Judges 10 7

Judges 10:7 kjv

And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

Judges 10:7 nkjv

So the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the people of Ammon.

Judges 10:7 niv

he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites,

Judges 10:7 esv

So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites,

Judges 10:7 nlt

So the LORD burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites,

Judges 10 verses

Judges 10 7 Meaning

This verse declares God's righteous wrath against Israel due to their continued unfaithfulness and idolatry, manifested as divine judgment. It describes God's sovereign act of delivering or "selling" His people into the oppression of their enemies, specifically the powerful Philistines from the west and the cruel Ammonites from the east. This was not a passive abandonment but an active judicial measure to bring Israel back to Himself, a direct consequence of their persistent covenant breaking.

Judges 10 7 Context

Judges chapter 10 recounts another descent in Israel's repetitive cycle of apostasy, divine judgment, and eventual cries for deliverance during the chaotic period of the Judges. Following the periods of relative peace under Judges Tola and Jair, Israel again indulged in profound idolatry, "forsaking the Lord and not serving Him" (Judges 10:6). Their rebellion was extensive, embracing not only the common Canaanite deities like Baal and Ashtoreth but also adopting the gods of every surrounding nation: Sidon, Aram, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia. This widespread and deliberate turning away from their covenant God directly provoked the judgment detailed in Judges 10:7. This verse marks the beginning of a severe eighteen-year period of oppression by the Philistines and Ammonites. It highlights divine justice and sovereignty, emphasizing that the impending suffering was a direct and intentional consequence orchestrated by God Himself as a response to their profound unfaithfulness.

Judges 10 7 Word analysis

• And: A conjunctive emphasizing a direct consequence; connects Israel's sin in verse 6 to God's immediate action.
• the anger: From Hebrew 'אַף' (aph), literally "nose" or "nostril," but idiomatically refers to a flaring, burning anger. It signifies God's righteous, fierce, and intense displeasure rooted in His holiness and justice, not an irrational human emotion.
• of the Lord: Refers to 'יהוה' (Yahweh), God's personal covenant name. This underscores that the judgment is from the specific God whom Israel swore to serve and then betrayed.
• was hot: Hebrew 'וַיִּֽחַר' (vayyichar), derived from 'חָרָה' (charah), meaning "to burn" or "to be kindled." It signifies the intense and consuming nature of God's wrath, a righteous blaze against sin.
• against Israel: Directly identifies the object of God's judicial wrath: His covenant people who had deliberately violated their sacred covenant.
• and he sold them: Hebrew 'וַיִּמְכְּרֵם' (vayyimkrēm), from 'מָכַר' (makar), "to sell." This potent metaphor signifies God's sovereign act of relinquishing His protection and delivering His people into servitude to their enemies as a deliberate form of judicial punishment. It portrays Israel, due to their rebellion, as being legally "sold" by God into their oppressors' dominion.
• into the hands: Hebrew 'בְּיַד' (b'yad), literally "in the hand of," an idiom for "into the power or control of." This phrase highlights Israel's complete subjection and vulnerability, no longer protected by God and fully at the mercy of their enemies.
• of the Philistines: A powerful "Sea People" who settled the southwestern coast of Canaan. They possessed technological superiority (e.g., iron weapons) and represented a persistent, formidable western threat to Israel, embodying the judgment for Israel's pervasive idolatry.
• and into the hands: The repetition of this phrase (with the conjunction 'וּבְיַד' - uv'yad) stresses the duality and comprehensive nature of the impending oppression. Israel faced threats from multiple, distinct directions, emphasizing the depth and breadth of God's judgment.
• of the children of Ammon: Also known as the Ammonites, a Transjordanian people (east of the Jordan). Descendants of Lot, they were known for their cruelty and worship of Molech. Their inclusion signifies a severe, simultaneous threat from the east, reinforcing the widespread consequences of Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness to God.

Judges 10 7 Bonus section

The concept of God "selling" or "giving over" His people for their sins finds strong parallels in the curses pronounced within the Mosaic Covenant (e.g., Lev 26; Deut 28), particularly the threat of enemies ruling over them as a consequence of unfaithfulness. This Judges formula anticipates and fulfils these ancient warnings. The recurring nature of this punitive "selling" action in Judges (cf. 3:8; 4:2; 10:7) underscores a key theological truth of the book: God is actively involved in His people's history, dispensing consequences for their moral choices. It further highlights that God retains sovereignty over even pagan nations, using them as instruments of His righteous judgment. This challenges any belief in the efficacy of the foreign gods Israel embraced, demonstrating that those deities were powerless to prevent Yahweh from using their own worshipers to chastise His disobedient people.

Judges 10 7 Commentary

Judges 10:7 stands as a powerful statement on divine justice, illustrating that God is not passive towards sin, particularly the sin of covenant disloyalty. This verse underscores that Israel's suffering was a direct and intentional result of Yahweh's holy indignation at their widespread idolatry. The phrase "the anger of the LORD was hot" describes an intense, righteous, and active judgment, not an emotional outburst, but a principled response from a just God who demands exclusive worship from His covenant people. The powerful metaphor of God "selling" His people signifies a judicial act—a legal transfer of sovereignty from God's protection to the dominion of their enemies, for their persistent abandonment of Him. This divine act served a restorative purpose: to humble Israel and drive them back to true repentance. The simultaneous oppression by both the Philistines (west) and the Ammonites (east) graphically illustrates the severity and pervasive nature of the divine judgment, mirroring the widespread idolatry (worship of multiple foreign gods) detailed in the preceding verse. The punishment fitted the crime; where Israel scattered their allegiance, God scattered their peace.