Judges 10:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.

NIV: Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And he could bear Israel's misery no longer.

NASB: So they removed the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord; and He could no longer endure the misery of Israel.

CSB: So they got rid of the foreign gods among them and worshiped the Lord, and he became weary of Israel's misery.

NLT: Then the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the Lord. And he was grieved by their misery.

KJV: And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

NKJV: So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord. And His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel.

The Lord has shocked His people into a clear understanding of their sin, by claiming He will no longer save them (Judges 10:6–14). The Israelites had abandoned Him, yet again, to serve false gods. This, despite how God saved them from their enemy repeatedly. They had repeated their faithlessness instead of being grateful and loyal to their good God.

Now, for the first time in the downward spiral of the book of Judges (Judges 2:11–19), we are told that Israel confessed to their sin and took the unprecedented step of changing their behavior before being rescued. When God noted His prior rescues and told them—sarcastically—to ask the idols for help, they understood the message. They responded with sincere repentance, proven by their choice to throw out their idols and resume serving God.

What's noteworthy here is how the Israelites acted without having yet been rescued, and without a guarantee it would ever happen. Such a short account makes it difficult to presume their exact motive. But, at the very least, this is what godly repentance looks like (2 Corinthians 7:10; Matthew 3:8). Repentance includes both agreeing that we have sinned and a willingness to change behavior. The proper motive for that change is belief that the sin is wrong, not because of what we expect to get from the Lord in return. Repentance is a choice to submit to God's character, believing He can and will do whatever is best, no matter what that might be.

A fragment of God's character is revealed in the second half of this verse. He "grows impatient" over Israel's suffering. This short phrase is used elsewhere in Scripture, of men, and it literally means His "soul became too short." This is an example of Scripture applying human ideas to a God far beyond humanity (Isaiah 55:8–9), giving us a parallel we can understand. In short, this tells us God does not enjoy seeing His people in misery. He will allow misery; He will even cause misery to bring His people back to Himself. Both are how a good Father guides and tutors His children. And yet, God does not take pleasure in seeing it (Ezekiel 18:23).

The Lord not only has limited patience for sin and rebellion (Proverbs 29:1). He also sets limits on His tolerance for sadness and suffering. He will act to rescue the Israelites once more.

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).