Judge Tola, Judge Jair, and return to apostasy
Dialogue with the Lord 10
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| 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.
2 And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir. |
1 - Abimelech " A son of Gideon by a concubine, made himself king of Shechem after his father's death, and slew his father's seventy sons on one stone, only Jotham the youngest being left. Jotham reproached the Shechemites for their conduct, in his celebrated fable to the trees. Three years afterwards, they rose against Abimelech; he defeated them, and destroyed their city, but as he was attacking Thebez, a woman threw down a piece of millstone on his head, which so injured him, that he called to his armor bearer to slay him, Jg 9:1-57." jg0953. |
| 3 And after him arose Jair,
a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.
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. 5 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon. |
3 -
Jair We know little about Jair although someone by that name lived
at the time of Moses nu3240.
3 - Gileadite Gilead was an area east of the Jordan River between the southern end of the Sea of Chinnereth (later called the Sea of Galilee, and the Sea of Tiberius) and the northern end of the Dead sea. See detailed Palestine map. Notice the city of Ramoth-Gilead. 4 - Thirty sons This implies more than one wife. 4 - Gilead which means "rough" or "hard." This described the land |
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¶ 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.
.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. 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. 9 Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed. |
6 -
Evil again Apparently the judges just mentioned led a period of
more faithfulness to God.
6 - Gods of Moab ... Philistines Certainly a stronghold for pagan worship. 6 - Syria Or "Aram" A large area extending from Phoenicia to the Euphratres. Damascus was probably the most significant city. See map. 9 - Passed over Jordan They had been successful in oppressing the Israelites in the North. |
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¶ 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.
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? 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. 13 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. .14 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. |
10
- Cried ... "The first step of repentance is confession of sin,
and the best proof of its sincerity is given by the transgressor, when
he mourns not only over the painful consequences which have resulted from
his offenses to himself, but over the heinous evil committed against God."
11 - Did not I deliver you? The Lord had not lost His power. The Israelites seemed to be sorry more for their problem than for their sin. |
| 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.
.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. |
16 - Put away ... grieved Better translated: "So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD; and he became indignant over the misery of Israel. (RSV)" |
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Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead.
And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped
in Mizpeh.
.18 And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. |
17 - Mizpeh Means "outlook point." Probably the same as in jg1129. It may have been where Jacob and Laban parted ge3125. Some identify this Mezpah of Gilead and Ramoth-mizpeh jos1326, with Ramoth-gilead jos2008, 1ki0413, 1ki2203 which was a stronghold in the area of Gad. For the traditional site see Jerusalem vicinity map, north. |
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