Shoftim 10: Dodo Bird

Shoftim 10: Dodo Bird

Judges is a unique book. Each chapter or few chapters takes place in a different era with different leaders. Some of the Judges have long backstories, but some have no stories at all. Chapter 10 falls into the latter category. Tola the son of Puah the son of Dodo comes after Abimelech with only his location listed. וַיָּקָם אַחֲרֵי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל תּוֹלָע בֶּן־פּוּאָה בֶּן־דּוֹדוֹ אִישׁ יִשָּׂשכָר וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב בְּשָׁמִיר בְּהַר אֶפְרָיִם (Judges 10:1) The only interesting thing about Tola is that his lineage seems to span two generations with the addition of “ben Dodo” in his name. This is unique for Judges, which leads some commentators to explain that dodo here means “his uncle,” meaning that Tola was a relative of Abimelech’s uncle. Others disagree pointing to the fact that Abimelech’s mother was not an Israelite. These commentators believe that Dodo was just the name of his grandfather. The name Dodo appears later on in the lineage of some of David’s warriors. After him is Yair the Giladite. Yair has a little more color with thirty sons riding thirty donkeys controlling thirty cities. וְאַחֲרָיו הָיָה יָאִיר הַגִּלְעָדִי וַיִּשְׁפֹּט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה׃ וַיְהִי־לוֹ שְׁלֹשִׁים בָּנִים רֹכְבִים עַל־שְׁלֹשִׁים עֲיָרִים וּשְׁלֹשִׁים עֲיָרִים לָהֶם לָהֶם יִקְרְאוּ חַוֹּת יָאִיר עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד (Judges 10:3–4) This description will come up again with other limited‑detail judges in chapter 12. The number 30 is most likely a way to show that Yair’s party was powerful. Why do some Judges not have back stories? The straightforward answer is that nothing important happened during this time period. Things may have stayed the status quo, and so there was nothing for the book to record—both good or bad. On a deeper level, though, the lack of any story about certain Judges is another way the text comunicates the haphazard nature of the time period. Judges is not a hereditary book. Judges come from different tribes and families. Sometimes God will “introduce” the judge, but sometimes the judges just appear. It is also unclear of the judges overlapped or were truly sequential. Each one comes from a different tribe or family without any continuity. The people are not invested in maintaining the stories of each of their leaders because they soon fall back into a malaise and then move on to someone else.

Shoftim 9: Was Avimelech a Judge?

One of seventy sons, Abimelech kills his brothers and then is appointed leader of the people of Schchem and a band of hooligans. But is Abimelech a Judge? He does not conquer an enemy of the Israelites. Although the people of Shchem appoint him as a ruler over them, it does not seem like he even ruled over the city. The word used to describe his “reign” is “Vayasar” (verse 22). Rashi interprets this as “he ruled as a prince.” But Ralbag is not as convinced. He says the Navi does use the word “Judge” for a reason. Vayasar implies that Abimelech held sway on his own accord and definitely did not rule over all of Israel. The word does appear anywhere else in the book of Judges. The text is also ambiguous as to whether it was the Israelite inhabitants fo Schchem that appointed him as their leader or if it was the Canaanite inhabitants. The people are referred to as “baalai Shchem.” This may have a double meaning. They were both the inhabitants of Shchem, but also the Baal worshipers of Shchem. Beside verse 22, the word Israel appears only at the very end, after Abimelech is crushed by the millstone. “When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, everyone went home” (verse 55). This cryptic verse could mean that the people discussed in the chapter were Israelites, or it could mean that the people of Israel were finally rid of this mafia boss and could return to their homes safely. If Abimelech was not a true judge, then why include his story? 1) to shows the lawlessness of the time. Focusing on Abimelech and his band of outlaws gives some nice flavor to what it was like to live in Israel at the time of the Judges. Roving gangs could hold sway over groups of cities without any recourse. 2) to show again that Yerubaal was correct that kings are bad news because the children of a ruler can be bad. Yerubaal was a courageous ruler who helped lead the Israelites out from under Midyanite control. He pursuaded the people to leave Baal and destroyed houses of worship. His son did the opposite. He led a gang of thugs to terrorize the countryside. He partnered with the local inhabitants of Shchem and profited from the idol centers. He killed Yerubaal’s entire family.

Shoftim 8: Wishful Thinking for a King

At the end of the chapter, there are two strange things that Gideon does. The first is after Gideon finally captures the two kings. Instead of killing them himself, he asks his son to kill them. His son wavers, and instead the kings taunt Gideon into killing them. At the end of the chapter, Gideon collects rings from the people to create a fancy robe. Why are these two points included in the story? The answer may have to do with what happens in between. Gideon is the conquering hero who defeated the Midyanim. The people have already gone through a few other judges, and decide they want to appoint Gideon as their king. Gideon refuses and says that God should be the one who rules over the people. Perhaps the Navi was also trying to send a message with his son and the robe. The people approach Gideon because he was a great warrior, and on that alone his children should rule after him. But Gideon showed that just because he was a great warrior, it did not mean his son was. Killing the two captured kings should have been an easy ask. Instead, Gideon’s son was not up for the task. Later in the book of Kings, Israel will learn this lesson the hard way with children of kings not necessarily following in the path of their parents. The Navi is sending the message that patrilineal leadership is no guarantee of success or safety. After the people ask him to be king, Gideon collects nose rings from everyone. The last time Israel w as asked for nose rings to make something was back in Exodus at the sin of the Golden Calf. And, just like at the sin of the Golden Calf, the people begin to worship the clock that Gideon makes. The message here is two-fold, the first is that even the most noble rulers can fail. In Exodus, Aaron tried to assuage the people’s fears about Moshe by creating a symbol in the Golden Calf. That did not go well. Here as well, Gideon creates this clock as a message, but it ends up being a snare for the people and for him.

Shoftim 7: Lapdogs

In chapter 6, Gideon tested God through special signs, in chapter 7, God uses His own test. Back in Joshua, after the defeat of Yericho, the people prepare to attack Ai. Secure in their victory over the walled city, the people choose to send a smaller force to attack the city of Ai. The tactic fails, and the force is routed. The motivation there may have been hubris that led to the Israelite defeat. Here, Hashem wants to send a message to the Israelites, and the Midyanim. He tells Gideon that his large fighting force is too big to send the right message: “The LORD said to Gideon: ‘The people with you are too many for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, “My own hand has saved me.”’” וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל־גִּדְעוֹן רַב־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתָּךְ מִתִּתִּי אֶת־מִדְיָן בְּיָדָם פֶּן־יִתְפָּאַר עָלַי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר יָדִי הוֹשִׁיעָה לִּי (Judges 7:2) At first, Hashem has Gideon send away the people that are afraid: “Now therefore proclaim in the hearing of the people: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him turn back…’ And twenty two thousand of the people turned back, and ten thousand remained.” וְעַתָּה קְרָא־נָא בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם לֵאמֹר מִי־יָרֵא וְחָרֵד יָשֹׁב וְיִצְפֹּר מֵהַר הַגִּלְעָד וַיָּשָׁב מִן־הָעָם עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם אֶלֶף וַעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים נִשְׁאָרוּ (Judges 7:3) The number remaining is still too large. God then has Gideon perform a test. He asks the remaining army to go to the river and drink. Those who lap at the water with their tongues like dogs should be separated from those who bend down on their knees. “Everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, you shall set apart… And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men… And the LORD said, ‘By the three hundred men that lapped will I deliver you…’” כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־יָלֹק בִּלְשׁוֹנוֹ מִן־הַמַּיִם כַּאֲשֶׁר יִלֹּק הַכֶּלֶב תַּצִּיג אֹתוֹ לְבָד… וַיְהִי מִסְפַּר הַמְלַקִּים בְּיָדָם אֶל־פִּיהֶם שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת אִישׁ… וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ בִּשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת הָאִישׁ הַמְלַקִּים אוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם… (Judges 7:5–7) God selects those who drink like dogs as the small fighting force. Why is this the sign? Rashi explains that God rejects those bowing down to drink the water because it shows that they were accustomed to bowing down. This means that they secretly were idol worshipers. Ralbag believes the test had nothing to do with idol worship, but instead had to do with zealousness. Those that went on their knees were too lazy and careful, and those that lapped like dogs were trying to drink the fastest way possible. If God was concerned about the idol worshipers, then that should have been the first “cut” that God proposed. Ralbag’s interpretation matches the first cut of those who were fearful. Both cuts help to isolate those warriors who would be fearless and zealous in battle. Josephus argues the opposite. He says that those drinking like dogs did so because they wanted to finish quickly to avoid the enemy. God chose them because it would make the miraculous victory even greater if the small fighting force were those who were the most nervous. The issue with Josephus’s opinion is that it does not match the first cut that God made. One would assume these 300 would have self selected out with those nervous for battle. With all of these conflicting reasons, the main reason may actually have nothing to do with the actions of the people themselves, but in the use of the hand. Verse 2 of the chapter states: “פֶּן־יִתְפָּאַר עָלַי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר יָדִי הוֹשִׁיעָה לִּי” Lest Israel vaunt itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand saved me. Perhaps, then, God specifically chooses those who do not use their own hands to drink as a way to show that the hand of the people will not be responsible for the victory, only the hand of God.

Shoftim 6: Testing, Testing, 1,2,3

Chapter 6 begins with a messenger (or angel) of God again coming to the people and telling them that God took the people out of Egypt and so they should follow Him and stop worshipping idols. When the angel (or messenger) comes to Gideon to appoint him as judge, Gideon has an amazing response. “If God is with us, why do all of these bad things happen? Where are all the wonders we keep hearing about from our fathers saying ‘did not God bring us up from Egypt?’” (verse 13). וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו גִּדְעוֹן בִּי אֲדֹנִי וְיֵשׁ ה׳ עִמָּנוּ וְלָמָּה מְצָאַתְנוּ כָּל־זֹאת וְאַיֵּה כָל־נִפְלְאֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר סִפְּרוּ־לָנוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לֵאמֹר הֲלֹא מִמִּצְרַיִם הֶעֱלָנוּ ה׳ (Judges 6:13) Gideon’s response is a direct retort to the angel of God at the start of the chapter. How long should the Israelites in the land be beholden to the stories of the past when the present seems so different. It is also a stark reminder that there is no one left in the land that was alive to witness the great miracles of the past. Gideon then responds in a way that is reminiscent of Moshe’s response to God—how can I be Your servant to save the people? I am not worthy! Gideon then asks for three miracles in this chapter, each one seems to be a test to see if God is with him. But the tests themselves reveal a deeper meaning and motivation behind them that match Gideon’s complaint to the angel at the beginning of the chapter. The first comes in the beginning when the angel tells Gideon to set out a sacrifice—complete with liquids—onto a rock. The angel then touches the sacrifice and a fire appears, burning the sacrifice and the angel disappears into the flame. וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאַךְ ה׳ אֶת־קְצֵה הַמִּשְׁעֶנֶת אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדוֹ וַיִּגַּע בַּבָּשָׂר וּבַמַּצּוֹת וַתַּעַל הָאֵשׁ מִן־הַצוּר וַתֹּאכַל אֶת־הַבָּשָׂר וְאֶת־הַמַּצּוֹת וּמַלְאַךְ ה׳ הָלַךְ מֵעֵינָיו (Judges 6:21) There will be a similar scene later in Kings II when Eliyahu tests the priests of Baal. But this test with fire is reminiscent of the first time Moshe encountered God at the burning bush. A flame appears out of nowhere. Here, though, the fire consumes everything as opposed to nothing. The next two tests come at the end of the chapter. Gideon asks that one morning dew fall only on a piece of wool and the next that the dew fall everywhere except the wool. This second test could also be a test of the stories told of the Exodus. During the plagues, God would make sure that the plagues only harmed the Egyptians. The Israelites, who were sometimes one house over, were left unharmed. Similarly, the two tests here show that God is able to single out one thing from everything around it. The three tests, therefore, are God’s is response to Gideon’s challenge of the lost stories of the miracles of the Exodus. Gideon challenged these stories and God responds by showing Gideon that these stories, and the great victories that surrounded them, were real. Just like the people of old were saved, so too God will assist Gideon in saving the people today.