The big picture
Tola and Jair receive short notices before Israel again serves many gods. Ammonite oppression brings distress on both sides of the Jordan. The LORD confronts Israel’s repeated disloyalty, the people remove foreign gods, and Gilead searches for a leader.
Scripture beside the summary
Judges · King James Version · 18Judges 10:1-5
Tola and Jair judge without a battle story
Tola judges Israel for twenty-three years, and Jair judges for twenty-two. Jair’s thirty sons ride thirty ass colts and possess thirty cities, after which he dies and is buried in Camon.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he…” Naming Abimelech and Dodo keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.” The number twenty makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
Judges 10:1-5
King James Version1And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
2And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.
3And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.
4And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
5And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
Judges 10:6-16
Israel puts away foreign gods and serves the LORD
Israel serves a long list of surrounding deities and is sold into Philistine and Ammonite hands. After eighteen years, the people confess sin, hear a severe answer, surrender themselves to God’s judgment, remove the gods, and serve the LORD.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD , and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of…” Naming Ammon and Ashtaroth keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on…” Naming Israel and Amorites keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD , saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken…” Naming Baalim keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out…” Naming Amalekites and Maonites keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.” The line’s distinctive content terms include chosen, deliver, gods. Its relationship to verses 13 and 15 shows what work it does in this passage.
Judges 10:6-16
King James Version6And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD , and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD , and served not him.
7And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.
8And 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.
9Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.
10And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD , saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.
11And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
12The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.
13Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
14Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
15And the children of Israel said unto the LORD , We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.
16And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD : and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
Judges 10:17-18
The threatened community asks who will lead
Ammon gathers in Gilead while Israel camps at Mizpeh. Gilead’s leaders promise that whoever begins the fight will become head over the inhabitants, preparing the introduction of Jephthah.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
Judges 10:17-18
King James Version17Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.
18And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Judges 10:1 begins with “And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.”
Where the chapter turns
Judges 10:11 forms a natural hinge: “And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the…”
The final note
Judges 10:18 leaves the reader with “And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words children, Israel, gods, LORD, Ammon, Gilead help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Why list the nations before introducing Abram?
The blessing promised through Abram will concern the families of the earth, not an isolated group.
What organizes the table?
Families, lands, nations and languages recur, linking people with place and relationship.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- wherefore
- for that reason
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.