Bible Commentaries

CHAPTER 10:1-5 Tola and Jair

1. Tola judging twenty-three years ( 10:1-2)

2. Jair judging twenty-two years ( 10:3-5)

These are but brief records but not without meaning. Tola means, translated, “a worm.” What a contrast with the proud, wicked, domineering Abimelech! Here is one, who takes the place in self-abasement. It reminds us of Him, whose voice we hear in the great Atonement Psalm “I am a worm and no man.” Tola, no doubt, typifies our Lord in His humiliation. When Abimelech’s awful rule is ended, He who was obedient unto death, the death of the cross, will come to reign in righteousness.

And this seems to be more fully brought to our attention in Jair, the judge, who followed Tola. His name means, “enlightener.” He is a type of our Lord in His coming as “the Sun of Righteousness.” The thirty sons, who rode on thirty ass-colts and had thirty cities, must mean the rule of that kingdom to come in which His sons, His co-heirs, will have a part, as Jair’s sons had authority over these cities.

5. Fifth Declension: Under the Philistines and Ammon. Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon

CHAPTER 10:6-18

1. The great declension ( 10:6-9)

2. Their cry and the Lord’s answer ( 10:10-14)

3. Confession and self-judgment ( 10:15-18)

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, Seventh Day Adventism, Unitarianism and a host of other “isms” are of the Ammonite tribe. The Philistines typify ritualism. Like Ammon and the Philistines, these two enemies distress sorely the people of God from all sides. Then they cried unto Him and confessed their sins, and Jehovah reminded them of all His goodness in past deliverances and threatened them that He would not deliver them. “Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.” But when they continued to plead and to confess, when they put away the strange gods, when they began to serve Him again, though He had denied their first cry--His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. What a compassionate Lord He is! Then they gathered together and encamped at Mizpah--the watchtower.