What does Judges 2:7 mean?
The writer of Judges is staging a second introduction to his book (Judges 2:6). To illustrate how Israel has fallen from their intended purpose, he has gone back to before Joshua had died. The passage here creates a context critical for understanding the rest of the book (Judges 2:11–15).Joshua was a great leader for the Israelites. He served the people well after the death of Moses. He led them both in breaking the Canaanite stronghold on the land and in remaining faithful to the Lord. Under his leadership, the people continued to serve the Lord, until the day of his death (Joshua 24:27–31). In fact, Israel continued to serve the Lord while Joshua's fellow elders lived. These were the people who had seen firsthand some of the miraculous deeds God had performed in His care of Israel.