Verse 1

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.

After Abimelech there arose, to defend Israel, Tola - i:e., to save. Deliverance was necessary as well from intestine usurpation as from foreign aggression.

The son of Puah. He was uncle to Abimelech by the father's side, and consequently brother of Gideon; yet the former was of the tribe of Issachar, while the latter was of Manasseh. They were must probably uterine brothers.

Dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim. As a central place, he made it the seat of government.

Verse 2

And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

No JFB commentary on this verse.

Verse 3

And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.

Jair, a Gileadite. This judge was a different person from the conqueror of that northeastern territory, and founder of Havoth-jair, or 'Jair's villages' (Numbers 32:41; Deuteronomy 3:14; 1 Chronicles 2:22).

Verse 4

And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

He had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts. This is a characteristic trait of Eastern manners in those early times; and the grant of a village to each of his 30 sons was a striking proof of his extensive possessions. His having 30 sons is no conclusive evidence that he had more than one wife; much less that he had more than one at a time. There are instances in this country of men having as many children, by two successive wives (see 'Hebrew Wife,' p. 20).

Verse 5

And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.

No JFB commentary on this verse.

Verse 6

And 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.

The children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord. This apostasy seems to have exceeded every former one in the grossness and universality of the idolatry practiced, the Hebrews having, if they did not actually erect a Pantheon, adopted the objects of worship among the several pagan countries contiguous to the district of Palestine in which they lived.

Verse 7

And 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.

Philistines and ... the children of Ammon. The predatory incursions of these two hostile neighbours were made naturally on the parts of the land respectively contiguous to them. But the Ammonites, animated with the spirit of conquest, carried their arms across the Jordan, so that the central and southern provinces of Canaan were extensively desolated.

Verse 8-9

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.

Verse 10

And 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.

We have sinned against thee. The first step of repentance is confession of sin; and the best proof of its sincerity is given by the transgressor when he mourns not only over the painful consequences which have resulted from his offences to himself, but over the heinous evil committed against God.

Verse 11

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 Philistines?

The Lord said ... Did not I deliver you. The communications recorded in this and the following verses were most probably made through the high priest, whose duty it was to interpret the will of God.

Verse 12

The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.

Maonites - i:e., Midianites.

Verses 13-15

Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.

No JFB commentary on these verses.

Verse 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.

Verse 17

Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.

The children of Ammon were gathered together. From carrying on a guerilla warfare, the Ammonites proceeded to a continued campaign, their settled aim being to wrest the whole of the trans-Jordanic territory from their actual occupiers. In this great crisis a general meeting of the Israelite tribes was held at Mizpeh. This Mizpeh was in eastern Manasseh (Joshua 11:3).