Judges 10:8

_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._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

6-9 Now the threatening was fulfilled, that the Israelites should have no power to stand before their enemies, Leviticus 26:17; Leviticus 26:37. By their evil ways and their evil doings they procured this to themselves....

THAT YEAR - Perhaps the closing year of the oppression, when the Ammonites passed over the Jordan. For it was this crowning oppression which brought the Israelites to repentance Judges 10:10, Judges 10:15, and so prepared the way for the deliverance. Possibly in the original narrative from which this portion of the Book of Judges is compiled, “that year” was defined. THE LAND OF THE AMORITES - Namely, of Sihon king of the Amorites, Numbers 21:21; Deuteronomy 1:4; Joshua 13:10;

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 THAT YEAR THEY VEXED AND OPPRESSED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... The Philistines on one side, and the children of Ammon on the other; meaning either that year in which Jair died, as Jarchi; or the first year they began to bring them into bondage, as R. Isaiah: "and from that year", as Kimchi and Ben Melech, that they vexed and distressed them, they continued to vex and distress them EIGHTEEN YEARS; or, as Abarbinel interprets it, "with that year", they vexed and oppressed them eighteen years, that is, so many more, or reckoning that into the number of them; and these eighteen years of their oppression are not to be reckoned into the years of Jair's government, and as commencing from the fourth of it, as Bishop Usher, Lightfoot, and others; for it does not appear that there was any oppression in his days, but from the time of his death to the raising up of Jephthah a new judge: and the...

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....

VEXED AND OPPRESSED. brake and crushed. See note on Judges 10:3, above....

_Introduction to the story of Jephthah_ Apostasy followed by oppression, the cry for help by deliverance: such is the religious interpretation of the succeeding period given by the Dtc. editor in his accustomed manner. His phrases appear in Judges 10:6, cf. Judges 2:11; Judges 2:13; Judges 3:7 etc. This summary is much longer than usual, and resembles Judges 2:6 to Judges 3:6 in its general character and scope (see Introd. § 2 b). The Dtc. editor seems to have expanded an earlier and shorter prefa

AND THAT YEAR THEY VEXED, &C.— Houbigant renders this, _therefore at that time the children of Ammon afflicted and oppressed the children of Israel eighteen years,_ namely, all those who dwelt on the other side. REFLECTIONS.—One tumultuous reign we have had, which needed two peaceable ones to repair its desolations. 1. Tola, of the tribe of Issachar, succeeded Abimelech; not an usurping king, but raised up of God to be a righteous judge, to reform their abuses, decide their controversies, heal their intestine divisions, and protect them from foreign invasions. For the greater convenience of administering justice, he resided in mount Ephraim, and judged Israel twenty-three years. _Note;_ Though a warlike king shines more splendidly in the annals of history, a peaceable and mild government is more for the prosperity and comfort of every nation. 2. Jair, of the half tribe of Manasseh, bey...