1. Judges 10:6–17 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

How does the prologue to the Jephthah narrative compare and contrast with that of the Gideon narrative?

Judges 10:6–17 (ESV)

6 The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the LORD and did not serve him.

In the prologue to Jephthah’s story (Judges 10:6–17), there is a similarity to Gideon’s story. In both cases, there is an introduction that includes:

  • Israel’s apostasy from the Lord (Judges 6:1; Judges 10:6)

  • God’s discipline as Israel faces an enemy (Judges 6:2–6; Judges 10:7–9)

  • Israel’s cry to God for help (Judges 6:6; Judges 10:10, Judges 10:15).

The difference is that in this case the Lord first expresses reluctance to save Israel. Things are more serious in the Jephthah narrative.