Juges 10

¹ After Abimelech, Tola son of Puah, son of Dodo became judge and began to deliver Israel. He was from Issachar and lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.

² Tola judged Israel twenty-three years and when he died, was buried in Shamir.

³ After him came Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years.

⁴ He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. They had thirty towns in Gilead, which are still called Jair’s Villages today.

⁵ When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.

Note · Juges 10.1–5

Les courtes notices maintiennent une mémoire au-delà des exploits

Tola est dit se lever pour délivrer Israël, sans récit de bataille. Pour Jaïr, les fils, les montures et les villes donnent à voir une maison influente. Le texte n’explique pas assez ces situations pour en tirer un jugement certain sur chacun ; il conserve leurs fonctions, leurs durées et leurs sépultures.

⁶ Then the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and the Philistines. They abandoned the Lord and did not worship him.

⁷ So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them to the Philistines and the Ammonites.

⁸ They shattered and crushed the Israelites that year, and for eighteen years they did the same to all the Israelites who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites in Gilead.

⁹ The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim. Israel was greatly oppressed,

Note · Juges 10.6–9

La domination atteint les deux rives du Jourdain

Les dieux servis sont énumérés avant l’oppression philistine et ammonite. La détresse touche Galaad puis gagne d’autres tribus. La géographie rappelle que les crises ne restent pas enfermées dans une seule part d’héritage. Le cadre théologique du récit ne permet pas d’attribuer toutes les guerres actuelles à une faute religieuse identifiée par le lecteur.

¹⁰ so they cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you. We have abandoned our God and worshiped the Baals.”

¹¹ The Lord said to the Israelites, “When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines,

¹² Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, did I not deliver you from them?

¹³ But you have abandoned me and worshiped other gods. Therefore, I will not deliver you again.

¹⁴ Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them deliver you whenever you are oppressed.”

¹⁵ But the Israelites said, “We have sinned. Deal with us as you see fit; only rescue us today!”

¹⁶ So they got rid of the foreign gods among them and worshiped the Lord, and he became weary of Israel’s misery.

Note · Juges 10.10–16

L’aveu est suivi d’un changement de pratique

La réponse sévère renvoie Israël aux dieux qu’il a choisis. Le peuple les enlève alors et sert Dieu ; le narrateur dit que sa souffrance touche Dieu. Cette compassion ne se laisse pas enfermer dans une procédure garantie. La relation est reprise avec sérieux, sans faire de la souffrance une monnaie permettant d’acheter la délivrance.

¹⁷ The Ammonites were called together, and they camped in Gilead. So the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.

¹⁸ The rulers of Gilead said to one another, “Which man will begin the fight against the Ammonites? He will be the leader of all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

Note · Juges 10.17–18

Le besoin d’un combattant devient une question de gouvernement

Les chefs promettent la direction de Galaad à celui qui commencera l’attaque. La charge politique est ainsi liée à l’issue militaire espérée. Le chapitre suivant montrera que celui qu’ils viennent chercher a d’abord été rejeté : la communauté devra faire face aux exclusions qu’elle a elle-même produites.