Judges 10:10: Israel's Penitent Cry
- Dr. Dilday
- Sep 8, 2018
- 1 min read
Verse 10:[1] (1 Sam. 12:10) 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 forsaken the Lord, etc.] That is to say, We have sinned in two ways, both in that we have forsaken the Lord, and in that we have worshipped idols (Vatablus). The former is against the precepts תַּעֲשֶׂה [that is, commanding]; the latter is against the principal precepts לֺא תַּעֲשֶׂה [that is, prohibiting] (Grotius).
Because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim: Because, not contented to add idols to thee, we have preferred them before thee, and rejected thee to receive and worship them.
[1] Hebrew: וַֽיִּזְעֲקוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר חָטָ֣אנוּ לָ֔ךְ וְכִ֤י עָזַ֙בְנוּ֙ אֶת־אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ וַֽנַּעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־הַבְּעָלִֽים׃
Matthew Henry: 'Here is...A humble confession which Israel make to God in their distress, Judges 10:10. Now they own themselves guilty, like a malefactor upon the rack, and promise reformation, like a child under the rod. They not only complain of the distress, but acknowledge it is their own sin that has brought them into the distress; therefore God is righteous, and they have no reason to repine. They confess their omissions, for in them their sin began—"We have forsaken our God," and their commissions—"We have served Baalim, and herein have done foolishly, treacherously, and very wickedly."'