Judges 10

AND after Abimelech, there arose Not of himself, but either chosen by the People; or rather, raised by God, as the other Judges were. to desend Israel 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, and Oppression, and Tyranny, as also from Idolatry; as may be gathered from v. 6. which if not restrained and purged out, would have brought certain Ruine upon them., Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim Which was in the very heart and midst of the Land..

And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and dyed, and was buried in Shamir.

¶ And after him arose Jair a Gileadite Of Gilead beyond Iordan., and judged Israel twenty and two years.

And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts Because Horses were scarce there, and were not to be multiplied by the King himself, Deut. 17. 16. Hence their Kings and Kings children used to ride upon Mules, 2 Sam. 13. 29. and 18. 9. 1 King. 1. 33, 38, 44. Compare Iudg. 5. 10. and 12. 14. and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth-jair Object. These Villages were called so before this time from another Iair: And Numb. 32. 41. Deut. 3. 14. Answ. They are not said to be now first called by that Name; but to be still so called, because the old Name was revived and confirmed upon this occasion. As Sheba is said to be called Beersheba upon an occasion mentioned Gen. 26. 33. though it was so called before upon a more ancient occasion, Gen. 21. 33. Possibly this Iair had enlarged or fortified these Towns, and so they were justly denominated from him, no less than from the former., unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.

¶ And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Paalim, 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 Philistins, and forsook the LORD, and served not him He shows how they grew worse and worse, and so ripened themselves for the Ruine which afterward came upon them. Before they Worshipped God and Idols together: now they utterly forsake God, and wholly cleave to Idols..

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 The one on the West, the other on the East; so they were molested on both sides..

And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel eighteen years Or, That year they had vexed and oppressed the children of Israel eighteen years. Or, They vexed them in that year, that was the eighteenth year; to wit, of that Vexation. This was the eighteenth year from the beginning of that Oppression. And these eighteen years are not to be reckoned from Iair's Death, because that would enlarge the time of the Judges beyond the just bounds; as may appear from 1 King. 6. 1. Nor from Iephtha's beginning to Reign, because he Reigned but six years, and in the beginning thereof put an end to this Persecution, but from the fourth year of Iair's Reign: so that the greatest part of Iair's Reign was contemporary with this Affliction. And although this Oppression of the Ammonites and Philistines, and the cause of it, the Idolatry of the Israelites, be not mentioned till after Iair's death, because the Sacred Pen-man would deliver the whole History of this Calamity entirely and together; yet they both happened before it; and Iair's death is mentioned before that, only by a Prolepsis or Anticipation, than which, nothing is more frequent in Scripture. The case of Iair and Sampson seem to be much alike. For as it is said of Sampson, that he judged Israel in the days of the Tyranny of the Philistines, twenty years, Judg. 15. 20 by which it is evident, that his Judicature, and their Dominion, were Contemporary; the like is to be conceived of Iair, 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 and baseness of the People, God would not inable him to deliver the People, but gave them up to this sad Oppression; so that Iair could only perform one half of his Office, which was to determine Differences amongst the Israelites, but could not deliver them from their Enemies., all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan, in the land of the Amorite which is in Gilead.

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.

¶ 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 Because not contented to add Idols to thee, we have preferred them before thee, and rejected thee to receive and worship them..

And the LORD said l unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites Both Sihon and Og, and their people, Numb. 21. and other Kings of the Amorites within Iordan, Iosh. 10. 5., from the children of Ammon Who were confederate with the Moabites, Judg. 3. 13, 14., and from the Philistines See Iudg. 3. 31.? k Either by himself, the Son of God appearing in a visible shape, which then was usual: or by some Prophet whom he raised and sent to this purpose: or by the High-Priest, who was consulted in the case.

The Zidonians For though we do not read of any oppression of Israel, particularly, by the Sidonians; yet there might be such a thing: as many things were said and done, both in the Old and New Testament, which are not Recorded there: Or, they might ioyn their Forces with the King of Mesopotamia, Judg. 3. 8. Or with some other of their Oppressors: for it is certain, these were left among others to prove Israel, Judg. 3. 1, 2, 3. also, and the Amalekites Of whom, see Iudg. 3. 13. and 6. 3., and Maonites Either First, those who lived in, or near the Wilderness of Maon in the South of Iudah, 1 Sam. 23. 25. and 25. 2. whether Edomites or others. Or, Secondly, the Mehunims, a People living near the Arabians, of whom, 2 Chron. 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. Or, Thirdly, The Midianites, whose Oppression he would not omit; it being usual for one and the same Person or Persons to have two Names: although the Midianites may be comprehended under the Amalekites, with whom they were joyned, Iudg. 6. 3, 33. Or Fourthly, Some other people now unknown, and not expressed elsewhere in Scripture. did oppress you, and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.

Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more To wit, except you Repent in another manner than you yet have done; which when they performed, God suspends the execution of this Threatning. Compare Ier. 18. 7..

Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen You have not been forced to Worship those gods by your Oppressors and Tyrants; but you have freely chosen these gods before me., let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.

¶ And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned, do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee 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; to wit, if we be not more faithful and constant to thee, than we have hitherto been., deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.

And they put away the strange gods from among them This was an evidence of the sincerity of their sorrow, that they did not only confess and bewail their Sins, but also forsake them, and loath themselves for them., and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved Not properly, or as to inward affection; for God being infinitely happy, is not capable of grieving: but figuratively, and as to outward expression. He acted towards them, like one that felt their Sufferings; he had pity upon them, repented of his severe Proceedings against them, and quite changed his carriage towards them, and punished their Enemies as sorely as if they had grieved and injured his own person. for the misery of Israel.

Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead: and the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh That Mizpeh which was beyond Iordan in Gad or Manasseh; of which see Gen. 31. 49. Iosh. 18. 26. Iudg. 10. 17. and 11. 11, 29, 34. There were other Cities of that name in Scripture..

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.