3. Salvation by administration (10:1-5)

Jdg 10:1-5 reinforces the emphases of the Abimelech story by noting the careers of two “minor” judges. Tola follows Abimelech and is credited with sav[ing] Israel. After twenty-three years under Tola, Jair governs twenty-two years with no apostasy intervening. The orderly and uninterrupted succession of the nonmilitary “minor” judges suggests the conviction that God’s people need order, not heroics; character, not charisma.

The second stage of the history of the judges (6:1-10:5) began with a fresh departure in evil-doing and a divine rejoinder in response to Israel’s cry. A two-named judge embodied the growing ambiguity of the charismatic hero, and Abimelech realized the threat fully. When charisma rules, anyone with a power base can tyrannize the community. God’s judgment of Abimelech affirms precisely the form of community rejected by Gideon: hereditary rule.