Judges 9-10

1. Abimelech
In this passage, Abimelech - the bastard son of Gideon - begins to reign over Israel, including the city of Shechem.  His rise to power is marked by his murder of all but one of his half-brothers in Shechem; the surviving half-brother, Jotham, then delivers an ominous prophecy regarding Abimelech and the people of Shechem.  Abimelech reigns for three years before Jotham's prophecy is fulfilled as God sends an evil spirit between him and the people of Shechem.  In particular, Abimelech eventually destroys Shechem and scatters salt over it; he also burns its survivors to death inside a tower.  Abimelech suffers an untimely demise, though, when a woman drops a millstone on his head during his attack on Thebez.

This is a rather unpleasant account, as both Abimelech and the people of Shechem die without expressing any desire for forgiveness by God.  The violence in this passage is shocking; for example, I had difficulty contemplating verse 5, where Abimelech murders most of his half-brothers on a stone.  This is bolstered by the description of Abimelech scattering salt over the ruins of Shechem, which also highlights his burning desire to assert his authority over Israel.

2. Tola
In this passage, Tola, the son of Puah, becomes the judge of Israel.  An Ephraimite, he leads Israel for 23 years before his death.

It appears that Tola's reign was relatively uneventful; perhaps the writer of Judges penned this passage with great relief after recounting the madness that swirled around Abimelech.

3. Jair
In this passage, Jair of Gilead becomes the judge of Israel.  He has thirty sons, who ride thirty donkeys and control thirty towns in Gilead.  Jair leads Israel for 22 years before his death.

According to the sidebar in my NIV Study Bible, "riding on donkeys was a mark of both prestige and power.  Horses were evidently not present until later when Solomon imported them."

4. Jephthah

In this passage, Israel engages in idolatry after the death of Jair.  The Lord then sells Israel into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, who oppress them for 18 years.  Eventually Israel cries out to the Lord for mercy; He reminds them of their idolatry, yet they plead with Him and actually dispose of the idols that they have been worshiping.  So the Lord prepares to deliver them from their oppressors; now they need to defeat the Ammonite forces that have assembled at Gilead.

I found the dialogue between Israel and the Lord in this passage to be intriguing, as He does not immediately acquiesce to their plea for deliverance from their oppressors.  Most likely He wants the Israelites to see their need for Him.  Could His righteous jealousy be on display here?