|
Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
|
Commentary & Explanation
|
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
|
CHAPTER 10
Tola and then Jair judge Israel—Children of Israel worship false
gods, are forsaken by the Lord, and distressed by their enemies—Israel
repents and importunes the Lord for deliverance.
|
|
|
1 AND after Abimelech
there arose to adefend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son
of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
2 And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.
|
|
|
3 ¶ And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.
4 And 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.
5 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
|
|
|
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.
7 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel,
and he asold them into the hands of the Philistines, and
into the hands of the children of Ammon.
|
|
|
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.
9 Moreover, 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.
|
|
|
10 ¶ And the children of Israel cried unto the
LORD, saying, We have asinned against thee, both because we
have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.
11 And the LORD said unto the children of Israel,
Did not I adeliver you from the
Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the
Philistines?
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.
|
|
|
13 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods:
wherefore I will adeliver you no more.
14 aGo and cry unto the
bgods which ye have cchosen; let them
deliver you in the time of your dtribulation.
|
|
|
15 ¶ And 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.
16 And they aput away the strange
gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was
bgrieved for the misery of Israel.
|
|
|
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.
18 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?a he
shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
|
18a What man - that will begin to fight
against the children of Ammon? The Lord had told Israel, "I will
deliver you no more." Yet Israel did still call unto the Lord for deliverence
and they did put away the strange gods from among them. How like the process
of repentance that it sometimes can be. Who has not failed and failed again
in attempting to live all the commandments and ways of God? And even when one
has failed again and it seems that the Lord will no more support one in their
repentance, them again man will attempt and try the Lord by his efforts in
living the commandments of God. No man is perfect and he who so states that
he is, is but a liar unto himself and God. And yet even as far as one come
in becoming like unto God, though perhaps not still worshipping the idol
ancient strange gods of the past, do we not still put various thing before
our Lord and God? And do we not all need to still put 'such and such' behind
us and humbly repent and seek the Lord still that he may deliver us. Even such
as Nephi and Paul have declared, 'Oh what wretched man that I am.' And if they
who are prophets of God at their level and stage of righteousness do so
consider and view themselves, ought not we all recognize that we have sinned
in this or that, put it away from us and seek anew to serve the LORD our GOD?
Else we are left to wonder 'what man' is left 'to fight against' such as
'Ammon'? And is not that man to be ourselves in seeking our God?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|