Judges 10:14: Israel Sent Back to Her Idols

Verse 14:[1] Go and (Deut. 32:37, 38; 2 Kings 3:13; Jer. 2:28) cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.

[Go and invoke the gods] It is Irony, or Sarcasm (Menochius out of Serarius, Bonfrerius). Of which sort is that in Deuteronomy 32:37, 38, where are their gods, etc.? (Bonfrerius), and that in the Æneid, …Go, mock virture with overbearing words (Serarius).

[Which ye have chosen] Emphatically stated: those that, although known by no benefits, ye have preferred to me, the author of so many good things to you. God does not remit their sins immediately, but to those acknowledging the righteousness of their punishment by patience for a time, and by casting out their contrary deeds; as it appears here in verses 10, 15, 16 (Grotius). This delay of God was conjoined with the greatest advantage to the Israelites: For they brought forth greater works of repentance, verses 15, 16 (Serarius). By right it comes to each and everyone’s gods to be worshipped; Ovid’s Pontus 1:3. Thus in successes they, being forgetful of the heavenly benefits, were supplicating idols; in adversities, God: and, when they received pardon for their error, they always went on sinning after the pardon; Severus’ History[2] 1. Agesilaus[3] said of the Asians, ἐλευθέρους μὲν κακοὺς, δούλους δὲ ἀγαθοὺς, εἶναι (that is, the slaves were good, but evil when free); Plutarch’s Apophthegmata (Gataker).

The gods which ye have chosen: You have not been forced to worship those gods by your oppressors and tyrants; but you have freely chosen these gods before me.

[1] Hebrew: לְכ֗וּ וְזַֽעֲקוּ֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּחַרְתֶּ֖ם בָּ֑ם הֵ֛מָּה יוֹשִׁ֥יעוּ לָכֶ֖ם בְּעֵ֥ת צָרַתְכֶֽם׃

[2] Sulpicius Severus (c. 360-425) was a member of the Roman senatorial aristocracy, who renounced all for the monastic life. He wrote the first biography of Martin of Tours and the Chronicorum Libri Duo (or Historia Sacra), providing a history from the creation to 400 AD. Drusius produced an annotated edition of his works.

[3] Agesilaus II was king of Sparta from 398 to about 360 BC.