שופטים, פרק י׳, פסוק ט״ו

When confronted with severe rebuke from God, the Israelites respond with complete submission and an absolute acceptance of His judgment. They offer a sincere confession of their wrongdoing and willingly accept whatever consequences must follow. However, within this total surrender, they present one specific plea regarding how they should be punished.

They ask God to do whatever He deems right and just. The primary approach among commentators is that this declaration is actually a request to be punished directly by God Himself, rather than being left to the mercy of human adversaries. They prefer to face His judgment directly rather than suffer at the hands of cruel men.

Because of this mindset, their final cry for immediate rescue is not an attempt to escape punishment altogether. Instead, it is a focused plea to be saved specifically from the oppressive human enemies currently tormenting them [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. They fully accept that they must pay a price for their sins, but they beg that the penalty comes from His hand alone, not from their mortal foes.