God uses a rhetorical question to rebuke Israel by forcing them to acknowledge their ingratitude and spiritual amnesia. By asking rather than declaring, the LORD makes Israel confront the undeniable evidence of His past faithfulness, leaving them without excuse for their idolatry. The interrogative form sharpens the accusation and demands self-examination.

The text does not record an immediate verbal response to God’s question. Instead, Israel continues crying out to the LORD, confessing their sin and putting away foreign gods, serving the LORD instead (Judges 10:15-16). God’s soul becomes impatient with Israel’s misery, leading to His eventual intervention through Jephthah.

God’s question indicts Israel for ingratitude despite repeated historical deliverances. The rhetorical form carries more weight than a simple statement would, it compels Israel to answer from their own knowledge of salvation history. The Hebrew interrogative structure expects affirmation, making denial impossible. God chooses a question rather than an accusation to engage Israel’s conscience directly, forcing them to acknowledge the contradiction between His faithfulness and their betrayal. The list of nations, Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, spans Israel’s entire existence from exodus to judges, demonstrating comprehensive divine care. This rebuke reveals that God’s reluctance to deliver again stems not from inability but from Israel’s habitual covenant-breaking, making the question both a reminder of grace and an exposure of guilt.