Judges 10: Quiet Judges and a Renewed Plea
Tola and Jair bring stretches of calm, but Israel plunges again into idolatry, and God's pointed refusal draws out a deeper repentance.
Judges 10 (WEB)
1 After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.
2 He judged Israel twenty-three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.
3 After him arose Jair, the Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years.
4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth Jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
5 Jair died, and was buried in Kamon.
6 The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and served the Baals, 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 abandoned Yahweh, and didn’t serve him.
7 Yahweh’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon.
8 They troubled and oppressed the children of Israel that year. For eighteen years, they oppressed all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
9 The children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was very distressed.
10 The children of Israel cried to Yahweh, saying, “We have sinned against you, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baals.”
11 Yahweh said to the children of Israel, “Didn’t I save you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
12 The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, oppressed you; and you cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand.
13 Yet you have forsaken me, and served other gods: therefore I will save you no more.
14 Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen. Let them save you in the time of your distress!”
15 The children of Israel said to Yahweh, “We have sinned: do you to us whatever seems good to you; only deliver us, please, this day.”
16 They put away the foreign gods from among them, and served Yahweh; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
17 Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. The children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah.
18 The people, the princes of Gilead, said one to another, “What man is he who will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
Judges 10 (KJV)
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.
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 Havoth–jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
5 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
6 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.
10 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.
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.
17 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.
Judges 10 (ASV)
1 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.
2 And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.
3 And after him arose Jair, the Gileadite; and he 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 Havvoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
5 And Jair died, and was buried in Kamon.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 And the children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.
10 And the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah, saying, We have sinned against thee, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baalim.
11 And Jehovah said unto the children of Israel, Did not I save you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
12 The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried unto me, and I saved you out of their hand.
13 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will save you no more.
14 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.
15 And the children of Israel said unto Jehovah, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; only deliver us, we pray thee, this day.
16 And they put away the foreign gods from among them, and served Jehovah; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
17 Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah.
18 And the people, the 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.
Summary
After Abimelech's chaos, two judges bring a measure of peace: Tola of Issachar judges Israel twenty-three years, and Jair the Gileadite judges twenty-two years, remembered for his thirty sons riding thirty donkeys and ruling thirty towns. But the cycle turns again, more deeply than before. Israel does evil and serves a whole pantheon—the Baals, the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and the Philistines—abandoning Yahweh entirely. His anger is kindled, and he sells them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, who oppress them eighteen years until Israel is in great distress. They cry out, confessing that they have sinned by forsaking their God to serve the Baals. This time God responds differently: he recounts how often he has saved them, then declares, "Yet you have forsaken me, and served other gods: therefore I will save you no more," telling them to cry to the gods they have chosen. But Israel pleads again, casts away their foreign gods, and serves the Lord—and his soul is grieved for their misery. The chapter closes with the Ammonites gathered for war and the leaders of Gilead searching for a champion. God's stern word is not the end of his mercy but the means of drawing out a repentance that goes beyond mere relief-seeking to a true turning back.
Main Characters
- Tola — The judge from Issachar who arises after Abimelech to save Israel and judges the nation for twenty-three years from Shamir.
- Jair — The Gileadite who judges Israel twenty-two years, remembered for his thirty sons, thirty donkey colts, and thirty towns.
- The children of Israel — The people who abandon Yahweh for the gods of the surrounding nations, suffer Ammonite oppression, and finally plead in genuine repentance.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who recounts his past deliverances, refuses to save Israel as before, yet is grieved by their misery when they truly turn back.
Key Verse
Judges 10:16 (WEB)
They put away the foreign gods from among them, and served Yahweh; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
Lessons Learned
- Seasons of quiet leadership are themselves a gift from God's faithful hand.
- Sin tends to deepen over time; halfhearted faith easily slides into wholesale idolatry.
- God's stern refusals can be the surgery of love, meant to lead us to true repentance.
- Real repentance puts away its idols and turns to God, not merely seeking relief from pain.
- God grieves over our misery. When Israel truly turns, “his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel” (Judges 10:16, WEB). God's compassion runs deeper than his discipline.
- Idolatry multiplies when unchecked. Israel served “the Baals, and the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria… and the gods of the Philistines” (Judges 10:6, WEB). Tolerated sin expands its grip.
- God exposes the futility of idols. “Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen” (Judges 10:14, WEB). He lets us feel the emptiness of what we trusted instead of him.
- True repentance removes its idols. “They put away the foreign gods from among them, and served Yahweh” (Judges 10:16, WEB). Genuine turning abandons the rival, not just the consequences.
- The chapter briefly honors Tola and Jair before the next crisis. Why is it worth noting quiet seasons of faithful leadership?
- Israel's idolatry has grown to include the gods of many nations (10:6). How does sin tend to expand when it is not confronted?
- Why does God respond to Israel's cry with “I will save you no more” (10:13)? Is this the end of his mercy, or something else?
- How does Israel's response in verse 16—putting away foreign gods—differ from simply asking God to relieve their suffering?
- What “foreign gods” might God be calling you to put away, and what would it look like to turn back to him with more than just a plea for relief?
- Tola and Jair receive only a few verses, yet their decades of stable leadership were a mercy after Abimelech's bloodshed (10:1-5). Not every gift of God is dramatic; faithful steadiness matters. Invite the group to value and give thanks for quiet seasons of grace.
- Israel moves from serving the Baals to embracing the gods of six nations (10:6). Sin rarely stays contained; what we excuse tends to grow. Discuss how small compromises can widen into wholesale unfaithfulness.
- God's refusal is not cold abandonment but a pointed word meant to break Israel's pattern of using him as a mere rescuer (10:13-14). By exposing the emptiness of their idols, he draws them toward deeper repentance. Explore how God's apparent withholding can be merciful.
- Earlier cries sought relief; here Israel actually removes their foreign gods and serves the Lord (10:15-16). True repentance acts, surrendering the idol itself rather than just escaping the pain. Help the group see the difference between regret and turning.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to identify a rival to God in their hearts and one concrete step to put it away. As leader, keep the focus on turning to God himself, who is grieved by our misery and ready to receive us.