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.
In plain English: After Abimelech, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, rose up to save Israel. He lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.
Good to know: The text tells no story about Tola or Jair. It gives only their families, their years and where they were buried. Ibzan, Elon and Abdon in to are told of in the same short way.
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2He judged Israel twenty-three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.
In plain English: He judged Israel for twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir.
The Hebrew word: "Judged" is shaphat, the word explained in the note on . In Judges this Bible says "judged" in 12 of the 17 verses that use it.
What changes: Read as "judged", these leaders settled cases. Read as "governed" or "led", they ruled Israel. says the judges Yahweh raised up "saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them". The text says Tola rose "to save Israel" and then "judged Israel", and does not say more about what that meant for him.
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3After him Jair, the Gileadite, arose. He judged Israel twenty-two years.
In plain English: After him Jair the Gileadite rose up. He judged Israel for twenty-two years.
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4He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts. They had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth Jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
In plain English: He had thirty sons who rode on thirty young donkeys. They had thirty towns (this Bible: cities), which are called Havvoth Jair (the villages of Jair) to this day, in the land of Gilead.
The Hebrew word: The Hebrew makes a play on words. "Donkeys" is ayarim, and "cities" here is spelled the same way, ayarim, instead of the usual word for cities. Thirty sons rode on thirty ayarim and had thirty ayarim.
Good to know: and say that Jair the son of Manasseh took villages and called them Havvoth Jair. The text does not say how that Jair and this one, Jair the Gileadite, are linked.
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5Jair died, and was buried in Kamon.
In plain English: Jair died and was buried in Kamon.
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6The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and served the Baals, the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines. They abandoned Yahweh, and didn’t serve him.
In plain English: Once more the Israelites did what was evil in Yahweh's sight. They served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria (literally: Aram), the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. They left (this Bible: abandoned) Yahweh and did not serve him.
Good to know: This is the pattern the book set out in to : Israel does evil, Yahweh gives them to their enemies, they cry out, and he raises up someone to save them. Here the list of gods is longer than before: the Baals and the Ashtaroth (as in ), and the gods of five nations.
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7Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the children of Ammon.
In plain English: So Yahweh's anger burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites.
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8They troubled and oppressed the children of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
In plain English: That year they shattered and crushed (this Bible: troubled and oppressed) the Israelites. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites who were on the other side of the Jordan, in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
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9The children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was very distressed.
In plain English: The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so Israel was in great distress.
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10The children of Israel cried to Yahweh, saying, “We have sinned against you, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baals.”
In plain English: Then the Israelites cried out to Yahweh, saying, "We have sinned against you, because we have left our God and served the Baals."
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11Yahweh said to the children of Israel, “Didn’t I save you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said to the Israelites, "Did I not save you from the Egyptians, from the Amorites, from the Ammonites, and from the Philistines?
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12The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, oppressed you; and you cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand.God speaks
In plain English: The Sidonians too, and the Amalekites and the Maonites, oppressed you. You cried out to me, and I saved you from their hand.
Good to know: The Hebrew has Ma'on, which this Bible gives as "the Maonites". The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "Madiam", that is, Midian, the enemy Gideon fought in chapters 6 to 8. This is the only verse in this Bible that names the Maonites, and the text tells no story of them.
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13Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods. Therefore I will save you no more.God speaks
In plain English: Yet you have left me and served other gods. So I will not save you again.
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14Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen. Let them save you in the time of your distress!”God speaks
In plain English: Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of trouble (this Bible: distress)."
Good to know: Moses' song speaks of a time like this in and : "Where are their gods ... Let them rise up and help you!"
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15The children of Israel said to Yahweh, “We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems good to you; only deliver us, please, today.”
In plain English: The Israelites said to Yahweh, "We have sinned. Do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please rescue us today."
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16They put away the foreign gods from among them and served Yahweh; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
In plain English: They put away the foreign gods from among them and served Yahweh, and he could no longer bear the misery of Israel (or: he grew impatient over the trouble of Israel; this Bible: his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel).
The Hebrew words: "His soul was grieved" is literally "his soul was short": qatsar, which the dictionary gives as "to dock off, i.e. curtail", with nephesh, the word this Bible gives as "soul". The same phrase is used of the people in ("the soul of the people was very discouraged") and of Samson in ("his soul was troubled to death").
What changes: Read one way, Yahweh could no longer bear to see Israel suffer. Read the other way, he grew impatient over Israel's trouble, or over their pleading. The text does not say more. It goes on to the search for a man to lead the fight against Ammon.
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17Then the children of Ammon were gathered together and encamped in Gilead. The children of Israel assembled themselves together and encamped in Mizpah.
In plain English: Then the Ammonites were called to arms (this Bible: gathered together) and camped in Gilead. The Israelites gathered together and camped at Mizpah.
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18The people, the princes of Gilead, said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
In plain English: The people, the leaders (this Bible: princes) of Gilead, said to one another, "Who is the man who will start the fight against the Ammonites? He will be head over everyone who lives in Gilead."
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