16 So they put away the strange gods from among them, and became the Lord's servants; and his soul was angry because of the sorrows of Israel.
It was no sent one or angel, but he himself who was their saviour: in his love and in his pity he took up their cause, and he took them in his arms, caring for them all through the years.
But when their cry came to his ears, he had pity on their trouble: And kept in mind his agreement with them, and in his great mercy gave them forgiveness.
Samaria will be made waste, for she has gone against her God: they will be cut down by the sword, their little children will be broken on the rocks, their women who are with child will be cut open. O Israel, come back to the Lord your God; for your evil-doing has been the cause of your fall. Take with you words, and come back to the Lord; say to him, Let there be forgiveness for all wrongdoing, so that we may take what is good, and give in payment the fruit of our lips.
For we have not a high priest who is not able to be touched by the feelings of our feeble flesh; but we have one who has been tested in all points as we ourselves are tested, but without sin.
So that I was angry with this generation, and I said, Their hearts are in error at all times, and they have no knowledge of my ways;
And said, Where have you put him? They said, Come and see, Lord.
And when he got near and saw the town, he was overcome with weeping for it,
They will come back and have rest in his shade; their life will be made new like the grain, and they will put out flowers like the vine; his name will be like the wine of Lebanon.
And the Lord had sorrow because he had made man on the earth, and grief was in his heart.
For this cause I will be your judge, O children of Israel, judging every man by his ways, says the Lord. Come back and be turned from all your sins; so that they may not be the cause of your falling into evil. Put away all your evil-doing in which you have done sin; and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit: why are you desiring death, O children of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him on whom death comes, says the Lord: be turned back then, and have life.
Is Ephraim my dear son? is he the child of my delight? for whenever I say things against him, I still keep him in my memory: so my heart is troubled for him; I will certainly have mercy on him, says the Lord.
He took away the strange gods and the image out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars he had put up on the hill of the Lord's house and in Jerusalem, and put them out of the town.
And Asa, hearing these words of Azariah, the son of Oded the prophet, took heart and put away all the disgusting things out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the towns which he had taken from the hill-country of Ephraim; and he made new again the altar of the Lord in front of the covered way of the Lord's house.
Then, he said, put away the strange gods among you, turning your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Judges 10
Commentary on Judges 10 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 10
In this chapter we have,
Jdg 10:1-5
Quiet and peaceable reigns, though the best to live in, are the worst to write of, as yielding least variety of matter for the historian to entertain his reader with; such were the reigns of these two judges, Tola and Jair, who make but a small figure and take up but a very little room in this history. But no doubt they were both raised up of God to serve their country in the quality of judges, not pretending, as Abimelech had done, to the grandeur of kings, nor, like him, taking the honour they had to themselves, but being called of God to it.
Jdg 10:6-9
While those two judges, Tola and Jair, presided in the affairs of Israel, things went well, but afterwards,
Jdg 10:10-18
Here is,