Judges 10:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the people of Israel said to the LORD, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.”

NIV: But the Israelites said to the LORD, 'We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.'

NASB: Then the sons of Israel said to the Lord, 'We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only please save us this day.'

CSB: But the Israelites said, "We have sinned. Deal with us as you see fit; only rescue us today! "

NLT: But the Israelites pleaded with the Lord and said, 'We have sinned. Punish us as you see fit, only rescue us today from our enemies.'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: And the children of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems best to You; only deliver us this day, we pray.”

The people of Israel have confessed their sin in serving false gods and forsaking God (Judges 10:6–10). They expect Him to save them as He has done in the past. Surprisingly, He has refused. Instead, the Lord sarcastically told them to turn to their false idols for help (Judges 10:11–14). This rejection is not absolute, or final, however—it's meant to make a crucial point. God knows Israel has not reached the point of true repentance. They have expressed regret and a desire to be rescued, but they've done nothing consistent with repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10). As the next verse explains, they had not yet even put away the false gods and idols from their homes.

Now the Israelites respond to the Lord with another confession, phrased more bluntly and backed up with action. They confess once more that they have sinned. They acknowledge that they deserve the Lord's punishment. Israel also acknowledges God's sovereignty, accepting that He can—and will—do as He sees fit. Even so, they make a heartfelt plea to be rescued from the Ammonites and the Philistines. They bring this request with humility, making no excuses and offering no resistance to the Lord's purposes.

Most importantly, the people will do something which demonstrates that their repentance is real (Judges 10:16).

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).