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Judges 2

1

And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

2

And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

3

Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

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4

And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

5

And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the Lord.

6

And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.

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7

And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.

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8

And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

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And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath–heres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.

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10

And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

11

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:

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And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.

13

And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

14

And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

15

Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

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Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

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And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so.

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And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

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And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

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And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;

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I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:

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That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.

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Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

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Judges 2

An angel of the LORD appears at Bokim ('weepers') to explain that because Israel has broken the covenant by failing to drive out the Canaanites, the LORD will not drive them out either (2:1-5)—a theological reversal of Joshua's promises and the introduction of divine judgment as the mechanism of history. The passage establishes the cyclical structure that governs the entire book: Israel forgets the LORD and serves the Baals, the LORD raises up enemies, Israel cries out in distress, the LORD raises a judge who delivers them, the judge dies, and Israel lapses into idolatry again. The covenant-breaking is framed as a failure of generational transmission: 'another generation grew up...who did not know the LORD or the work he had done for Israel' (2:10), suggesting that each generation must actively choose covenant fidelity or face judgment. The theological vision: sin has historical and communal consequences, judges are divine mercy within a framework of judgment, and the cycle will repeat until Israel's heart returns to true loyalty.

Judges 2:6

When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites went each to their own inheritance to take possession of the land. — The reference to Joshua's dismissal of the people interrupts the flow of chapter 2's theological narrative to recapitulate the transition from Joshua's leadership to tribal settlement. The verb 'dismissed' indicates intentional release from central organization, emphasizing that Joshua's death initiated fragmentation of unified command structure. The phrase 'each to their own inheritance' stresses individual tribal allocation of territory.

Judges 2:7

The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had seen all the great work that the LORD did for Israel. — The faithfulness of the Joshua generation extended through both Joshua's lifetime and that of the 'elders who outlived Joshua', indicating that covenant fidelity persisted so long as living witnesses to God's mighty acts remained to transmit the conquest narrative. The phrase 'had seen all the great work that the LORD did' emphasizes that direct witnessing of divine action sustained covenant commitment.

Judges 2:8

Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of one hundred ten years. — Joshua's death at 'one hundred ten years' parallels the lifespans of prominent patriarchs and covenantal figures, suggesting that longevity signified divine blessing and the completion of covenant purposes. The designation 'servant of the LORD' identifies Joshua's fundamental identity as one devoted to God's purposes. Joshua's natural death suggests a peaceful conclusion to a fulfilled life, contrasting with the violent or ignominious ends that characterize many figures in Judges.

Judges 2:9

They buried him in the territory of his inheritance at Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. — Joshua's burial 'in the territory of his inheritance' indicates that even in death he remained connected to the land he conquered. Timnath-heres, located in Ephraim's hill country north of Mount Gaash, represented Joshua's personal allotment within the tribal territories he distributed to others. The specific geographical details suggest scribal precision in preserving Joshua's burial location.

Judges 2:10

Moreover, that entire generation was gathered to their ancestors, and another generation grew up after them, who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel. — The description of generational succession marks the crucial epistemological break underlying Israel's spiritual decline, suggesting that covenant knowledge depended on direct experience or careful transmission. The verb 'did not know' implies not mere ignorance but a failure to recognize God through either direct experience or inherited narrative tradition. The parallel phrase 'the work that he had done for Israel' indicates that the new generation lacked acquaintance with the conquest narratives and their theological interpretation.

Judges 2:11

The Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals; — The opening of the Judges cycle pattern establishes the first element of the recurring narrative structure: sin and idolatry. The specific form of evil—'served the Baals'—identifies Canaanite religious syncretism as the dominant theological problem of the Judges period. The plural 'Baals' suggests multiple manifestations of the fertility deity worshipped across different regions.

Judges 2:12

they abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples around them, and bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger. — The description of Israel's apostasy emphasizes the covenant breach as willful rejection of inherited relationship. The phrase 'who had brought them out of the land of Egypt' invokes the foundational covenant narrative, making subsequent idolatry particularly egregious. The verb 'followed... and bowed down' indicates active pursuit and ritual performance of alternative religious devotion.

Judges 2:13

They abandoned the LORD, and served the Baal and the Astartes. — The specification of 'Baal and the Astartes' identifies the particular Canaanite deities that captured Israel's religious allegiance. Baal, the storm and fertility god, and Ashtarte/Astarte, the goddess of sexuality and warfare, represented complementary aspects of Canaanite religion. The verb 'served' indicates not casual or superficial engagement but devoted religious practice involving ritual, sacrifice, and spiritual commitment.

Judges 2:14

So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers who despoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, and they were no longer able to withstand their enemies. — The second element of the Judges cycle—servitude—manifests as military subjugation. The verb 'gave them over to plunderers' indicates active divine agency in Israel's subjection. The phrase 'he sold them into the hands of their enemies' employs the language of commercial transaction. The military consequence indicates that divine absence produced tactical vulnerability and strategic collapse.

Judges 2:15

Whenever the Israelites marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, to fulfill what the LORD had sworn to them. And they were in great distress. — The persistence of Israel's military failure indicates that divine opposition operated systematically across all military initiatives. The phrase 'to fulfill what the LORD had sworn' indicates that this military defeat fulfilled covenant curses previously announced. The phrase 'they were in great distress' conveys the psychological and existential toll of continuous military defeat and foreign domination.

Judges 2:19

They did not drop any of the ways of their ancestors, but continued in them. — This concluding clause reiterates the theme of persistent idolatry despite repeated divine intervention. The phrase 'ways of their ancestors' suggests that idolatry had become culturally transmitted and normalized across generations. The verb 'continued in them' indicates not accidental persistence but deliberate maintenance of syncretic practices.

Judges 2:20

Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel; and he said, 'Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their ancestors, and have not obeyed my voice, — The divine response to persistent idolatry indicates that even God's compassion had limits. The characterization of Israel's behavior as covenant transgression emphasizes the deliberate nature of apostasy. The phrase 'have not obeyed my voice' echoes the angel's indictment of verse 2.

Judges 2:21

I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left undone, — God's consequential judgment explicitly reverses the promise that God would remove Canaanite inhabitants. The phrase 'any of the nations that Joshua left undone' acknowledges that Joshua himself had not completed the conquest, but now God would not remedy that incompleteness through continued divine military assistance.

Judges 2:22

in order to test Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it as their ancestors did, or not.' — The purpose clause reframes the unconquered Canaanites' presence from punishment into examination. The specification 'whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it' identifies the test's focus: sustained covenant obedience rather than momentary religious sentiment.

Judges 2:23

The Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals and the Astartes. — This final verse of chapter 2 reiterates the apostasy pattern, concluding the theological exposition of the Judges cycle with a reiteration of the core sin. The repetition emphasizes that idolatry remained Israel's persistent problem throughout the period, serving as the spiritual root of all subsequent military and social failures. The cycle's mechanism—sin producing servitude, which generates supplication and temporary salvation, only to return to sin upon the judge's death—represents the theological diagnosis of Israel's Judges-period experience.

Judges 2:16

Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. — The third element of the Judges cycle—supplication and salvation—emerges as God 'raised up judges' to deliver Israel from military oppression. The terminology 'judges' encompasses both forensic roles (determining legal disputes) and military-charismatic functions. The verb 'saved them' employs the salvation language emphasizing God's deliverance through human agents.

Judges 2:17

Yet they did not listen even to their judges, but they lusted after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their ancestors had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD; they did not follow in their way. — The failure of Israel to sustain covenant fidelity even after judges deliver them indicates that military salvation did not produce spiritual transformation. The phrase 'they lusted after other gods' employs sexual language to describe religious infidelity. The contrast with 'their ancestors had walked... who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD' emphasizes that even judges' rescue did not prompt return to ancestral faithful patterns.

Judges 2:18

Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hands of their enemies for all the days of the judge; for the LORD would have compassion on them because of their groaning. But whenever the judge died, they relapsed and behaved worse than their ancestors, following other gods and serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of the ways of their ancestors, but continued in them. — The conditional structure of God's relationship to the judges indicates that divine favor operated through specific individuals empowered by the Spirit. The phrase 'for all the days of the judge' emphasizes the temporal limitation of peace and deliverance. The parenthetical note 'the LORD would have compassion on them because of their groaning' reveals God's emotional investment in Israel's suffering. Yet the continuation—'whenever the judge died, they relapsed and behaved worse'—documents the cycle's tragic pattern: each judge's death triggered renewed apostasy worse than before.

Judges 2:1

The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, 'I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to your ancestors. I said, I will never break my covenant with you.' — The appearance of 'the angel of the LORD' marks a decisive theological intervention, shifting the narrative voice from tribal military accounts to divine judgment. The angel ascends from Gilgal, Israel's base camp and site of initial circumcision and Passover celebration in Joshua's account, now traveling to Bokim ('the weepers'), a place-name that embodies the emotional and spiritual consequence of failure. The angel's recitation of divine faithfulness establishes God's absolute commitment despite Israel's failures.

Judges 2:2

And you have not obeyed my voice; what is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall become adversaries to you, and their gods shall be a snare to you.' — The angel's indictment reverses the formula of obedience that characterized Joshua's conquest, indicating that a generational shift from faithfulness to unfaithfulness had occurred. The rhetorical question 'What is this you have done?' emphasizes the unexpectedness and incomprehensibility of Israel's failure from God's perspective. The judgment is precisely calibrated: 'I will not drive them out' reverses the promise, withdrawing divine military assistance and converting the land's inhabitants into 'adversaries'. The phrase 'their gods shall be a snare to you' foreshadows the primary spiritual hazard of the Judges period: religious syncretism and idolatry.

Judges 2:3

Therefore I now say, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall become adversaries to you, and their gods shall be a snare to you.' — This verse repeats the substance of verse 2 with slightly different emphasis, reiterating judgment through parallelism that emphasizes divine seriousness and immutable commitment to the covenant's conditional structure. The repetition stresses that Israel's continued coexistence with Canaanite populations results not from military limitation but from divine withdrawal of assistance.

Judges 2:4

When the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept. — The people's response to divine judgment indicates immediate emotional recognition of their covenant failure, establishing Bokim as a site of national contrition. The verb 'wept' denotes genuine mourning and lament rather than mere tearfulness, suggesting that the community grasped the spiritual gravity of their situation. Yet the text immediately qualifies this emotional response, suggesting that feeling and amendment diverged.

Judges 2:5

So they offered sacrifices there to the LORD. — The sacrificial response suggests that Israel's mourning produced cultic action, indicating an attempt to restore covenant relationship through ritual observance. The sacrifices presumably included both confession and restitution elements, representing Israel's effort to address the breach acknowledged at Bokim. Yet the text's brevity regarding the sacrificial action contrasts sharply with later prophetic critiques of Israel's willingness to perform ritual while neglecting covenant obedience.