The Meaning of Judges 10:9 Explained

Judges 10:9

KJV: Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.

YLT: And the Bene-Ammon pass over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, and Israel hath great distress.

Darby: And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of E'phraim; so that Israel was sorely distressed.

ASV: And the children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Moreover the children  of Ammon  passed over  Jordan  to fight  also against Judah,  and against Benjamin,  and against the house  of Ephraim;  so that Israel  was sore  distressed. 

What does Judges 10:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 10:1-16 - Inveterate Idolatry
The scene is now removed to the tribes across the Jordan, especially those settled, in Gilead and its vicinity. The children of Ammon were the aggressors, and acquired such boldness as even to cross the Jordan and fight against Judah and Ephraim. "Israel was sore distressed." Almost spontaneously we say, "Surely it served them right." It seems incredible that, after all they had suffered on account of their idolatry, they should again relapse to Baal, and add further the gods of Zidon, of Moab, of Ammon and of Philistia. If Jehovah had finally cast them off, could they have complained? But as the psalmist puts it in his touching words, "God regarded their distress and heard their cry." See Psalms 106:3, etc.
All these things were written for our example and instruction. Israel did not forsake God more often than we have done. Life has been full of fits and starts, of backsliding and recommencement, of sin and repentance. We have nothing to say against Israel; let us look at home, and search our hearts, and thank the Lord that His mercy endureth forever, Psalms 136:1-26. [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 10

1  Tola judges Israel in Shamir
3  Jair, whose thirty sons had thirty cities
6  The Philistines and Ammonites oppress Israel
10  In their misery God sends them to their false gods
15  Upon their repentance he pities them

What do the individual words in Judges 10:9 mean?

Moreover crossed over the sons of Ammon - the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim so that was distressed Israel severely
וַיַּעַבְר֤וּ בְנֵֽי־ עַמּוֹן֙ אֶת־ הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן לְהִלָּחֵ֛ם גַּם־ בִּיהוּדָ֥ה וּבְבִנְיָמִ֖ין וּבְבֵ֣ית אֶפְרָ֑יִם וַתֵּ֥צֶר לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מְאֹֽד

וַיַּעַבְר֤וּ  Moreover  crossed  over 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּוֹן֙  of  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן  the  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).
לְהִלָּחֵ֛ם  to  fight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
גַּם־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
בִּיהוּדָ֥ה  against  Judah 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וּבְבִנְיָמִ֖ין  and  against  Benjamin 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בִּנְיָמִין 
Sense: Jacob’s and Rachel’s youngest son, Joseph’s full brother.
וּבְבֵ֣ית  and  against  the  house 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֶפְרָ֑יִם  of  Ephraim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרַיִם  
Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
וַתֵּ֥צֶר  so  that  was  distressed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: צָרַר  
Sense: to bind, be distressed, be in distress, be cramped, be narrow, be scant, be in straits, make narrow, cause distress, beseige.
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
מְאֹֽד  severely 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.