Albert Barnes Commentary Judges 10
Albert Barnes Commentary
Judges 10
Albert Barnes Commentary
Judges 10
"And after Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the hill-country of Ephraim." — Judges 10:1 (ASV)
Defend - The marginal reading “to deliver,” is far preferable. The word is the same as in Judges 2:16, Judges 2:18; Judges 3:9, Judges 3:15, Judges 3:31, etc., and is the technical word applied to the judges. Compare Nehemiah 9:27 (saviours who saved them, the King James Version).
The term “there arose,” also marks Tola as one of the Judges, properly so called, raised by divine providence.
Tola and Puah - Both names of heads of houses in the tribe of Issachar (1 Chronicles 7:1; Genesis 46:13).
Shamir - Not the same as that mentioned in Joshua 15:48, which was in the hill country of Judah. Issachar would seem from this to have extended into the northern part of Mount Ephraim.
"And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir." — Judges 10:2 (ASV)
Jair the Gileadite was probably the same person as is named in (Numbers 32:41) and (Deuteronomy 3:14), as having given the name of “Havoth-jair” to certain villages in Bashan.
"And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served the Baalim, and the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook Jehovah, and served him not." — Judges 10:6 (ASV)
The gods of Syria - Or “Aram.” In the times of the Judges the various tribes of Aramites, or Syrians, were not compacted into one state, nor were they until after the time of Solomon. The national gods of these various Aramean tribes were probably the same; and their worship would be likely to be introduced into the trans-Jordanic tribes. It has been remarked that the Hebrew words for “to divine,” “to practice magic,” “idolatrous priests,” and other like words, are of Syrian origin. The Syriac ritual proved very attractive to king Ahaz (2 Kings 16:10–12). For the national gods of the Zidonians, Moabites, Ammonites, and Philistines, see (1 Kings 11:5), (1 Kings 11:7), (1 Kings 11:33); (1 Samuel 5:2–5).
"And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon." — Judges 10:7 (ASV)
The previous mention of the Philistines as oppressors of Israel (Judges 3:31) seems to be restricted to the south of Judah, when they cooperated with Moab. They appear to have gradually increased in power until they reached their height in the time of Saul. In the present instance they were probably in alliance with the Ammonites, holding the western tribes in check, while the Ammonites subdued those on the east of Jordan.
"And they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel that year: eighteen years [oppressed they] all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead." — Judges 10:8 (ASV)
That year - Perhaps the closing year of the oppression, when the Ammonites passed over the Jordan. For it was this crowning oppression which brought the Israelites to repentance (Judges 10:10; Judges 10:15–16), and so prepared the way for the deliverance. Possibly in the original narrative from which this portion of the Book of Judges is compiled, “that year” was defined.
The land of the Amorites - Namely, of Sihon king of the Amorites, (Numbers 21:21; Deuteronomy 1:4; Joshua 13:10; Psalms 135:11).
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