And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?

JUDGES 10:11KJV
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Judges 10:11 (KJV)

What does Judges 10:11 mean?

Judges 10:11 records God reminding the Israelites that He has rescued them from several powerful enemies in the past, including the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, and Philistines. This verse shows God calling His people to remember His faithfulness and deliverance when they cry out to Him for help again.

In this scene, the LORD (God) is speaking directly to the Israelites, who have once more turned away from Him and are suffering under oppression. God lists these specific nations to highlight how often He has saved Israel, even when they have repeatedly forgotten Him. The verse sets up a confrontation where God urges the people to reflect on their history and His repeated acts of mercy.

The Hebrew behind Judges 10:11

  • LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh): This is the personal name of God used throughout the Old Testament, emphasizing His covenant relationship with Israel. Its use here underlines that the same God who delivered them before is speaking now.
  • Children (בֵּן, ben): This word means "sons" or "children" and is used for "children of Israel" and "children of Ammon." It highlights both Israel’s identity as God’s people and Ammon’s identity as a nation descended from a common ancestor.
  • Egypt (מִצְרַיִם, Mitsrayim), Amorites (אֱמֹרִי, Emori), Ammon (עַמּוֹן, Ammon), Philistines (פְּלִשְׁתִּי, Pelishti): These names are not just labels but recall specific stories of deliverance. Mentioning them together emphasizes the repeated pattern of oppression and rescue in Israel’s history.

Why Judges 10:11 matters

  • Judges 10:11 clarifies that God’s help in the past was not a one-time event but a repeated pattern, making Israel’s forgetfulness and disloyalty more striking.
  • The verse connects the Israelites’ current troubles to their history, showing that their relationship with God has always involved cycles of rebellion, oppression, repentance, and rescue.
  • By listing these nations, Judges 10:11 helps the reader see the broad scope of God’s deliverance, reminding Israel (and the reader) that God’s faithfulness has been consistent even when the people have not been.

Where else these words appear

“Amorites” Hebrew H567 · used in 86 verses

  • Genesis 10:16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,
  • Deuteronomy 1:27 And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.
  • Joshua 24:12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

“Ammon” Hebrew H5983 · used in 98 verses

  • Genesis 19:38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
  • Judges 12:1 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.
  • 1 Chronicles 19:11 And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.