Judges 10:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

NIV: who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites.

NASB: And they afflicted and oppressed the sons of Israel that year; for eighteen years they oppressed all the sons of Israel who were beyond the Jordan, in Gilead in the land of the Amorites.

CSB: They shattered and crushed the Israelites that year, and for eighteen years they did the same to all the Israelites who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites in Gilead.

NLT: who began to oppress them that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites east of the Jordan River in the land of the Amorites (that is, in Gilead).

KJV: And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

NKJV: From that year they harassed and oppressed the children of Israel for eighteen years—all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, in Gilead.

In response to yet another fall into faithlessness (Judges 10:7), God has "sold" His people of Israel into the hands of two historic enemies: the Ammonites (Genesis 19:36–38; Judges 3:13) and the Philistines (Genesis 10:13–14; Exodus 13:17). The Lord's anger is reflected in the ferocity of the attacks. These two nations overwhelmed the Israelites in a relatively brief time. The Hebrew root words used here are ra'ats, literally meaning "shatter," and ratsats, literally meaning "crush or bruise." This turn of phrase is somewhat like saying "shattered and shackled" or "crushed and captured" in English.

How long did Israel worship the gods of these other nations before the hammer of God's judgment fell? We are not told. Those who live in sin often believe they are getting away with it. They assume no response is coming, because it does not come immediately (Psalm 10:4–11; 2 Peter 3:3–4). The Lord, though, will not be mocked or ignored (Galatians 6:7; 2 Peter 3:10). The divine blow comes when the time is right.

This chapter will deal mostly with the attacks from the Ammonites. They begin east of the Jordan River in the territory known as Gilead or the "land of the Amorites." It's easy to confuse the Amorites and Ammonites. The area around Gilead belonged to the Amorites before God gave it to Israel, so it was still sometimes called the "land of the Amorites." The Ammonites are a different people, who wish to take possession of that area for themselves, as well as more territory west of the Jordan River.

Gilead is the region from which the most recent judge Jair and his sons governed Israel (Judges 10:3–5). It is the land east of the Jordan, south of the Yarmuk River, and north of the Jabbok River. The Ammonites oppressed the people of this region for eighteen years.

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).