Judges 10 Study Notes: Israel Repents Under Ammonite Oppression
After brief notes on Tola and Jair, Israel serves the gods of many nations, and the LORD hands them to the Philistines and Ammonites for eighteen years. God first sends them to their idols, but they confess, put the idols away, and He takes pity on them. As Ammon gathers, Gilead’s leaders seek a commander.
General
What did the LORD first tell Israel to do in response to their cry (Judges 10:14)?
Answer: Seek help from the gods they had picked
The LORD reminded Israel that He had rescued them from Egypt, the Amorites, Ammon, the Philistines, and others whenever they called on Him (10:11-12). Yet they had abandoned Him for other gods, so He said He would save them no more (10:13). Then He told them to call on the gods they had chosen and let those gods rescue them (10:14). This hard answer exposes the emptiness of idols, which cannot save anyone, just as Moses had foretold (Deuteronomy 32:37-38) and Jeremiah later declared (Jeremiah 2:28). It also confronted Israel with the seriousness of their sin before the LORD showed mercy.
- Judges 10:11-12 (BSB)“The LORD replied, “When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you and you cried out to Me, did I not save you from their hands?”The LORD recalls the many oppressors He had already rescued Israel from.
- Judges 10:13-14 (BSB)“But you have forsaken Me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of trouble.””Because they abandoned Him, the LORD sends them to the gods they chose.
- Deuteronomy 32:37-38 (BSB)“He will say: “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, which ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you; let them give you shelter!”Moses foretold that God would one day challenge Israel’s false gods to rescue them.
- Jeremiah 2:28 (BSB)“But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah.”Through Jeremiah the LORD again challenges Judah’s idols to save them if they can.
Theological
In Judges 10:11-14, what did the LORD at first direct Israel to do?
Answer: Seek help from the gods they had picked
The LORD first rehearses His past deliverances from a long list of oppressors (10:11-12), then pronounces that because Israel has forsaken Him He will save them no more (10:13), and finally sends them, with stinging irony, to the gods they have chosen (10:14). The rebuke unmasks idolatry as powerless, the same challenge found in Deuteronomy 32:37-38 and Jeremiah 2:28, and it presses Israel to reckon with the weight of their covenant unfaithfulness before any word of relief is given.
- Judges 10:11-12 (BSB)“The LORD replied, “When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you and you cried out to Me, did I not save you from their hands?”The LORD recalls the many oppressors He had already rescued Israel from.
- Judges 10:13-14 (BSB)“But you have forsaken Me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of trouble.””Because they abandoned Him, the LORD sends them to the gods they chose.
- Deuteronomy 32:37-38 (BSB)“He will say: “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, which ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you; let them give you shelter!”Moses foretold that God would one day challenge Israel’s false gods to rescue them.
- Jeremiah 2:28 (BSB)“But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah.”Through Jeremiah the LORD again challenges Judah’s idols to save them if they can.
General
As the Ammonites gathered in Gilead, what did Gilead’s rulers offer (Judges 10:18)?
Answer: Rule over Gilead to whoever would start the fight
The Ammonites mustered in Gilead and pitched camp, while Israel gathered at Mizpah (10:17). Gilead’s rulers then agreed that whoever would lead the fight against Ammon would become head over all the people of Gilead (10:18). The chapter ends with the people searching for a human leader, which sets up the next chapter, where the elders turn to Jephthah and make him that very offer (11:4-6, 8).
- Judges 10:17-18 (BSB)“Then the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, and the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah. And the rulers of Gilead said to one another, “Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all who live in Gilead.””With Ammon camped in Gilead, Gilead’s rulers look for someone to lead the attack.
- Judges 11:4-6 (BSB)“Some time later, when the Ammonites fought against Israel and made war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. “Come,” they said, “be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites.””The search ends with Gilead’s elders going to Jephthah to make him their commander.
- Judges 11:8 (BSB)“They answered Jephthah, “This is why we now turn to you, that you may go with us, fight the Ammonites, and become leader over all of us who live in Gilead.””The elders repeat the promise of leadership over everyone living in Gilead.
Theological
What reward did Gilead’s rulers promise in Judges 10:18 as the Ammonites mustered?
Answer: Rule over Gilead to whoever would start the fight
With Ammon encamped in Gilead and Israel at Mizpah (10:17), Gilead’s rulers offered headship over all Gilead’s inhabitants to whoever would begin the battle (10:18). The chapter closes on this search for a leader, setting up the elders’ approach to Jephthah, where the same offer is made to him (11:4-6, 8).
- Judges 10:17-18 (BSB)“Then the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, and the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah. And the rulers of Gilead said to one another, “Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all who live in Gilead.””With Ammon camped in Gilead, Gilead’s rulers look for someone to lead the attack.
- Judges 11:4-6 (BSB)“Some time later, when the Ammonites fought against Israel and made war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. “Come,” they said, “be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites.””The search ends with Gilead’s elders going to Jephthah to make him their commander.
- Judges 11:8 (BSB)“They answered Jephthah, “This is why we now turn to you, that you may go with us, fight the Ammonites, and become leader over all of us who live in Gilead.””The elders repeat the promise of leadership over everyone living in Gilead.
General
How does Judges 10:6 describe Israel’s idolatry at this point in the book?
Answer: They served the gods of many nations and abandoned the LORD
Judges 10:6 gives the longest catalog of false gods so far: the Baals and the Ashtoreths (Canaanite gods and goddesses), plus the deities of Aram, Sidon, Moab, the Ammonites, and the Philistines. The verse ends by saying Israel abandoned the LORD and stopped serving Him altogether. Earlier summaries named only the Baals and the Ashtoreths or Asherahs (2:13; 3:7). The growing list illustrates 2:19, where each generation after a judge died became more corrupt than the one before. Moses had warned against exactly this (Deuteronomy 6:14).
- Judges 10:6 (BSB)“And again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. They served the Baals, the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and Philistines. Thus they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him.”The narrator lists the many gods Israel served and says they abandoned the LORD.
- Judges 2:11-13 (BSB)“And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.”The first description of the cycle names the Baals and Ashtoreths; here the list has grown much longer.
- Judges 2:19 (BSB)“But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”After each judge died, Israel became more corrupt than the generation before.
- Deuteronomy 6:14 (BSB)“Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you.”Moses had forbidden Israel to follow the gods of the surrounding peoples.
Theological
What does the catalog of gods in Judges 10:6 show about Israel’s spiritual condition?
Answer: They served the gods of many nations and abandoned the LORD
The catalog in 10:6 is the fullest in the book so far: the Baals and the Ashtoreths together with the deities of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia, followed by the verdict that Israel abandoned the LORD and ceased serving Him. Compared with the earlier summaries (2:13; 3:7), the apostasy has widened to embrace the gods of nearly every neighbor, exactly the downward spiral 2:19 describes and a direct violation of Deuteronomy 6:14. The book presents this as deepening corruption, not a single lapse.
- Judges 10:6 (BSB)“And again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. They served the Baals, the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and Philistines. Thus they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him.”The narrator lists the many gods Israel served and says they abandoned the LORD.
- Judges 2:11-13 (BSB)“And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.”The first description of the cycle names the Baals and Ashtoreths; here the list has grown much longer.
- Judges 2:19 (BSB)“But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”After each judge died, Israel became more corrupt than the generation before.
- Deuteronomy 6:14 (BSB)“Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you.”Moses had forbidden Israel to follow the gods of the surrounding peoples.
General
True or False: When Israel called to the LORD in Judges 10:10, they confessed that they had abandoned their God for the Baals.
Answer: True
This is true. In 10:10 the Israelites do more than ask for help; they admit their guilt, confessing that they had forsaken their God and turned to the Baals (the false gods of Canaan). Samuel later describes Israel’s history in the same terms (1 Samuel 12:10). Honest confession of sin is what Scripture calls for, and God promises mercy to those who confess and turn away from sin (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9).
- Judges 10:10 (BSB)“Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against You, for we have indeed forsaken our God and served the Baals.””In their distress the Israelites cry out and admit their sin.
- 1 Samuel 12:10 (BSB)“Then they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, that we may serve You.’”Samuel later recalls this kind of confession in Israel’s history.
- Proverbs 28:13 (BSB)“He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”Confessing and renouncing sin is the path to mercy.
- 1 John 1:9 (BSB)“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”God is faithful to forgive those who confess their sins.
Theological
True or False: The Israelites’ cry in Judges 10:10 included a confession that they had abandoned their God for the Baals.
Answer: True
This is true. Unlike a bare cry for relief, 10:10 records an explicit confession: Israel names its sin as forsaking its God and serving the Baals. Samuel’s retrospective in 1 Samuel 12:10 uses the same pattern. Confession that names and renounces sin is the response Scripture commends (Proverbs 28:13), and it is met by God’s faithfulness to forgive (1 John 1:9).
- Judges 10:10 (BSB)“Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against You, for we have indeed forsaken our God and served the Baals.””In their distress the Israelites cry out and admit their sin.
- 1 Samuel 12:10 (BSB)“Then they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, that we may serve You.’”Samuel later recalls this kind of confession in Israel’s history.
- Proverbs 28:13 (BSB)“He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”Confessing and renouncing sin is the path to mercy.
- 1 John 1:9 (BSB)“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”God is faithful to forgive those who confess their sins.
General
What two things does Judges 10:16 report after Israel’s confession?
Answer: They removed their idols, and the LORD could not endure their suffering
Israel’s repentance moved from words to action: they removed their foreign idols and worshiped the LORD alone (10:16), the very thing Joshua had urged long before (Joshua 24:23). Then the verse says Israel’s misery became more than the LORD would bear. Their repentance did not earn rescue; the LORD acted out of His own compassion for a people who had repeatedly betrayed Him. Psalm 106:43-45 describes the same pattern of God hearing His rebellious people’s cry and acting in loving devotion, and Isaiah 63:9 says the LORD shared His people’s affliction.
- Judges 10:16 (BSB)“So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and He could no longer bear the misery of Israel.”Israel removes the foreign gods and serves the LORD, and the LORD is moved by their suffering.
- Joshua 24:23 (BSB)““Now, therefore,” he said, “get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.””Joshua had called Israel to get rid of foreign gods and turn their hearts to the LORD.
- Psalm 106:43-45 (BSB)“Many times He rescued them, but they were bent on rebellion and sank down in their iniquity. Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress. And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion.”The psalmist recalls that despite Israel’s repeated rebellion, God heard their cry and showed loving devotion.
- Isaiah 63:9 (BSB)“In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”The prophet says the LORD shared in His people’s distress and redeemed them in love.
Theological
According to Judges 10:16, how did Israel’s repentance show itself, and how did the LORD respond?
Answer: They removed their idols, and the LORD could not endure their suffering
Israel’s repentance is evidenced in deeds: the foreign gods are put away and the LORD alone is served (10:16), echoing Joshua’s charge in Joshua 24:23. The LORD’s response is expressed in terms of His compassion: Israel’s misery became more than He would bear. The deliverance that follows rests on His covenant mercy, not on Israel’s merit; Psalm 106:43-45 and Isaiah 63:9 describe the same freely given compassion toward an undeserving people.
- Judges 10:16 (BSB)“So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and He could no longer bear the misery of Israel.”Israel removes the foreign gods and serves the LORD, and the LORD is moved by their suffering.
- Joshua 24:23 (BSB)““Now, therefore,” he said, “get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.””Joshua had called Israel to get rid of foreign gods and turn their hearts to the LORD.
- Psalm 106:43-45 (BSB)“Many times He rescued them, but they were bent on rebellion and sank down in their iniquity. Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress. And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion.”The psalmist recalls that despite Israel’s repeated rebellion, God heard their cry and showed loving devotion.
- Isaiah 63:9 (BSB)“In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”The prophet says the LORD shared in His people’s distress and redeemed them in love.
General
According to Judges 10:7, who handed Israel over to the Philistines and the Ammonites?
Answer: The LORD, in His anger against Israel
Judges 10:7 says that in His burning anger the LORD sold Israel to the Philistines and the Ammonites. The oppression lasted eighteen years for the Israelites in Gilead, east of the Jordan, and the Ammonites even crossed the river to attack Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim, leaving Israel in deep distress (10:8-9). The enemies acted on their own desires, but the text is clear that the LORD was ruling over events as a judgment on Israel’s idolatry. This matches the pattern announced in 2:14 and the warning of Deuteronomy 32:30.
- Judges 10:7 (BSB)“So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites,”The LORD’s anger burns, and He gives Israel over to the Philistines and Ammonites.
- Judges 10:8-9 (BSB)“who that very year harassed and oppressed the Israelites, and they did so for eighteen years to all the Israelites on the other side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites. The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, and Israel was in deep distress.”The oppression lasts eighteen years and reaches across the Jordan into Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim.
- Judges 2:14 (BSB)“Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of those who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.”The book’s overview describes the same pattern of the LORD’s anger and His selling Israel to enemies.
- Deuteronomy 32:30 (BSB)“How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?”Moses’ song says Israel’s enemies could only prevail if the LORD had given His people up.
Theological
Whom does Judges 10:7 name as the one who gave Israel over to the Philistines and the Ammonites?
Answer: The LORD, in His anger against Israel
The narrator attributes the oppression directly to the LORD: His anger burned and He sold Israel to the Philistines and the Ammonites (10:7). The oppressors pursued their own aggression for eighteen years in Gilead, while the Ammonites even pushed across the Jordan into Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim (10:8-9), yet the LORD sovereignly used them as the instrument of covenant discipline, as 2:14 and Deuteronomy 32:30 describe. The enemies remained responsible for their violence; God remained just in His judgment.
- Judges 10:7 (BSB)“So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites,”The LORD’s anger burns, and He gives Israel over to the Philistines and Ammonites.
- Judges 10:8-9 (BSB)“who that very year harassed and oppressed the Israelites, and they did so for eighteen years to all the Israelites on the other side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites. The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, and Israel was in deep distress.”The oppression lasts eighteen years and reaches across the Jordan into Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim.
- Judges 2:14 (BSB)“Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of those who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.”The book’s overview describes the same pattern of the LORD’s anger and His selling Israel to enemies.
- Deuteronomy 32:30 (BSB)“How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?”Moses’ song says Israel’s enemies could only prevail if the LORD had given His people up.
General
In their second answer to the LORD (Judges 10:15), what did the Israelites ask of Him?
Answer: To treat them as He judged best, yet rescue them now
After the LORD’s rebuke, the Israelites again admitted their sin. They did not bargain or make excuses; they placed themselves in His hands, asking Him to do with them whatever He saw as right, while still begging Him to rescue them that very day (10:15). This is humble repentance: agreeing that God is right to judge (Psalm 51:4) and still hoping in His mercy, as David did when he chose to fall into the LORD’s hands trusting that His mercy is great (2 Samuel 24:14).
- Judges 10:15 (BSB)““We have sinned,” the Israelites said to the LORD. “Deal with us as You see fit; but please deliver us today!””Israel confesses again, leaves the outcome to the LORD, and pleads for rescue.
- 2 Samuel 24:14 (BSB)“David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.””David likewise chose to fall into the LORD’s hands because His mercies are great.
- Psalm 51:4 (BSB)“Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge.”True confession acknowledges that God is right when He judges.
Theological
What did the Israelites request in their renewed confession in Judges 10:15?
Answer: To treat them as He judged best, yet rescue them now
Israel’s second reply repeats the confession and then submits to the LORD’s verdict, leaving their treatment to His judgment, while still appealing for deliverance that day (10:15). Repentance here justifies God in His judgment (Psalm 51:4) and casts itself on His mercy rather than on any claim of merit, the same instinct David showed in 2 Samuel 24:14.
- Judges 10:15 (BSB)““We have sinned,” the Israelites said to the LORD. “Deal with us as You see fit; but please deliver us today!””Israel confesses again, leaves the outcome to the LORD, and pleads for rescue.
- 2 Samuel 24:14 (BSB)“David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.””David likewise chose to fall into the LORD’s hands because His mercies are great.
- Psalm 51:4 (BSB)“Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge.”True confession acknowledges that God is right when He judges.
General
After Abimelech’s time, what does Judges 10:1 say Tola did?
Answer: He arose as Israel’s deliverer
Abimelech had seized power for himself by murdering his brothers, and God repaid his wickedness (9:5, 56). After that dark episode, 10:1 says Tola of the tribe of Issachar arose to save Israel. A judge in this book is a leader God raised up to rescue and lead His people, not mainly a courtroom official. Tola led Israel for twenty-three years; Jair the Gileadite then served twenty-two (10:2-3). Their brief records continue the line of leaders that the book’s overview says the LORD Himself appointed for His people (2:16, 18).
- Judges 10:1 (BSB)“After the time of Abimelech, a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose up to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim.”Tola of Issachar arises after the time of Abimelech.
- Judges 10:2-3 (BSB)“Tola judged Israel twenty-three years, and when he died, he was buried in Shamir. Tola was followed by Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years.”Tola judges twenty-three years and is followed by Jair, who judges twenty-two.
- Judges 2:16 (BSB)“Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them.”The book’s overview says the LORD Himself raised up judges to rescue His people.
- Judges 2:18 (BSB)“Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them.”The LORD was with each judge He raised up and delivered Israel through him.
Theological
What role does Judges 10:1 give Tola in the aftermath of Abimelech’s reign?
Answer: He arose as Israel’s deliverer
Where Abimelech grasped rule for himself through fratricide and fell under God’s retribution (9:5, 56), Tola is described as arising to save Israel (10:1), the language of a deliverer rather than a usurper. His twenty-three years of service and Jair’s twenty-two (10:2-3) are recorded briefly, but they fit the book’s programmatic statement that the LORD Himself raised up judges and was with them to deliver His people (2:16, 18).
- Judges 10:1 (BSB)“After the time of Abimelech, a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose up to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim.”Tola of Issachar arises after the time of Abimelech.
- Judges 10:2-3 (BSB)“Tola judged Israel twenty-three years, and when he died, he was buried in Shamir. Tola was followed by Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years.”Tola judges twenty-three years and is followed by Jair, who judges twenty-two.
- Judges 2:16 (BSB)“Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them.”The book’s overview says the LORD Himself raised up judges to rescue His people.
- Judges 2:18 (BSB)“Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them.”The LORD was with each judge He raised up and delivered Israel through him.