List of Judges – Judges 10-12

7.  Tola “worm”, son of Puah “splendid” son of Dodo “his beloved” a man of Issachar.  He dwelt in Shamir “a point or thorn” in Mt. Ephraim.  He judged Israel for 23 years and he died and was buried in Shamir.

8. Jair “he enlightens” the Gileadite “rocky region” and he judged Israel for 22 years.  He had 30 sons riding 30 colts; they owned 30 towns they would call them villages of Jair until this day, which were in the land of Gilead.  He died and was buried in Kamon “raised”.

The Children of Israel served the Philistines and the Children of Ammon for 18 years.  They stopped worshiping YHVH and served the Baalim, Ashtaroth, gods of Aram, gods of Sidon, gods of Moab, gods of Children of Ammon and god of Philistines.  The Children of Ammon crossed the Jordan and made war with Judah and Benjamin and the house of Ephraim.

9. Jephthah “he opens” a might man of valor. He judged Israel for 6 years.  He was the son of a concubine.  Gilead was his father.  His father, Gilead’s wife bore to Gilead sons and they grew up and drove Jephthah away.  They did not want Jephthah to inherit with them. Jephthah settled in Tob “good”.  After awhile the Children of Ammon made war with Israel.  The elders of Gilead wanted Jephthah to come back from Tob and become their chief and do battle with the children of Ammon.  Jephthah said to the elders, you drove me away, why do you want me back now when you are in distress? (paraphrase)  Jephthah told the elders of Gilead that “if you bring me back to do battle with the Children of Ammon and YHVH delivers them before me, I will become your leader”. (Judge 11:9).  The elders of Gilead and the people set him as a leader and a chief over them, Jephthah spoke all his words before YHVH in Mizpah “watchtower”.

Jephthah confronted the king of Ammon.  The king of Ammon claimed that Israel took away Ammon’s land when they left Egypt and took the land from Arnon “rushing stream” to Jabbok “emptying” to the Jordan “descender”.  Jephthah explains to the king that Israel did NOT take away Ammon’s land as they followed YHVH instructed them. Israel did fight and gained the land of Sihon king of the Ammorite and Heshbon king of the Ammorite.  Jephthah also asked the king of Ammon why during the last 300 years did he not try to make this claim when Israel dwelt in Heshbon “stronghold” and Aroer “ruins” and their suburbs.  The king of Ammon wouldn’t listen so Jephthah passed through Gilead, Manasseh, Mizpeh of Gilead and children of Ammon.

Jephthah vowed that if YHVH delivered the Children of Ammon into his hand that whatever emerges from his house toward him when he turned in peace from the Children of Ammon it shall belong to YHVH and he would offer it up as an elevation offering.  Jephthah defeats the Children of Ammon from Aroer to Minnith “distribution” 20 cities.  When Jephthah arrived him his daughter was first thing coming out of his house toward him with drums and dances.  She was his only child.  He told her what he vowed to YHVH.  She asked her father to let her be for 2 months so she could go to the mountains and weep for her virginity.  He agreed, she wept for her virginity for 2 months and then at the end of 2 months she returned to her father. He carried out with her the vow that he had vowed, she never knew a man. 

Men of Ephraim crossed to the north and questioned Jephthah about fighting the Children of Ammon and why Jephthah didn’t ask them to come and fight also.  Jephthah fought with “the rabble of Ephraim”.  Gilead occupied the crossings of the Jordan against Ephraim and so it was that when the rabble of Ephraim would say let me cross the men of Gilead would say to him “Are you an Ephrathite? and he would answer, ‘No.’ Then they would say to him, ‘Now say, Shibboleth but he said Sibboleth’ for they could not enunciate properly.  Then they would seize him and slaughter him by the crossings of the Jordan.”  During that time, 42000 fell from Ephraim.  Jephthah died and was buried in the cities of Gilead.

10. Izban “their whiteness, their tin of white” of Bethlehem “house of bread” judges Israel.  He had 30 sons and sent out 30 daughters he brought 30 daughters for his 30 sons from without. He judged Israel for 7 years.  He died and was buried in Bethlehem.

11. Elon “terebinth, mighty”, Zebulunite judged Israel for 10 years.  He died was buried in Aijalon “field of deer”.

12. Abdon “servile”, son of Hillel “praising” the Pirathonite “princely” judged Israel.  He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons riding on 70 colts.  He judged Israel for 8 years.  He died and was buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim on the Amalekite mountain.