Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just a frustrated outburst; it's God highlighting the choice Israel made. They weren't forced into idolatry by their enemies; they freely chose these gods over Him, and now He points out the pathetic emptiness of that choice in their moment of desperate need.
Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After the Israelites cry out to God in their distress from the Ammonites, confessing their sin of abandoning Him for other gods, God responds with a stinging rebuke. He tells them to go and call on the very gods they chose to serve in their prosperity, challenging them to see if those idols can save them now.
When Israel cried out in distress, God's response wasn't immediate comfort, but a stinging question. Why was this mockery used?
This verse is dripping with divine sarcasm. God isn't asking for genuine advice; He's pointing out the absurdity of Israel's situation.
The Choice Was Theirs
God reminds them that their chosen gods weren't forced upon them. They actively turned away from Him to serve these other deities during times of peace and prosperity. The commentaries highlight that this wasn't an act of oppression from outside, but a free choice from within (Poole, Wesley).
A Mockery of False Hope
In their time of distress, God sarcastically tells them to 'go and cry out' to the very gods they chose. It's like saying, 'You thought these were so great, let's see what they can do for you now!' This highlights the complete powerlessness of idols and the depth of Israel's betrayal. The reference to Deuteronomy 32:37-38 and Jeremiah 2:28 shows this isn't a new theme; God has long rebuked His people for turning to useless gods (Ellicott, Cambridge).
Israel's distress wasn't random; it was a direct result of their spiritual unfaithfulness. What does this teach us about cause and effect in our faith journey?
God's response in Judges 10:14 isn't just a verbal jab; it's a declaration of consequences. When Israel turned to other gods, they weren't just adding options; they were actively abandoning their covenant relationship with the Lord.
A Time of Tribulation
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The verse specifically mentions 'the time of your tribulation.' This wasn't prosperity; this was hardship, brought on by their straying. Henry notes that God multiplies punishments according to their sins and idols. Their 'distress' was the direct outcome of their disobedience and their choice to serve Baalim instead of Jehovah (Henry, Expositors).
The Barrenness of Idolatry
When they cried out, God's sarcastic reply exposes the ultimate emptiness of their idols. These gods, which they had chosen and served, were utterly incapable of providing any real deliverance. This experience would have brutally revealed the barrenness of their chosen path, contrasting sharply with the living God they had forsaken (Expositors).
Understand the original words
tsarah · Hebrew Noun
An acute state of adversity, trouble, or affliction; in the Bible, it often describes the pressure and pain resulting from disobedience to God or the consequences of living in a fallen world.
This verse starkly highlights the consequences of idolatry. When Israel turned to foreign gods, they weren't just adopting new customs; they were choosing to rely on powers that could offer no real help in times of genuine crisis, revealing their deep spiritual unfaithfulness.
c. 11th Century BC
Ammonite and other foreign oppression
The Israelites are oppressed by the Ammonites and other surrounding nations, suffering defeat and losing territory, particularly in the land east of the Jordan river.
c. 11th Century BC
Israelite Idolatry and Sin
The people of Israel have turned away from God to worship the gods of the surrounding nations like the Ammonites, Moabites, and Sidonians.
c. 11th Century BC
Israel Cries Out to God
In their distress and oppression, the Israelites confess their sins and cry out to the Lord for deliverance.
c. 11th Century BC— this verse
God's Rebuke Through a Prophet
God, through a prophet, rebukes Israel for their unfaithfulness and their chosen gods, telling them to cry to those gods for help.
c. 11th Century BC
Israel's Repentance and Removal of Idols
The Israelites repent of their sin, remove the foreign gods from among them, and prepare to fight against the Ammonites.
c. 11th Century BC
Jephthah is Chosen as Leader
The people of Gilead, desperate for a leader to fight the Ammonites, call upon Jephthah, a Gileadite outcast, to lead them.
This passage asks a similar rhetorical question, 'Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge?' highlighting the futility of turning to idols in times of trouble.
1 Kings 18:27This verse describes Elijah taunting the prophets of Baal, urging them to call on their god to send fire, mirroring the taunting tone of Judges 10:14 as the Israelites are told to call on the gods they themselves chose.
Jeremiah 2:28The prophet Jeremiah confronts Israel with a similar accusation: 'But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you in your time of distress!'
Isaiah 44:17This verse describes the foolishness of those who make an idol and then pray to it for deliverance, echoing the sentiment that the chosen gods of Israel are powerless to save them.
Proverbs 1:26This proverb warns that in times of disaster, when calamity strikes like a storm, those who scorned wisdom (and by extension, God's commands) will cry out, but 'he will not answer.'
gillJudges 10:14: "Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation."
Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen,.... For they were their choice, and not what they were obliged to serve through persecution, and by compulsion of others, and whom they needed not, having the Lord Jehovah to be their God; and they are bid not seriously, but in an ironical or sarcastic way, to call upon them for help in this their time of distress, in whose power it…
ellicottJudges 10:14: "Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation."
(14) Go and cry unto the gods. —With this bitter reproach comp. Deuteronomy 32:37-38 ; 2Kings 3:13 ; Jeremiah 2:28 . In the time of your tribulation.—Comp. 1Kings 18:27; Proverbs 1:26.
This isn't just a frustrated outburst; it's God highlighting the choice Israel made. They weren't forced into idolatry by their enemies; they freely chose these gods over Him, and now He points out the pathetic emptiness of that choice in their moment of desperate need.
After the Israelites cry out to God in their distress from the Ammonites, confessing their sin of abandoning Him for other gods, God responds with a stinging rebuke. He tells them to go and call on the very gods they chose to serve in their prosperity, challenging them to see if those idols can save them now.
After the Israelites cry out to God in their distress from the Ammonites, confessing their sin of abandoning Him for other gods, God responds with a stinging rebuke. He tells them to go and call on the very gods they chose to serve in their prosperity, challenging them to see if those idols can save them now.
"Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”" — This isn't just a frustrated outburst; it's God highlighting the choice Israel made. They weren't forced into idolatry by their enemies; they freely chose these gods over Him, and now He points out…
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Last reviewed October 2026