Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · Judges · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
AND after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tolah the sonne of Puah, the V. 1son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; the Vulg. Latine hath it, The sonne of Puah, the Ʋncle of Abimelech, taking Dodo for an appellative, signifying his Uncle, and not for a proper name, and because Abimelech was last spoken of, presuming, that by his Vncle was meant Abimelechs Uncle. But in this reading the word sonne in the second place is left out, which is in the Hebrew, which being supplied, thus, sonne of Puah, sonne of his Ʋncle, would make it with out sense; besides that this Tola is said to have beene of Issachar, but Abimelech by his father of Manasseh, and so likewise most probably was his Uncle. I am not ignorant, what they answer to this last, that defend the Latin translation: but that of omitting these words, the sonne, cannot be answered. Take wee therefore Dodo for a proper name of Tolah his Grand-father. From what this Tola defended or saved Israel, it is not said, or his successor Iair. For no enemies are said in their times to have oppressed Israel. It is therefore to bee held, that Abimelech being by Gods just judgement taken away, the kingdome set up by men ceased, and was of no continuance, but yet God was not wanting to his people, but immediately raised them up a Judge, according to the forme of government by him constituted, and hee being dead, another, both which according to their office counselled and directed the people in the right way, and were ready to defend them against their enemies if any should have risen up against them, and even by this they saved them, that they kept them from idolatry, as appeareth v. 6. for after these two It is said, that Israel sinned againe, implying that in their dayes they were kept from serving Baalim, and consequently from the oppressions of their enemies, and if not all the time of Jair, as I shall shew v. 8. yet hee kept them from sinning so publikely, and for his sake they were spared from judgements. From all which we may gather Note. both that the acts of men against Gods ordinance are vaine, and shall soone come to nought, as the Kingdome set by the Schechemites did, and also, that the Governour or Prince, that keepeth his people from idolatry, saveth them as well as he that fighteth for them, and therefore the word foreign is here used, v. 1. There rose up after Abimelech to save Israel, Tolah, &c. Whereas he Ferus.is said to be of Issachar, Ferus noteth well, that hee was of an obscure tribe, and most probably a meane man, but Jair, his successour a great man, for he had 30. sonnes, that had each one a City of his owne, and rode as Princes. Thus it seemeth good unto God sometime to preferre to the highest office meane men, and sometime noble men, that promotion might be acknowledged not to come from the east or the west, as the Psalmist hath it, but that God raiseth them up as he pleaseth, & by every one be praised accordingly. Tolah is said further to have dwelt in Shamir of Mount Ephraim: This Shamir, saith Junius, was not that mentioned, Josh. 15. 48. for that was in Judah, but a place in Junius.Ephraim bordering upon Issachar. And although he was of Issachar, being now called to the office of a Judge, he placed himselfe here, that he might dwell most commodiously for the people, and be nearer for Jerusalem, this Shamir being but 12. miles from it. He judged Israel 23. yeares, that is, appeasing the tumults at the end of Abimelechs reigne, restoring the true Religion, & administring justice according to Gods Laws. How he or Jair came to this office, it is not said, whether by the election of the people, or extraordinarily appointed of God. The last way is most probable, because all other Judges hitherto were extraordinarily stirred up, and whilst the Judges ruled, it is said, that God reigned over them, and therefore without doubt hee appointed his Deputy by giving his holy Spirit, and such gifts necessary for government, which were not in any other man, to him, whom hee would advance, as made it appeare to all men, that he was chosen of God, thus drawing the people to obedience.
And after him arose Jair a Gileadite, and bee judged Israel 22 yeares. The Gileadites V. 3. H. Bunt. Patriar. travailes.were of Manisseh, see Josh. 17. 1. One saith, that hee was a man of great esteeme in Israel, but lame on both his feet, but whence he had this I cannot tell. Hee bad 30 sonnes, that rode upon 30 Asse-colts, and they had 30 Cities, V. 4.called Havoth Jair, wee read of Havoth Jair built by Jair, the sonne of Manasseh, and therefore thus called, the Cities of Jair, Numb. 31. 41. But these, saith Hugo, were other Townes of the same name, and that Jair another Hugo Cardin. Benfrerius.man living long before this, and were 60 in number. Bonfrerius contendeth, they were some of them, having now anew the same name imposed upon them, but the former is to be preferred. For the Assecolts, upon which they are said to ride, it is to be understood, saith Lyra, that the Hebrew word signifyeth onelyonly Lyra.pullos, that is, young ones, and not the young of Asses, wherefore the Hebrew Doctours understand hereby young horses; and Cajetan following this saith, that they rid upon horses, as being the more honourable. Hugo Cardin: Horses, Cajetan. Hugo Card.or Asses, or Mules, that come of both. But the word foreign here used is not any where put for any other, then an Assc-colt, and amongst the Jewes it was an honour to ride upon such, neither were they permitted to use horses, but when they tooke them, they houghed them, Josh. 11. 6. 2 Sam. 8. 4. see upon Josh. 11. Wherefore they were young Asses, as all translations agree, and Pagninus expoundeth the word.
After the death of these two Judges related, the apostasie of the children of Israel againe to idolatry is set forth, and their divers oppressions hereupon, but V. 6.chiefly by the Ammonites. They served Baalim and Ashteroth, of which see before Judg. 2. 13. These were the gods of the Syrians and Sidonians, besides which are reckoned up the gods of Moab, that is, Chamos, and of Ammon, that is, Moloch, and of the Philistims, that is, Dagon, so that they sinned now by all kinde of idolatry, which they learned from the neighbouring nations. And therefore even from some of those peoples, the Philistims and Ammonites, did God bring a grieveous scourge upon them. That yeare they oppressed the children of Israel: 18 yeares all the children of Israel, that were on the other side of Jordan in V. 7. V. 8.the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead, Hebr. that yeare, the 18 yeare even all the children of Israel on the other side &c. Junius therefore hath it, that yeare, I Junius.say the 18. yeare, but the Vulgar Latin, they were oppressed 18. yeares: but the word in Hebrew is foreign yeare, not foreign yeares. And if after the death of Jair they were oppressed 18. yeares, before that Iephthah delivered them, and hee judged Israel but 6 yeares, Ch. 12. 7. forasmuch as the number of the yeares of their oppression were many more, and so cannot come under those yeares of Iephthah, according the reckoning, which wee have before shewed must bee made Ch. 3. 11. to justifye the yeares reckoned, 1 King. 6. 1. here will be a surplusage of almost 18 yeares above the number set downe, 1 King. 6. 1. and 10 that account cannot bee true: wherefore this place is not to be understood of 18 yeares oppression, but of one yeares, which yeare yet is said to bee the 18th. but from whence is not determined, but if I may spend my conjecture I think, that the time is meant, when they began againe to revolt from God to idolatry, which was 17 yeares before Jair dyed, but because hee was godly, and sought what hee could, to represse this wickednesse, the judgements due therefore were hitherto kept away, but now the 18. yeare after they began thus shamefully to revolt, hee being dead, and idolatry becoming more generall and publike, these enemies were brought upon them without any further delay.
And now not onelyonly the two tribes and halfe on the other side of Jordan V 9.were distressed, but the tribe of Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim also, the Ammonites comming over Jordan against them, and distressing them, so that the calamity was generall. v. 10. Then the children of Israel cryed unto the Lord and said, Wee have sinned, &c. But hee upbraided them by his V. 10. V. 11, 12, 13, 14.former deliverances, bidding them to goe and cry to the gods, whom they had chosen, saying, that hee would deliver them no more, because that when they were delivered in times past from the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites and Philistims, the Zidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites, yet they forsooke him. Who it was, by whom the Lord made this answer, it is not expressed, the Rabbins hold, that it was Phinees, but it is not probable, that he was living Rabbin.to this time, it being now 300. yeares, since his going out Captaine against the Midianites, Numb. 31. Wherefore Lyra thinketh, that it was some Lyra.other Prophet, and some, an Angel, but because no mention is made either of Prophet or Angel, I think rather, that they comming before the Tabernacle to humble themselves, received this answer by the High-Priest, that then was, for the High-Priest by reason of his office had commonly the gift of prophesying, as may be gathered from that which is said of Cajaphas, hee being Joh. 11. 51.High-Priest that yeare prophesied. For the peoples reckoned up from whom the Lord saith hee delivered them, their deliverance from the Egyptians was famous, and from the Amorites they were delivered, when Shion King of the Amorites fought against them: Of their deliverance also from the Philistims mention is made Judg. 3, 31. And the Amalekites and Ammonites were in the Army of Eglon, King of Moab, Judg. 3. 13. and the Amalekites were with Exod. 1….the Midianites, Judg. 6. 3. But for the Zidonians and Maonites it doth not so appeare, that they were from them delivered; Yet the Zidonians are numbered amongst the enemies left to prove Israel, and happily they served under Cusharishathaim, Iudg. 3. 2.a Syrian King, to whom they were neighbours, when he fought against Israel, Judg. 3. 8. Lastly, for the Maonites the Vulgar Latin hath the Canaanites, and likewise the Sept. who were the inhabitants of the countrey, because the word foreign signifyeth inhabitants, and the Canaanites were the most noted inhabitants here, and their deliverance from the Canaanites was most Iudg. 4.famous. There were a people indeed properly called Maonites, as the Rabbins, Vatablus, Mercerus, and the Tygurine interpreters say, and a wildernesse Maon 1 Sam. 23. and 25. and a City in Judah, Josh. 15. 55. but of any set forth by this name, from whom the Israelites were delivered, we have hitherto read nothing: and therefore they may upon the reason before going be taken here for the Canaanites. But what is this, that the Lord biddeth them goe and call Qu. upon the Gods whom they had chosen, and that hee saith hee would deliver them no more, when as hee meant, and did soone after deliver them? For the first it was spoken ironically, as that of Elijah to Baals Priests, Cry a loud for hee is a god, &c. For the seeond, the Lord said, hee would no more deliver 1 King 18. Ferus.them, as Ferus noteth, first to shew, that horrible sinning tendeth to a desperate estate, wherein a man is without all hope or sense of comfort to Godward, that all may take heed of thus sinning, because there is no estate so uncomfortable, as this; and yet because when God had absolutely denyed all helpe, he did upon their persevering to seeke unto him againe deliver them, to shew that when wee have no sense of comfort, yet wee should not despaire, but seeke still to God; for as a father, although hee threatneth to doe nothing for his childe in his bitter displeasure, yet cannot, if hee sueth againe and againe unto him, but shew him favour, so God our heavenly father cannot, but out of his fatherly compassion deale with us. 2. To shew that the pardon of sinnes iterated againe and againe is hardly obtained. 3. That praying for mercy without reforming from sinne doth not prevaile, because upon this deniall the Israelites went and put away their strange gods, and then humbling themselves againe were delivered, but not before.
And his soul was grieved for the miseries of Israel, this is spoken per Anthropopatheian, V. 16.to set forth an effectuall motion in his mind to set them free againe therefrom: which is a place to be thought upon by such, as are ready to despaire of Gods mercy, but yet are truly humbled for their sins, and put them away. God is grieved for the intolerable miseries of such distressed consciences, and whatsoever they have formerly done, will shew them mercy, that they may bee comforted herein. But this is meat onelyonly for the contrite, obstinate sinners are to be fed otherwise, viz. with threatnings of hell fire, death and destruction for ever.
Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and incamped in Gilead, V. 17.and the children of Israel incamped in Mizpeh. The Ammonites were the posterity of Lot, with whose Countrey the Israelites had beene before prohibited to Deut. 2. 19.meddle, but now they ill requite that forbearance, neither are they moved with the ancient alliance betwixt Lot their father and Abraham the father of Israel. But the thing, whereby they had beene hitherto moved, was the judgment of God against Israel for sinne, for which they were stirred up to oppresse them. For as to the godly enemies are turned into friends, so to Note. the wicked friends and all creatures are made enemies. But now the Israelites having truely repented, although they had had no answer of comfort from God, knowing, that hee would not bee unlike himselfe, gracious and mercifull to the penitent, take courage to themselves, so as they durst not doe before, and prepare in pitcht battail to fight against the Ammonites. Thus sinne taketh away all courage, and maketh timerous and fearfull at the falling of a Note. leafe, but grace maketh bold and courageous. Where Gilead was, hath been already said; viz. on the other side of Jordan, where the Gadites and half tribe of Manasseh had their possessions. Of Mizpeh, see Josh. 11. 3. it was not farre from the place that the Ammonites pitched in. Of the Ammonites pretence in invading those parts, see Chap. 11. 13. The Israelites being here incamped, V. 18.when they could not agree about a Captaine, offer him the Principality of Gilead that would begin the battail; hoping that God would thus stirre up some man, and put the spirit of courage into him to fight valiantly for them, as hee had done in the like straights before.