Judges 10:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”

NIV: Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!'

NASB: Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.'

CSB: Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them deliver you whenever you are oppressed."

NLT: Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen! Let them rescue you in your hour of distress!'

KJV: Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.

NKJV: “Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.”

Anyone who wonders if God uses sarcasm should note how this verse drips with it. Israel has cried out to the Lord with a confession of their sin (Judges 10:10). He has reminded them of how often He has responded to their cries for help by giving them victory over oppressors. And still, they chose to betray Him and dive ever deeper into sin (Judges 10:11–12). This pattern of repeated rescue and faithlessness is the rhythm of the book of Judges (Judges 2:11–19).

In a shocking statement, God has flatly refused to save Israel again (Judges 10:13). He now sarcastically tells the people to ask their false gods for help. This is both a challenge and a brutal indictment of Israel's sin. There's no possibility, in God's statement, that these idols are real. The fact that the people are being brutalized after choosing to ignore God shows that relying on idols is ineffective. The lie of their worship has been revealed, and they have forsaken their only hope.

Were this the end of the story, it would be horrifying, but entirely justified (Proverbs 29:1; Romans 9:18). God's patience is incredible (Psalm 86:15), not infinite (1 Peter 3:20). And yet, His plans for His chosen people (Genesis 12:3; 17:5–6) mean God is not ready to abandon Israel (Psalm 94:14). His cutting response is meant to drive Israel to something more than shallow regret (Hosea 10:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10). They need to express real, living repentance—and they do just that (Judges 10:15–16).

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).