Judges 10.1-18 tells us about two judges of Israel. They had peace during this time and they are both types of the Messiah. The first judge was named Tola (worm, scarlet), and this word is seen in Psa 22.6. Tola alludes to a worm that secretes a red dye called “tolat shanni” and it is the color of blood. Tolat shanni was used in the garments of the High Priest and the Mishkan, and his name alludes to the work of the Messiah. The tola worm can be found in the Middle East and used to make a scarlet dye. When the female has “babies” she finds a tree (anything wooden) and attaches herself to it. Her hard shell cannot be detached without killing her. She lays her eggs and when the young are old enough to take care of themselves, the mother dies. As she dies, she oozes a scarlet fluid that stains the wood and the young. They are scarlet for the rest of their lives. After three days the dead mother’s crimson body loses its color and turns into a white wax, which falls to the ground like snow. This a clear allusion to Yeshua who gave up his life on a tree so those who believe can be washed in his blood, and their sins can be white as snow (Isa 1.18; Rev 1.5). Tola is the son of Puah (utterance, word) the son of Dodo (his beloved). He is a son of Issachar (my hiring). He ruled in Israel twenty-three years and he died and was buried in Shamir meaning to guard, observe, and it was also a worm that could cut stone. He is succeeded by Jair (he entightens) the Gileadite (heap of witness, an allusion to Golgotha) and he judged for twenty-two years. This is the number associated with the word of God and the Hebrew language has twenty-two letters. These two judges clearly allude to Yeshua. He died and was buried in Kamon which means “rising up” and alludes to the resurrection. Israel forsakes the Lord again and went into idolatry with the Baalim and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, Sidon, Moab, Ammon and Philistia. So Yehovah turns them over to the Philistines and Ammonites. They will cry out to the Lord and repent of their idolatries but they do not know the man who will lead them against their enemies, a clear allusion to Yeshua.
v 1…Now after Abimelech died, Tola (a worm) the son of Puah (utterance, word), the son of Dodo (his beloved), a man of Issachar, arose to save Israel; and he lived in Shamir (to keep, guard) in the hill country of Ephraim (fruitful).
v 2…And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir (Yeshua died and he keeps us).
v 3…And after him, Jair (he entightens) the Gileadite arose, and judged Israel twenty-two years (alludes to the word of God, and the Hebrew alphabet has twenty-two letters).
v 4…And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities in the land of Gilead (they rode about like circuit judges under their father-like the sons of Samuel in Sam 8.1) that are called Havvoth-jair (lives of Jair). And Jair died and was buried in Kamon (rising up and alludes to the resurrection).
v 6…Then the sons of Israel again did evil (the reigns of Tola and Jair helped the people in their worship of Yehovah) in the sight of of the Lord, served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the sons of Ammon and the gods of the Philistines; thus they forsook the Lord and did not serve him.
v 7…And the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines (who raided from the west), and into the hands of the sons of Ammon (who raided from the east).
v 8…And he afflicted and crushed the sons of Israel that year (when they began to oppress Israel); for eighteen years they afflicted all the sons of Israel (Reuben, Gad and Manasseh) who were beyond the Jordan (east side) in Gilead in the land of the Amorites.
v 9…And the sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of ephraim, so that Israel was greatly distressed.
v 10…Then the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord (most likely they went to Shiloh to confess their sins), saying, “We have sinned against you, for indeed, we have forsaken our God and served the Baals.”
v 11…And the Lord said to the sons of Israel (probably through the Urim v’ Thummim of the high priest at Shiloh), “Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines?
v 12…Also when the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites (Midianites ).
v 13…Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods, therefore I will deliver you no more.
v 14…Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress.”
v 15…And the sons of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to you (as a direct punishment), only please deliver us this day.”
v 16…So they put away the foreign gods from among them, and served the Lord, and his soul could bear the misery of Israel no longer (he was not angry with them any longer due to their repentance).
v 17…And the sons of Ammon were summoned (gathered together), and they camped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel gathered together, and camped at Mizpah (watch tower).
v 18…And the people, the leaders of Gilead (the princes and rulers), said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
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