Judges 10:16

_AND THEY PUT AWAY THE STRANGE GODS FROM AMONG THEM, AND SERVED THE LORD: AND HIS SOUL WAS GRIEVED FOR THE MISERY OF ISRAEL._ His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. On their abandonment of idolatry and return to purity of worship, God graciously abridged the term of national affliction, and restored times of peace....

10-18 God is able to multiply men's punishments according to the numbers of their sins and idols. But there is hope when sinners cry to the Lord for help, and lament their ungodliness as well as their more open transgressions. It is necessary, in true repentance, that there be a full conviction that those things cannot help us which we have set in competition with God. They acknowledged what they deserved, yet prayed to God not to deal with them according to their deserts. We must submit to God's justice, with a hope in his mercy. True repentance is not only for sin, but from sin. As the disobedience and misery of a child are a grief to a tender father, so the provocations of God's people are a grief to him. From him mercy never can be sought in vain. Let then the trembling sinner, and the almost despairing backslider, cease from debating about God's secret purposes, or from expecting t...

Verse Judges 10:16. _AND HIS SOUL WAS GRIEVED FOR THE MISERY OF ISRAEL._] What a proof of the _philanthropy_ of God! Here his compassions moved on a _small scale_; but it was the same principle that led him to give his Son Jesus Christ to be a sacrifice for the sins of the WHOLE _world_. God _grieves_ for the miseries to which his creatures are reduced by their own sins. Be astonished, ye heavens, at this; and shout for joy, all ye inhabitants of the earth! for, through the love whence this compassion flowed, God has visited and redeemed a lost world!...

EXPOSITION JUDGES 10:6 DID EVIL AGAIN. We may conclude that Tola and Jair had used their influence to maintain the worship of Jehovah; but at their death idolatry broke out with more virulence than ever. Not only were the many altars of Baal and Ashtoreth honoured, as in former times, but new forms of idol-worship, according to the rites of all the neighbouring nations, were introduced among them. The gods of Syria, _i.e._ Aram, who are not usually named, but whose worship is spoken of (2 Chronicles 28:23), and whose altar attracted the attention of Ahaz (2 Kings 16:10), and one of whom was Rimmon ...

AND THEY PUT AWAY THE STRANGE GODS FROM AMONG THEM,.... Which was an evidence of the truth of their repentance, and showed their confessions and humiliations to be genuine: AND SERVED THE LORD; and him only, both in private and public; in the observance of duties, both moral and ceremonial; in an attendance on the service of the sanctuary, and by offering sacrifices to God there, according to his will: AND HIS SOUL WAS GRIEVED FOR THE MISERY OF ISRAEL; which is to be understood after the manner of men; for grief properly does not belong to God, there being no passion in him; but it denotes a carriage or behaviour of his, which shows what looks like sympathy in men; a love and affection for Israel, notwithstanding their ill behaviour to him, and a change of his dispensations Providence towards them, according to his unchangeable will; so Maimonides b understands it of the good will and...

5. FIFTH DECLENSION: UNDER THE PHILISTINES AND AMMON. JEPHTHAH, IBZAN, ELON, AND ABDON CHAPTER 10:6-18 _ 1. The great declension (Judges 10:6)_ 2. Their cry and the Lord's answer (Judges 10:10) 3. Confession and self-judgment (Judges 10:15) This is the greatest declension yet. They did evil again, served Baalim, Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, Zidon, Moab, Ammon and the Philistines. They were then sold by the Lord into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the children of Ammon. Ammon has rightly been taken to typify rationalism in every form and the wicked doctrines, the denials of the faith, which follow in its train. Christian Science, Russellism, higher criticism, Seven

INTRODUCTION TO THE STORY OF JEPHTHAH. In this section we see the hand of D, and hear the recurrent notes of sin, suffering, repentance, and deliverance. Judges 10:7. The reference to the Philistines seems to be out of place, unless the section is meant to serve as an introduction to Samson's as well as Jephthah's exploits. Judges 10:8. Text faulty: eighteen years should probably stand at the end of Judges 10:7, and Judges 10:8 should perhaps read and they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel that were beyond Jordan, the rest being a gloss....

STRANGE GODS. gods of strangers or foreigners. HIS SOUL. He (emph.) Hebrew. _nephesh_ (App-13). Attributed by Figure of speech _Anthropopatheia_ to God (App-6)....

The first half of the verse resembles Genesis 35:2 E, Joshua 24:20-23 E, 1 Samuel 7:3. _strange gods_ i.e. _foreign_gods, E's expression: Joshua 24:20; Joshua 24:23, etc.; contrast _other gods, Judges 10:13_. _was grieved_ lit. _was shortened_, cf. Judges 16:16; Exodus 6:9;...

HIS SOUL WAS GRIEVED FOR THE MISERY OF ISRAEL— This is a figurative expression, setting forth, in a very emphatical manner, the effect of the divine compassion. If the Israelites, hardened by idolatry, had not repented, God resolved not to deliver them: but as soon as they repented and reformed, he changed his conduct towards them. His wisdom leaves free scope to his goodness. Though God is, of course, superior himself to the affections of grief and affliction, the sacred writer expresses it as if his soul was grieved for their misfortunes, as if compassion disarmed him in their favour. See Jeremiah 15:1. REFLECTIONS.—It was long before they bowed the knee of penitence; but better late than never. We have, 1. Their humble confession. They had committed two great crimes: they had forsaken God, the fountain of living water, and had hewn themselves idols, broken cisterns w