שופטים, פרק י׳, פסוק ט׳

The Ammonite threat rapidly escalates as their military campaign expands beyond the eastern side of the Jordan River, pushing deep into Israelite territory. Crossing the river, the Ammonites launch attacks against Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. By targeting these highly fertile and promising regions, the enemy displays a significant increase in their power and confidence [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

This aggressive invasion thrusts the Israelites into a state of severe distress. The primary approach among commentators is that the conflict creates an overwhelming sense of pressure and confinement [מצודת ציון, רד״ק]. The war heavily burdens the people, causing deep suffering and hardship across the land [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The sheer weight of this crisis becomes a major turning point for the nation. Crushed by the relentless pressure from their enemies, the people cry out to God and confess that they had abandoned Him to worship idols. Finally realizing that their false gods offer no help or benefit, they return to God with a desperate plea. They ask Him to strike them with any direct punishment from Heaven, such as a plague or famine, as long as He saves them from the brutal suffering inflicted by human hands [אברבנאל].