The Israelites felt the main influence of the Ammonites on the east side of the Jordan River that bordered Ammon (v. 8). However the Ammonites also attacked the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim west of the Jordan (v. 9).
The Ammonite oppression lasted 18 years (v. 8; evidently about 1123-1105 B.C.). Finally the Israelites confessed their sin of apostasy and cried out to God for deliverance (v. 10; cf. 3:9, 15; 4:3; 6:6). They had waited only seven years before appealing for His help against the Midianites (6:6). This may indicate that their hearts had become even harder toward Yahweh. This is the most detailed account of Israel's response to their oppression.216For the first time in the book, the Israelites confessed that they had sinned.
The Lord reminded them, presumably through a prophet, that their behavior had fallen into a pattern of apostasy, oppression, confession, and deliverance (vv. 11-12). God had delivered Israel from many enemies. They were the Egyptians (cf. Exod. 1-14), Amorites (cf. Num. 31:3), Ammonites (3:12-30), Philistines (3:31), Sidonians (ch. 4?), Amalekites (cf. Exod. 17:8-16), and Maunites. The Maunites were probably the Midianites (chs. 6-8), according to the Septuagint. Possibly Israel had defeated each of these nations already during the amphictyony.
We need to understand God's promise to deliver the Israelites "no more"(v. 13) as conditional. He did deliver the nation later (ch. 11).
". . . the emphatic declaration, I will deliver you no more,' is to be understood conditionally, in case their idols were kept among them; for the divine threatenings always imply a reserve of mercy to the truly repentant."217
Verses 13 and 14 reveal God's "tough love"for Israel (cf. 2:3; 6:8-10).
The genuine confession and repentance of the Israelites and God's compassion for them combined to secure Israel's deliverance eventually (v. 16). God's wayward son, Israel, had broken His heart. These verses illustrate the tension God felt as He loved Israel loyally and yet found it necessary to discipline His first-born.
"The greatness of Jehovah and His intense love for His people is nowhere more evident than in this particular situation [vv. 13-16]."218
The writer introduced the battle in which God provided deliverance for His people in verses 17-18. The Ammonites advanced into Gilead from the east, and the Israelites in that area congregated not far from them anticipating conflict. Even though the Israelites had confessed their sin and repented genuinely, they approached this battle carnally. Rather than inquiring of God for strategy the Israelites looked among themselves for a human leader whom they could persuade to lead them by promising him kingship as a reward (cf. 1:1). They were rejecting Yahweh's authority over them by doing this (cf. 1 Sam. 8:7). They soon learned that the man they chose had some glaring weaknesses (cf. King Saul).
