Judges 10

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.

Judges 10 begins by detailing the reigns of two minor judges: Tola of Issachar, who judged Israel for twenty-three years, and Jair the Gileadite, who judged for twenty-two years and was known for his thirty sons and thirty cities. After their time, the Israelites once more turned away from the Lord, serving a multitude of foreign deities including Baalim, Ashtaroth, and gods from Syria, Zidon, Moab, Ammon, and the Philistines. This widespread apostasy provoked the Lord's anger, leading Him to deliver Israel into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, who oppressed them severely for eighteen years, particularly those east of the Jordan. In their distress, Israel cried out to the Lord, confessing their sin. The Lord initially responded with a sharp rebuke, reminding them of past deliverances and challenging them to seek help from the gods they had chosen. However, when the Israelites humbly confessed again, submitted to His will, and removed their foreign gods, the Lord's "soul was grieved for the misery of Israel," indicating a shift in divine disposition. The chapter concludes with the Ammonites gathered for war and the Israelites assembling, seeking a leader to confront their oppressors.

Judges 10 opens with the account of two judges who arose after Abimelech. First was Tola, a man of Issachar, who judged Israel for twenty-three years before his death and burial in Shamir. He was succeeded by Jair, a Gileadite, who judged Israel for twenty-two years. Jair was notable for having thirty sons who rode on thirty ass colts and possessed thirty cities, known as Havothjair. Following Jair's death, the children of Israel once again fell into grievous sin in the sight of the Lord. They abandoned the Lord and served a wide array of foreign deities, including Baalim, Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, Zidon, Moab, the children of Ammon, and the Philistines. This profound apostasy ignited the Lord's anger, leading Him to sell them into the hands of the Philistines and the children of Ammon. For eighteen years, these oppressors vexed and afflicted the Israelites, especially those dwelling on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead. The Ammonites further extended their aggression, crossing the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim, causing Israel immense distress. In their severe tribulation, the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, confessing their sin of forsaking Him and serving Baalim. The Lord responded by recounting His past deliverances from various oppressors—Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, Zidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites—and rebuked them for their repeated unfaithfulness, declaring He would deliver them no more and urging them to seek help from their chosen gods. However, the Israelites humbly reiterated their confession, submitted to the Lord's will, and pleaded for immediate deliverance. Demonstrating genuine repentance, they put away the strange gods from among them and began to serve the Lord. Witnessing their change of heart, the Lord's "soul was grieved for the misery of Israel." The chapter concludes with the Ammonites gathering their forces in Gilead and the Israelites assembling at Mizpeh, while the people and princes of Gilead sought a leader to initiate the fight against the Ammonites, promising headship over all Gilead to whoever would step forward.