2 1 The Angel rebuketh the people, because they had made peace with the Canaanites. 11 The Israelites fell to idolatry after Joshua’s death. 14 They are delivered into the enemies’ hands: 16 God delivereth them by Judges. 21 Why God suffered idolaters to remain among them.
1 And an [a]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 had sworn unto your fathers, and said, I will never break my covenant with you.
2 (A)Ye also shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land, (B)but shall break down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice. Why have ye done this?
3 Wherefore, I said also, I will not cast them out before you, but they shall be (C)as thorns unto your sides, and their gods shall be your [b]destruction.
4 And when the Angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5 Therefore they called the name of that place, [c]Bochim, and offered sacrifices there unto the Lord.
6 ¶ Now when Joshua had [d]sent the people away, the children of Israel went every man into his inheritance, to possess the land.
7 And the people had served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the Elders that outlived Joshua, which had seen all the great [e]works of the Lord that he did for Israel.
8 But Joshua the son of Nun the servant of the Lord died, when he was an hundred and ten years old:
9 And they buried him in the coasts of his inheritance, in [f]Timnath Heres in mount Ephraim, on the North side of mount Gaash.
10 And so all that generation was gathered unto their fathers, and another generation arose after them, which neither knew the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
11 ¶ Then the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord, and served [g]Baal,
12 And forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt and followed other gods, even the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.
13 So they forsook the Lord, and served (D)Baal, and [h]Ashtoreth.
14 And the wrath of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers, that spoiled them, and he (E)sold them into the hands of their enemies round about them, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.
15 [i]Whithersoever they went out, the [j]hand of the Lord was sore against them, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: so he punished them sore.
16 ¶ Notwithstanding, the Lord raised up [k]Judges, which [l]delivered them out of the hands of their oppressors.
17 But yet they would not obey their Judges for they went a whoring after other gods, and worshipped them, and turned quickly out of the [m]way, wherein their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of the Lord: they did not so.
18 And when the Lord had raised them up Judges, the Lord was with the Judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the Judge (for the Lord [n]had compassion of their groanings, [o]because of them that oppressed them and tormented them.)
19 Yet (F)when the Judge was dead, they returned, and [p]did worse than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and worship them: they ceased not from their own inventions, nor from their rebellious way.
20 Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, Because this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and hath not obeyed my voice,
21 Therefore will I no more cast out before them any of the [q]nations, which Joshua left when he died,
22 That through them I may [r]prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord, to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.
23 So the Lord left those nations, and drove them not out immediately, neither delivered them into the hand of Joshua.
Footnotes
- Judges 2:1 That is, messenger, or prophet, as some think, Phinehas.
- Judges 2:3 Or, snare.
- Judges 2:5 Or, weeping.
- Judges 2:6 After that he had divided to every man his portion by lot, Josh. 24:28.
- Judges 2:7 Meaning, the wonders and miracles.
- Judges 2:9 Here, by turning the letters backward is Sereh, as Josh. 24:30.
- Judges 2:11 That is, all manner of idols.
- Judges 2:13 These were Idols, which had the form of an ewe or sheep among the Sidonians.
- Judges 2:15 In all their enterprises.
- Judges 2:15 The vengeance.
- Judges 2:16 Or, magistrates.
- Judges 2:16 Hebrew, saved.
- Judges 2:17 Meaning, from the true religion.
- Judges 2:18 Hebrew, repented.
- Judges 2:18 Seeing their cruelty.
- Judges 2:19 Hebrew, corrupt themselves.
- Judges 2:21 As the Hivites, Jebusites, Amorites, etc.
- Judges 2:22 So that both outward enemies and false prophets are but a trial to prove our faith, Deut. 13:3 and Judg. 3:1.