Judges — Chapter 2
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1And 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.
2And 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?
3Wherefore 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.
4And 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.
5And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.
6And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.
7And 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.
8And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
9And 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.
10And 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.
11And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
12And 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.
13And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14And 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.
15Whithersoever 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.
16Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17And 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.
18And 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.
19And 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.
20And 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;
21I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
22That 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.
23Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
1And the angel of Jehovah came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he 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:
2and ye shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall break down their altars. But ye have not hearkened unto my voice: why have ye done this?
3Wherefore 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.
4And it came to pass, when the angel of Jehovah spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto Jehovah.
6Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.
7And the people served Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of Jehovah that he had wrought for Israel.
8And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah, died, being a hundred and ten years old.
9And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.
10And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, that knew not Jehovah, nor yet the work which he had wrought for Israel.
11And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served the Baalim;
12and they forsook Jehovah, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples that were round about them, and bowed themselves down unto them: and they provoked Jehovah to anger.
13And they forsook Jehovah, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
14And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that despoiled them; and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
15Whithersoever they went out, the hand of Jehovah was against them for evil, as Jehovah had spoken, and as Jehovah had sworn unto them: and they were sore distressed.
16And Jehovah raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those that despoiled them.
17And yet they hearkened not unto their judges; for they played the harlot after other gods, and bowed themselves down unto them: they turned aside quickly out of the way wherein their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of Jehovah; [but] they did not so.
18And when Jehovah raised them up judges, then Jehovah was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented Jehovah because of their groaning by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
19But it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their doings, nor from their stubborn way.
20And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel; and he said, Because this nation have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
21I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations that Joshua left when he died;
22that by them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of Jehovah to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
23So Jehovah left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
1The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you,
2but you must not make an agreement with the people who live in this land. You should tear down the altars where they worship.’ But you have disobeyed me. Why would you do such a thing?
3At that time I also warned you, ‘If you disobey, I will not drive out the Canaanites before you. They will ensnare you and their gods will lure you away.’”
4When the angel of the Lord finished speaking these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly.
5They named that place Bokim and offered sacrifices to the Lord there.
6When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites went to their allotted portions of territory, intending to take possession of the land.
7The people worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive. These men had witnessed all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.
8Joshua son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died at the age of 110.
9The people buried him in his allotted land in Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
10That entire generation passed away; a new generation grew up that had not personally experienced the Lord’s presence or seen what he had done for Israel.
11The Israelites did evil before the Lord by worshiping the Baals.
12They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods—the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped them and made the Lord angry.
13They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.
14The Lord was furious with Israel and handed them over to robbers who plundered them. He turned them over to their enemies who lived around them. They could no longer withstand their enemies’ attacks.
15Whenever they went out to fight, the Lord did them harm, just as he had warned and solemnly vowed he would do. They suffered greatly.
16The Lord raised up leaders who delivered them from these robbers.
17But they did not obey their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned aside from the path their ancestors had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lord’s commands, but they did not.
18When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them.
19When a leader died, the next generation would again act more wickedly than the previous one. They would follow after other gods, worshiping them and bowing down to them. They did not give up their practices or their stubborn ways.
20The Lord was furious with Israel. He said, “This nation has violated the terms of the covenant I made with their ancestors by disobeying me.
21So I will no longer remove before them any of the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died,
22in order to test Israel. I want to see whether or not the people will carefully walk in the path marked out by the Lord, as their ancestors were careful to do.”
23This is why the Lord permitted these nations to remain and did not conquer them immediately; he did not hand them over to Joshua.
1Yahweh’s angel came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, “I brought you out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to give your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you.
2You shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land. You shall break down their altars.’ But you have not listened to my voice. Why have you done this?
3Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’”
4When Yahweh’s angel spoke these words to all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5They called the name of that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to Yahweh.
6Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel each went to his inheritance to possess the land.
7The people served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of Yahweh that he had worked for Israel.
8Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, being one hundred ten years old.
9They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.
10After all that generation were gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them, who didn’t know Yahweh, nor the work which he had done for Israel.
11The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and served the Baals.
12They abandoned Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; and they provoked Yahweh to anger.
13They abandoned Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
14Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.
15Wherever they went out, Yahweh’s hand was against them for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them; and they were very distressed.
16Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.
17Yet they didn’t listen to their judges; for they prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They quickly turned away from the way in which their fathers walked, obeying Yahweh’s commandments. They didn’t do so.
18When Yahweh raised up judges for them, then Yahweh was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it grieved Yahweh because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them.
19But when the judge was dead, they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down to them. They didn’t cease what they were doing, or give up their stubborn ways.
20Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel; and he said, “Because this nation transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to my voice,
21I also will no longer drive out any of the nations that Joshua left when he died from before them;
22that by them I may test Israel, to see if they will keep Yahweh’s way to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.”
23So Yahweh left those nations, without driving them out hastily. He didn’t deliver them into Joshua’s hand.
Summary
The Angel of the LORD rebukes Israel for making covenants with Canaanites and not tearing down their altars. A new generation arises that does not know the LORD, and the cycle of apostasy, oppression, and deliverance begins.
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Gilgal to Bochim: The Angel of the LORD moves from Gilgal (Israel's first camp near Jericho) to Bochim (likely near Bethel in the central highlands)
- The territories of the unconquered nations surround Israel on all sides — a test of obedience
- Bochim ("weepers"): Named for Israel's weeping when confronted with their failure to drive out the Canaanites
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes that the Angel of the LORD speaks as God Himself — this is a Christophany. He notes that Bochim's tears were emotional but not transformative — sorrow without repentance. The failure to teach the next generation (v.10) is the root cause of all that follows.
- Charles Spurgeon: "A generation arose that knew not the LORD. How terrible! Their fathers had seen the Jordan part and Jericho fall — and yet they raised children who knew nothing of it. The greatest miracle God ever works is the transmission of living faith from one generation to the next. And the greatest tragedy is when that transmission fails. You may conquer Canaan and still lose your children."
Reflection
- 1. God's faithfulness exposes our unfaithfulness (vv.1-2). God kept every promise — "I brought you up... I brought you in... I said I will never break my covenant." Against this backdrop, Israel's failure is stark. God's consistency reveals our inconsistency. His faithfulness is both our comfort and our conviction.
- 2. Tears without repentance change nothing (vv.4-5). Israel wept at Bochim — but the rest of the book shows they did not change. Emotional responses to conviction are not the same as repentance. Godly sorrow produces repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10); worldly sorrow produces only tears.
- 3. The failure to transmit faith (v.10). One generation saw God's works and believed. The next generation "knew not the LORD." The gap between these two statements is a parenting failure. Faith must be actively transmitted — it is not inherited automatically. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 commands intentional, daily, relentless teaching. When parents assume their children will "catch" faith, they lose them.
- 4. The downward spiral (v.19). Sin never stays at the same level. Each generation was "more corrupt than their fathers." Tolerated sin grows. Compromise deepens. What one generation tolerates, the next embraces. What one generation embraces, the next celebrates. The trajectory is always downward unless interrupted by grace.
- 5. "Nevertheless" — the word of grace (v.16). Despite everything, God raises up deliverers. He is "moved to pity by their groaning" (v.18). God's mercy is not earned by Israel's repentance — it flows from His own compassionate nature. This is the gospel: God rescues the undeserving because of who HE is, not because of who we are.