Judges 10:1-5

Judges 10:1-5

[1] And after  Abimelech  there arose  to defend  Israel  Tola  the son  of Puah,  the son  of Dodo,  a man  of Issachar;  and he dwelt  in Shamir  in mount  Ephraim.  [2] And he judged  Israel  twenty  and three  years,  and died,  and was buried  in Shamir.  [3] And after  him arose  Jair,  a Gileadite,  and judged  Israel  twenty  and two  years.  [4] And he had thirty  sons  that rode  on thirty  ass colts,  and they had thirty  which are called  Havothjair  unto this day,  which are in the land  of Gilead.  [5] And Jair  died,  and was buried  in Camon. 

What does Judges 10:1-5 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

No great military feats marked the judgeships of these two men. Their ministries appear to have consisted primarily in administering civil duties.
"The passages on the "minor judges" do not conform to the editorial plan of the stories of the "great judges", or to that of Jg. as a whole. Hence it would seem that they have been included, perhaps selectively, simply to supplement the number of the judges to the conventional number of twelve, thus possibly to make the judges as representative of all Israel." [1]