Judges 10:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand.

NIV: the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands?

NASB: And when the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites oppressed you, you cried out to Me, and I saved you from their hands.

CSB: Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, did I not deliver you from them?

NLT: the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites? When they oppressed you, you cried out to me for help, and I rescued you.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Also the Sidonians and Amalekites and Maonites oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand.

In response to Israel's confession of depravity and idol worship (Judges 10:10), the Lord is listing all the nations He has saved them from in the past. He began with Egypt during the time of Moses and then added the Amorites, the Ammonites, and the Philistines (Judges 10:11). Now God mentions the Sidonians (Judges 1:31; 3:3), the Amalekites (Judges 3:13; 6:3, 33; 7:12), and a nation translated here as "Maonites." Some scholars suggest that this name should be understood as the Midianites, defeated by the Lord through Gideon in the previous chapters (Judges 6—8).

The Lord concludes by making the point about His prior work. He saved Israel from each of these nations over the long years of her history because they cried out to Him for help. That hasn't stopped them from repeatedly falling into sin and evil. One might expect to hear God declare that, once again, He will rescue His people. That is not what happens (Judges 10:13–14).

Judges 10:6–16 shows the downward spiral repeated in the book of Judges sinking ever lower. The Israelites once again forsake the Lord, this time serving all the gods of Canaan and the surrounding regions. God hands them over to both the Ammonites and the Philistines. When the people cry out to the Lord eighteen years later, confessing their sin, He initially refuses to save them. This has the desired effect of jarring Israel to action. The people repent, anyway, serving the Lord and getting rid of their idols.

Two more judges, Tola and Jair, rescue Israel for a time. Little detail is given about either. Once again, the people return to idolatry and depraved sins (Deuteronomy 12:29–31). In response, God submits His people to the Ammonites and Philistines. After eighteen years, they confess and beg for mercy. God bluntly refuses, this time. And yet, Israel shows humble repentance, getting rid of their idols. As God prepares to save the people, an army of Israelites in Gilead gathers to face an army of Ammonites. But the Israelite army lacks a leader.

After Gideon rescued Israel (Judges 6—8), his son, Abimelech, murdered his siblings and became a despotic ruler (Judges 9). That ended with further tragedy and bloodshed. Judges 10 begins with a brief description of two judges who ruled after the time of Abimelech. Then Israel falls further than ever into the worship of false gods. Nearly two decades after God turns the people over to their enemies, they confess their sinfulness. The Ammonites encamp against Israel in Gilead. The leaders of Gilead search for someone to lead them in battle. Chapter 11 details the call and success of the next judge, Jephthah.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).

Accessed 4/28/2024 3:22:28 AM