Juízes 10
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Juízes 10
Guzik - This shows that Jair was a polygamous man, and a man of wealth and prestige. His many sons had fancy transportation and their own territory to rule. Jair never took the title of king but it seems that he acted like one. Lindsay - The "tent villages of Jair" (Havvoth Jair) were a group of towns in Bashan named by an earlier Jair (Num. 32:39-42; Deut. 3:14) which were relatively permanent since they were still there in the days of the author of the Book of Judges. (See context The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament) A R Fausset - The Oriental donkey is a superior animal. Israel had not yet imported horses. Moreover, the donkey was used in times of peace; horses for war (see Jdg 5:10, Jdg 12:14; 1Ki 10:28, 1:33; Zech. 9:9], and they had thirty cities which are called Havoth-Jair unto this day, which (are) in the land of Gilead [villages are cities to a contented mind (Henry)]. (Judges 10 Commentary) George Bush on Thirty sons that rode on thirty donkeys, &c. describes "a very remarkable indication of eastern manners, and of the state of the times. It seems that the people so generally went about on foot, that to ride on an donkey, that is, to ride at all, was considered a mark of wealth and distinction. So we afterwards read of Abdon, another judge, ch. 12:14, that ‘he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts.’ No doubt this conveyed to the ancient Hebrews the idea of as much consideration as it does among us to say, that a person keeps a carriage. Josephus, perhaps from thinking the indication undignified, changes the asses to horses. Thirty cities—called Havoth-jair unto this day. Heb. ‘villages of Jair.’ We read in Nu 32:41, that ‘Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havoth-jair,’ from which some have supposed that the Jair there mentioned is the same person with the judge spoken of in the passage before us. But the former was doubtless the ancestor of the latter, though the names of the villages in question were retained unaltered from the original possessor. Their number, as we learn from 1Chr 2:22, was at first only twenty-three, but the remaining seven were added in process of time. The circumstance affords evidence of the rank and opulence of the family. (Judges 10 Commentary) HAVVOTH-JAIR [ISBE] - hav-oth-ja'-ir (chawwoth ya'ir "the encampments" or "tent villages of Jair"; the King James Version Havoth-Jair, ha-voth-ja'ir): The word chawwoth occurs only in this combination (Nu 32:41; Dt 3:14; Jdg 10:4), and is a legacy from the nomadic stage of Hebrew life. Jair had thirty sons who possessed thirty "cities," and these are identified with Havvoth-jair in Jdg 10:3 ff. The district was in Gilead (10:5; Nu 32:41). In Dt 3:13 f, it is identified with Bashan and Argob; but in 1 Ki 4:13, "the towns of Jair" are said to be in Gilead; while to him also "pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brazen bars." There is evident confusion here. If we follow Jdg 10:3 ff, we may find a useful clue in 10:5. Kamon is named as the burial place of Jair. This probably corresponds to Kamun taken by Antiochus III, on his march from Pella to Gephrun (Polyb. v.70, 12). Schumacher (Northern `Ajlun, 137) found two places to the West of Irbid with the names Qamm and Qumeim (the latter a diminutive of the former) with ancient ruins. Qamm probably represents the Hebrew Qamon, so that Havvoth-jair should most likely be sought in this district, i.e. in North Gilead, between the Jordan Valley and Jebel ez-Zumleh. W. Ewing Judges 10:5 And Jair died and was buried in Kamon. Judges 10 Resources And Jair died and was buried in Kamon - Once again we note no mention or rest, but in light of the statement in Judges 10:6 it is very likely that the land was undisturbed. John
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Guzik adds "It seems that Israel was willing to worship just about anything except the true God. When a man stops believing in God, he does not believe in nothing; he believes in anything." Lindsay on Israel cried out - In previous times of distress Israel's calling on the Lord was not an evidence of repentance for her sin (cf. Jdg 3:9, 15; 4:3). (See context The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament) THOUGHT - Are you trapped in some persistent (secret) sin? Do you need to cry out like Israel? Play this old Maranatha song Cry Out to the Heavenly Father. Cried out to the LORD - 14x in 14v - Ex 14:10; Ex 15:25; Ex 17:4; Nu 12:13; Nu 20:16; Jos. 24:7; Jdg. 10:10; 1Sa 12:8; 1Sa 12:10; 1Sa 15:11; Ps. 107:6; Ps. 107:13; Ps. 107:19; Lam 2:18 This is the only recorded instance in Judges where the people confess their sin. We have sinned (chata';Lxx - hamartano) against Thee, for indeed, we have forsaken ('azab Jdg 10:6, 13; Lxx - egkataleipo - separate connection with) our God and served (abad) the Baals: first they confessed their sins and then, then the Lord rebuked them (v13,14), but they remained steadfast in their confession of sin (v15) and took action to get rid of the foreign gods and serve the Lord. (v16). Indeed, this scenario does suggest that in this "cycle" there may have been more than just remorse. There may have been genuine repentance. Ultimately God alone knows whether this was genuine or expedient. The forsook God when they should have forsaken (also 'azab) their transgressions as in Pr 28:13+ which warns "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes ('azab) them will find compassion." It is amazing that in spite of all the sin the first half of the book of Judges, Judges 10:10 is first use of chata' in the book of Judges - it is used again to mean sinned in Jdg 10:15 and Jdg 11:27 but refers to marksmanship in Jdg 20:16, where the Benjaminite 700-man brigade can "sling a rock and hit a target ... without missing" Davis and Whitcomb comment on We have sinned - a mere recognition of sin was not enough this time. God wanted repentance and a total, unqualified commitment from His people that they would again obey the law. (Israel From Conquest to Exile) Guzik - The words of this cry (We have sinned) seem fine, but God’s response seems to indicate that He saw something lacking in Israel’s repentance. One may cry out to the Lord, yet really just wish things were different. Crying out to God with the voice is not necessarily the same as crying out to Him with our heart. God wanted from Israel the same thing He wants from us – a heart that will put its hand to the plow and not look back (Luke 9:62+). He wants us to come to the place where we know that there is nothing worth following except God. Arthur Cundall elaborates on Guzik's point writing that "The extremity of the plight of the Israelites led to a recognition of their waywardness and an appeal to God. This met with no easy response, for the cycle of deliverance followed by forgetfulness, ingratitude and apostasy had occurred too often for a facile overlooking of their sin. God required, and requires still, the steadfast love, loyalty and obedience of his subjects, in which He can operate continually on their behalf, rather than a relationship, lightly severed, in which He is used in times of emergency only. He reminded them therefore of his former deliverances. (Borrow Judges & Ruth: Tyndale Old Testament Commentary) We have sinned - 21x in 21v - Num. 12:11; Num. 21:7; Deut. 1:41; Jdg. 10:10; Jdg. 10:15; 1 Sam. 7:6; 1 Sam. 12:10; 1 Ki. 8:47; 2 Chr. 6:37; Neh. 1:6; Ps. 106:6; Isa. 42:24; Jer. 3:25; Jer. 8:14; Jer. 14:7; Jer. 14:20; Lam. 5:16; Dan. 9:5; Dan. 9:8; Dan. 9:11; Dan. 9:15 Served the Baals - 5x in 5v - Jdg. 2:11; Jdg. 3:7; Jdg. 10:6; Jdg. 10:10; 1 Sa 12:10 Remember if we are tempted to condemn Israel for their stupidity & the fact that they never seemed to learn, they are a picture of our fallen flesh nature. When we look at them we are looking at ourselves (in our Adamic nature, our old man, our "flesh"). In so many ways our lives are simply a modern day reflection of their ancient rebellion. And why is this? simple -- we have no King at the moment of rebellion & we are doing what is right in our own eyes, just like Israel did! Matthew
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Guzik explains why God says He would not deliver them - God was harsh with Israel because they had to be genuinely sick of their sin before they would genuinely turn to God. God allowed Israel to experience the sickness of their sin. ILLUSTRATION - One technique used to help people stop smoking is to put them in a small, unventilated room and make them smoke for hours on end, until they can hardly bear it. It makes them sick of smoking, and makes them truly want to stop. In the same way, sometimes God will allow the natural consequences of our sin to crash upon us in concentrated form, so we can become sick of our sin. G Campbell
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Guzik - God looked upon disobedient Israel with compassion, not hatred. It was “difficult” for God to allow Israel to stay in their misery, though it was best for them. Like the perfect loving parent, God hated to see Israel suffer, even when it was good for them. He longed to rescue them but would not do it until it was good for them. Davis comments that "Many Christians, especially those who have a lively sense of God’s severity but little of his kindness, should meditate on this text. You must see Yahweh’s heart. And don’t forget where he showed it to you: in the Old Testament, the book of the grace of God. (Ralph Davis, D. Focus on the Bible: Judges) Paul in describing the regenerated Thessalonian believers wrote that even other people "report about us (Paul, Silas, Timothy) what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. (1 Thes 1:9-10) Adam
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Guzik - Israel finally discovered that the worst of serving God is better than the best of serving idols. George Bush - They put away the strange gods. Heb. אלהי הנכר elohë hannëkâr, the gods of the stranger. In coming before God not only is every excuse for sin to be renounced, and the plea of guilty, guilty, sincerely to be made, but if we would approve our repentance real, the sins we confess are instantly to be discarded. When this is the case, and our transgressions are truly our bitterness and burden, though we may stand trembling under the black review, yet there is hope His soul was grieved. Not that there is really any grief in God, for being infinitely happy in himself, he is inaccessible to any such emotion; but it is spoken after the manner of men, to represent to us more forcibly the abounding compassions of his heart. He acted towards his people like one who felt for their sufferings, like a kind father, who cannot but be grieved over the afflictions of his children. He had pity upon them, restraining his severities, and giving a new and merciful complexion to his dispensations towards them. The Heb. is ‘shortened, contracted, straitened;’ a term expressive of a state of mind the opposite of equanimity, long-suffering, forbearance; implying at once a sympathy with suffering, and a kind of impatience in redressing it. How consoling the thought that no prodigal returns to God but his paternal heart yearns over him, touched with a feeling of his wretchedness, and ready to embrace the most miserable of sinners. (Judges 10 Commentary) A R Fausset - And they put away the strange gods from among them [(Josh. 24:23; 1 Sam. 7:3). Prayer and repentance show their sincerity by giving up all idols. This was the crowning point (Hos. 14:8; Prov. 28:13; Job 34:31, 32], and served the Lord [JEHOVAH]: and His soul was grieved [tiquetzar ‘shortened,’ so vexed (ch. 16:16)] for the misery of Israel [He could no longer forbear the manifestation of His fatherly affection, or leave unnoticed the wrongs done to His people by the foe. So God, in Jer. 31:20; Isa. 63:9, 15, 16]. (Judges 10 Commentary) Judges 10:16 F B Meyer Our Daily Homily His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. This is a very strong way of stating the pitifulness of God. It is applying to Him terms borrowed from our own experiences as men; and in no other way could we realize the tender love and compassion of our Heavenly Father. Israel’s miseries were due to the sins with which their history was marked; but God’s love brooded over them, longing to deliver. This is the explanation of God’s first words to Adam. — One of the versions substitutes for “Where art thou?” the words “Alas for thee!” as though God were treading the glades of Eden with a broken heart, grieved for the misery of his children. This was the lament of God’s Spirit throughout the Old Testament. — “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? Mine heart is turned within me; my compassions are kindled together.” “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself!” This led to the Incarnation and Passion of our Lord. — He looked, and there was no man; He wondered that there was none to help, therefore his own arm brought salvation. This characterized our Lord’s earthly life. — When He beheld the city, and foresaw all the evil that would accrue to it, He could not hold back his tears. “His soul was grieved.” In all likelihood, you, my reader, may be suffering keenly the result of your own mistakes and sins in earlier life. The troubles that hem you in are the direct outcome of your having forsaken God. He could, and would, have saved you; but you made it impossible, because you withdrew yourself from his care. And now He grieves over you. If only you would forsake your sins and turn to Him, He would assuredly raise up a Jephthah for your help. Judges 10.16 G Campbell Morgan His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. Judges 10.16. These are wonderful words about God, especially when considered in the light of the circumstances concerning which they were written. The people of God seem for a period to have given themselves up with an appalling abandonment to almost every form of idolatry which presented itself to them. Notice the list: the Baalim, the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Zidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the children of Ammon, the gods of the Philistines. The anger of Jehovah against them proceeded in judgment through the Philistines and the men of Ammon, and it continued for eighteen years. Then, in their sore distress, they cried to God, and for the first time it is recorded that He refused to save them, reminding them of how repeatedly He had delivered them, and yet they had turned back to their evil courses. In the message of His anger there was clearly evident a purpose of love. He would recall them to a recognition of His power by bidding them seek deliverance from the gods whom they had worshipped. The method produced the result. They put away the strange gods and returned to Jehovah. Then, these words admit us to the deep fact underlying all the Divine activity: "His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel." The Hebrew word literally means "impatient." It suggests God's restlessness in the presence of suffering. It is the restlessness of His love, and that is the cause of His anger, and the governing principle in all its activities. (Morgan, G. C. Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible). Judges 10:17 Then the sons of Ammon were summoned, and they camped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel gathered together, and camped in Mizpah. Mizpah - Jdg 11:11,29 Ge 31:49 Judges 10 Resources GOD SETS THE STAGE FOR AMMON'S DEFEAT Then - When? When they put away their foreign gods and served the LORD. Some think this verse should have been the beginning of chapter 11. Thus the Pulpit Commentary says "The preliminary matter of Israel's sin, of their oppression by the Ammonites, of their repentance and return to the God of their fathers, and of God's merciful acceptance of their penitence and prayer, was concluded in the last verse. The history of their deliverance by Jephthah begins here." The sons of Ammon were summoned, and they camped in Gilead - Summoned is in the passive voice which speaks of an outside force bringing about the summoning of Ammon. This should have been familiar territory for them for this had been going on for 18 years and they likely expected the same submissive spirit they had encountered during that time! They did not know that Israel had confessed and repented, and that now Yahweh was on their side! Once again we see the sovereign hand of God moving the chess pieces into position to prepare for Israel's deliverance. Unmerited favor if there ever was an example of such! What a merciful God we serve. Recall Pr 21:1 says "The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes." And the sons of Israel gathered together, and camped in Mizpah - Here are the other "chess pieces." Gathered like summoned is also in the passive voice indicating that an outside force brought about the "gathering." This Mizpah is most likely the one located east of the Jordan (see map). Cundall - Gilead is normally used to designate the central of the three main divisions of the Israelite settlement east of the Jordan, between Bashan in the north and the southern tableland, but the term is used somewhat loosely. To meet this emergency the people of the Israelite tribes involved assembled themselves together, with possibly a new morale and a will to resist following their repentance and return to the Lord. All they lacked was a suitable commander to marshal their forces. Mizpah (RV, RSV), which means ‘watchtower’, was a common place-name in a country often subjected to attack by marauding bands, and any identification is hazardous. The Mizpah associated with Jacob’s covenant with Laban (Gen. 31:46ff.) and Ramoth-mizpeh (usually identified with Ramoth-gilead, Josh. 13:26; cf. Josh. 20:8; Deut. 4:43; 1 Kgs 22:3) have been suggested as possible sites, but there can be no certainty. The frequent mention of the leaders of Gilead (RSV) in the narrative indicates that this was the area principally threatened at this time and that the deliverance of Jephthah was achieved without any general appeal to the tribes. (Borrow Judges & Ruth: Tyndale Old Testament Commentary) George Bush - The children of Ammon were summoned. Heb. יצעקו yitztzhaku, (Heb verb - tsaaq = to cry out, call - used in Judges also for Israel "crying out" to Yahweh - all uses of tsaaq = Jdg. 4:3; Jdg. 7:23; Jdg. 7:24; Jdg. 10:12; Jdg. 10:17; Jdg. 12:1) were cried together; were convened by means of criers, sent over the country in every direction, to stir up all the enemies of Israel. Camped in Mizpeh. There were several places of this name, but as the war here described was waged on the east of the Jordan, the Mizpah alluded to in the text was undoubtedly that in the trans-Jordanic half-tribe of Manasseh, and of which an account is given, Josh. 11:3. (Judges 10 Commentary) A R Fausset - Then the children of Ammon were gathered together [Heb., “caused themselves to be summoned together,” only to be “broken in pieces” (Isa. 8:9)], and encamped in Gilead [with the purpose of dispossessing Israel of all their territory east of Jordan as far as the river Jabbok (Jdg 11:13), probably also to invade Western Palestine beyond Jordan (Jdg 10:9)]: and the children of Israel assembled together [penitence and faith now gave them courage to do what they were not willing to do before (read about the "righteous" in Pr 28:1)], and encamped in Mizpeh [Hebrew, Mizpah usually with the article “the Mizpah” or watch-towers. Mizpeh (masculine) is the town; Mizpah (feminine) is the district (Josh. 11:3, 8+). Laban gave this name to Gilead, “the heap of witness,” the memorial of his covenant with Jacob; for he said, “Jehovah watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another.” (Ge 31:49) Identical with Ramoth Gilead, now Es-Salt or Ramoth-Mizpeh, now mount Jebel Osha to the north-west (Josh. 13:26). Distinct from Mizpeh-Moab and Mizpeh-Benjamin]. (Judges 10 Commentary) Judges 10:18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said to one another, "Who is the man who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead." Who is the man - Jdg 1:1 11:5-8 Isa 3:1-8 34:12 he shall become - Jdg 11:11 12:7 1Sa 17:25 Judges 10 Resources ISRAEL GATHERS BUT LEADERS NEED A LEADER For context note that the next section, Judges 11:1–3, is a parenthesis which gives us the background story on Jephthah. Then the narrative in Jdg 10:17–18 is picked up again in Jdg 11:4ff. And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said to one another, "Who is the man who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead." Leaders (sare) is the term used of Sisera (Jdg 4:2), the "princes" of Issachar (Jdg 5:15), and the governor of a city (Jdg 9:30) and in the present context appears to include military and political leaders. They had LEADERS but they needed A LEADER to LEAD into BATTLE. It was natural that the Gileadites were the most vocal since it was their territory which was most immediately threatened. There was no effective leader, and hence as we read in Judges 11:5ff, they approached Jephthah, whom they had formerly rejected (Jdg 11:7). As an incentive they offered to make any commander who proved successful against the Ammonites the ruler of their entire territory (Jdg 10:18; cf. Jdg 11:9) Guzik - Israel gathered, but had no leader. God’s pattern for doing great works among His people is to raise up a man. He could do the work all by Himself; He could send angels to do the work for Him; He could use a leaderless mob or a committee. Yet God’s normal means of operating is to raise up a man, and through that man to do a great work. God uses leaders. George Bush - The people and the princes said. Heb. העם שרים hââm sârim, the people, the princes said; indicating, by a remarkable phraseology, how closely related, not to say identified, were the people and the rulers among these eastern tribes. Though the nominal distinction existed, yet the interests of each were so completely the same, that their respective denominations are as it were merged in each other. How different the spectacle presented by the governments of nearly every European nation for the last two thousand years, and continued to the present day! Bush - Shall become head, &c. Shall not only take the conduct of the present war, but when the war is over shall, as a reward for his services, be continued as the governing head of this people. This verse comes in here as an introduction to the following narrative. (Judges 10 Commentary) A R Fausset - And the people (and) princes [rather “the people, namely, the princes,” i.e., the people as represented by 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 [the Gileadites, as an independent people, elect their own head and commander-in-chief without consulting the tribes west of Jordan: he is called (in Jdg 11:6, 11) their ‘captain’ in war, as well as ‘head’ in civil relations]. (Judges 10 Commentary) Judges 10 Rebellious and Brought Low F B Meyer Judges 10:1-5 Times of quietness. -- God will not be always threshing. After storms have disturbed the atmosphere, there come times of clear shining and peace. Such parentheses of rest came to Israel under Tola and Jair, of whom there is little notable to record. How often it happens that we make much of the days of strife and sorrow, while we permit the days of uneventful calm and prosperity to pass almost without remark. Judges 10:6-9 Times of sin and suffering. -- Very woeful is this incessant story of backsliding. The whole land must have been infected with multiplied idolatries. As an inspired commentary on these verses, we should read Psalm 106:36-46. The sentences there are very pathetic, and well in accord with the sad record before us. "Many times did He deliver them, but they were rebellious in their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity:' Judges 10:10-18 Times of repentance. -- Truly pathetic is this scene! The cry of agony (Judges 10:10). There is hope when sinners cry to God with genuine contrition, and to such cries there is an immediate response. The answer of God may have come by Him, or by angels, but it was very just. This apparent refusal of help was only intended to bring them more utterly to their knees in self-abhorrence, humiliation, and prayer. It is at such times that we not only pray, but we put away the strange gods, and cast ourselves utterly and hopelessly at His feet. "We have sinned, do Thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto Thee" (Judges 10:15). We should read also Hosea 14, appropriating the prayer with which it begins; and then we shall hear the reply coming from those gracious lips, "I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely, mine anger is turned away:' How touching the thought that our miseries can grieve God (Judges 10:16), even when they are the result of sin. "His compassions fail not:' (F. B. Meyer. CHOICE NOTES ON JOSHUA THROUGH 2 KINGS