Footnotes

1. Tola. “Worm,” but also by connection “scarlet,” from the worm-like aphid coccus (or kermes) ilicus which is crushed to make this dye. The head of this word, spelled slightly differently, is Exodus 16:20, where the manna breeds worms; yet throughout Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, tola is otherwise always compounded with shani, “scarlet,” to describe the “scarletworm” from which the temple trappings are made along with indigo, purple and linen. This makes the tola a mysteriously paradoxical symbol. On the one hand, it is associated with being made utterly low and contemptible in consuming judgment—most famously with the worm (tola) that does not die and the fire that is not quenched in Isaiah 66:24; but also with Jesus himself, through Psalm 22:6: “I am a tola, and not a man.” On the other, it is associated with God’s royal abode, the divine palace, and the royal trappings of God’s own army, “valiant men in scarlet” (Nah 2:3); thus it comes to refer also to the fine cloth of noblemen, “those nursed upon tola” (Lam 4:5). This paradox is central to the scriptures, the cross, and the cosmos: when the contemptible worm is crushed, it becomes royal. Thus, we may surmise that Tola the judge is called such as a type of Christ, which is significant in that we learn of no dynastic aspirations on his part. As a lowly worm, he seeks no “abundance of women,” and has no multitude of sons, as Gideon did, and as Ya’ir does after him. Yet, he is given special honor with a threefold genealogy, indicating a line worthy of mention (see note on Dodo below). ↩

2. Puah. Possibly “Splendid” or “Cleave.” Cambridge suggests “Madder,” a plant from which red dye was obtained, which is interesting given the meaning of Tola’s name. ↩

3. Dodo. “His beloved.” It is interesting that Tola receives a threefold genealogy, whereas most judges only have a twofold one; just the name of their father or mother is usually given. Tola is the worm, son of the splendid, son of the beloved. What shall we make of this? ↩

4. Shamir. “Sharp Point” or “Thorn.” The root only occurs here and Joshua 15:48. ↩

5. Ya’ir. “He/Whom Enlightens,” from ir, light; by implication, then, “Bright” or “Splendid.” Jordan sees a suggestion of self-aggrandizement in this name, which seems justified in view of what we learn of Ya’ir compared to the lowly Tola. ↩

6. thirty sons. A feat not possible with a single wife; thus we see the resurgence of Gideon’s dynastic aspiration, which led to Abi-Melek and civil war. This is not to say that Ya’ir is a villain any more than Gideon; but he was a sinner, given to the temptations of political power. Why 30 sons? This can only be understood with reference to the whole pattern that emerges from Tola to Abdon (Jdg 12). Tola had no sons; Ya’ir had 30 on 30 donkeys; Yiphtah had none; Ibzan had 30 + 30 daughters (Jdg 12:8); Elon had none; Abdon had 40 + 30 grandsons all riding on 70 donkeys (Jdg 12:14). The number three corresponds to the half-sabbath, when God comes in initial judgment; the number seven corresponds to the sabbath, where judgment is final—either for rest, or for “no rest day and night” (Rev 14:11). Similarly, three corresponds to an initial completion; seven a final completion or perfection. In this case, unfortunately, the implication is that Israel’s judges progress from an incomplete grasping after kingship, to complete grasping. For a fuller explication of this pattern, see note on ↩

7. ass-colts. A relatively rare term, apparently referring to a strong young donkey who has just been broken. In English, colt does have something of this connotation, hence my translation, following the KJV. The use of this more specific term does seem calculated to connote nascent strength, indicating the establishment of a power base; donkeys are kingly animals in scripture, and generally connected to rulership. ↩

8. thirty cities. Ass-colts and cities are homonyms in Hebrew; they are spelled and sound exactly the same. This is surely no accident; this whole passage is oddly singsong, and the rhyme connects donkeys and cities as symbols of power and rule. ↩

9. they, they. Translators universally elide this odd repetition, since technically lahem lahem in Hebrew could be an “accidental collision;” a happenstance of the language in a similar way to how you might see “that that” in English. The second lahem is placed first for emphasis: “even they are called.” Thus they translate it, e.g., “they had [lahem] thirty cities which [lahem] are called…” However, this strikes me as tone-deaf; the text does not have to be written as it is. Coupled with the homonyms of “ass-colts” and “cities,” there is a strange, sing-song quality to the Hebrew: …lo sh’loshim banim rokhvim al sh’loshim ayarim ush’loshim ayarim lahem lahem… Thus I have tried to preserve this in translation. ↩

10. Villages of Ya’ir. Often left untranslated as Havvoth Jair. The NET suggests “tent villages;” Alter says “Jair’s Hamlets.” This was a complex already established under Moses in the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan: “And the sons of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead and captured it and dispossessed the Amorite that was in it, and Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he dwelt in it. And Ya’ir son of Manasseh went and captured their towns, and called them the Villages of Ya’ir” (Num 32:39–41; cf. Dt 3:14). However, 1 Chronicles 2:22 indicates that this earlier Ya’ir had only 23 cities. It seems that Ya’ir the judge enlarged his tents, expanding Havvoth-Jair by seven cities—which is intriguing in view of how often the number seven appears in Judges. ↩

11. Kamon. Technically Qamon; possibly from qum, the same word that begins verses 1 and 3 of this chapter: “rise,” “stand up.” Even if the etymology is unsure, the mere “accident” of the similarity is surely intended to create a chiasm between the beginning of verse 1 and the end of verse 5, with the beginning of verse 3 functioning as the center. The raising of judges is now finished; what shall Israel’s response be? Will it continue as they directed? ↩

12. the ba’als…the gods of the Philistines. The number seven again appears, this time in connection with apostasy. This is the seventh time Israel has turned away from God, and in contrast to these previous times, this is a sevenfold (complete) apostasy. ↩

13. left Yahweh and served him not. This formula takes us back to Judges 2:12ff. ↩

14. pasted and pestled. This is two different forms of ratsats, which was previously used of what happened to Abi-Melek’s head. I have tried to preserve the effect in English as best I can. The first lemma (“pasted”) is used only of God destroying the Egyptians in the Song of the Sea (Ex 15:6). Israel has become so bad that it now receives the same judgment that Egypt did during the exodus. ↩

15. very in straits. Slightly more dynamically, Israel was in dire straits, but m’od is a general intensifier, usually translated “very;” it does not mean “dire.” Yatsar means to constrain or bind up, and is used quite variably throughout scripture, including to refer to items bound up in sacks or clothing (Gen 42:35; Ex 12:34). We have similar idioms in English; you could say here that Israel was “in a great bind,” or “hard under the squeeze,” or “very hemmed in,” or “very drawn tight”—the latter two both fittingly concrete images that more accurately reflect that this is a verb. Nonetheless, most translations say “distress,” which “straits” better denotes, while preserving the same root (Latin strictus, “drawn tight”), and across the breadth of scripture can be used fairly consistently without the clumsiness that “drawing tight” suffers. ↩

16. Sidonians. The salvation from Sidon is actually the salvation from Yabin of Cana’an; cf. Judges 18:7,28. ↩

17. Moabites. The received text says “Maon.” I am following the LXX here, as there is a very notable salvation from Moab in Israel’s recent history, but I am not aware of an occasion when God saved them from Maon, making such a reference perplexing. Some commentators suggest, however, that Maon refers to the Midianites of chapter 6. Either way, God lists a sevenfold salvation, against Israel’s sevenfold betrayal in verse 6. ↩

18. after-gods. Or “other gods,” but this is the same word used e.g., in verse 2, where Ya’ir arises after Tola. The point is not just that these are other gods, but that they are later gods, which I am emphasizing with the admittedly idiosyncratic “after-gods.” ↩

19. for-so. Much like the similar idiom, upon-so; “because of this.” ↩

20. let them save you in the time of your straits. God’s response indicates that Israel’s initial repentance is insincere. It is only after he rebuffs their cries that they put away the foreign gods from their midst and actually serve him. How commonly we cry out to God only because we suffer the effects of our sin, and not because we wish to abandon it. We wish not to serve God, but for him to serve us so that we may continue to serve our flesh. ↩

21. do thou to us. This is emphatic, marked by the inclusion of a separate pronoun (“thou”) in addition to the verb. There is some irony in their request, as it indicates they don’t believe they deserve the punishment God has sent—he is, after all, actually doing with them what is good in his eyes. However, there is also here a keen theological truth articulated later by David: though it is terrible to fall into the hands of the living God, it is better than falling into the hands of your enemies (2 Sam 24:14). ↩

22. lifebreath. Traditionally “soul,” but although nephesh is used in many ways, its fundamental meaning is not some immaterial “metaphysical” thing, but the life-breath of a creature. By metonymy it thus refers to creatures themselves, or to life itself, and also to the throat or neck. I do not share Alter’s vehement disapproval of “soul” (one suspects he doubts the existence of the immaterial at all), but it simply does not convey the concrete signification of the Hebrew. ↩

23. became short. Most translations say “grieved,” but the Hebrew is literally an idiom referring to the shortening of a thing by cutting it. The idea seems more to be impatience (his temper grows short) than grief, although anguish certainly is a kind of shortening of the soul. Cf. Exodus 6:9; Numbers 21:4; but also the contrast between the “long of nose” and “short of spirit/breath” in Proverbs 14:29. ↩

24. with the toil of Israel. God seems moved not so much by Israel’s repentance as by their suffering. While he is unwilling to save them until they repent, it is not primarily their renewed faithfulness that causes him to save them, but his love toward them. ↩

25. start. The word has the same root as the next one, “war;” the effect to my ear is an amplification, somewhat similar to the idiom of “dying die.” ↩

26. He shall be for head to all the dwellers of Gilead. Although Yiphtach is remembered especially for his rash vow, in fact it is the principals of Gilead who first set this pattern. ↩