Judges 2 - Printer Friendly

What does Judges 2 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

The first verses of Judges chapter 2 are best understood as an extension from chapter 1. Israel failed, tribe by tribe, to drive the Canaanites from the land as God had commanded them. This seems to have been from some combination of indifference or fear. In response, God appears to the people at a place later named Bochim for its association with "weeping." References to "the angel of the Lord" suggest a physical presence of God—likely God the Son before His incarnation in Jesus Christ. This angel speaks to the people, as the Lord, using first-person terminology. He reminds them that He brought Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. He kept His word to them and promised never to break His covenant with them so long as they did not break theirs. Despite promises made to Joshua (Joshua 24:23–24), the Israelites did break the covenant with the Lord. They imitated and accepted the depraved people of Canaan. They left pagan altars intact. They did not obey the voice of their God (Judges 2:1–2).

As a response, God announces that He will not drive out the Canaanite people. By the end of the chapter, it will become clear that this happens in two ways: the people will be tempted and troubled by the Canaanites living in their territories, and they will be attacked and plundered by the territories they have not yet captured. The people the Israelites have allowed to stay in the land, and their false gods, will cause trouble and temptation for Israel. In response to God's rebuke, the people of Israel weep loudly and offer sacrifices to God. As the following verses show, this sorrow is short-lived and ultimately meaningless (Judges 2:3–5).

Starting in verse 6, the writer of Judges seems to re-introduce the storyline. He provides a key to understanding what will follow in the later chapters: the pattern repeated time and again between God and the people of Israel. To do this, the writer goes back to Joshua, who was faithful to the Lord. This information effectively repeats the content of Joshua 24:28–31. Joshua's leadership not only produced great victories in Canaan, but it also kept the people in faithful obedience to God. When Joshua and his peers died out, however, the following generations did not acknowledge the Lord or the miracles He had done for Israel (Judges 2:6–10).

Instead of following the Lord and keeping the covenant, the new generation of Israelites abandoned Him. As God predicted (Deuteronomy 20:16–18), the people began to worship the false gods of the people of Canaan. They honored idols such as Baal and Ashtaroth—Canaanite fertility gods—and performed all the degrading acts associated with those religions. This would have included things like temple prostitution and even human sacrifice (Judges 2:11–13).

God, provoked to great anger, would then use Israel's enemies as punishment. Unconquered enemy groups (Judges 3:1–4) would raid and enslave Israel, until the people were in great distress. Then the Lord would raise a deliverer, named using a Hebrew word loosely translated as "judge." These leaders combined spiritual, civic, and military efforts, specially empowered by God, to save Israel from the nations afflicting her. The Lord would continue to guide His people through that human judge until the judge died (Judges 2:15–18).

Sadly, once each judge died, the pattern would begin again. The Israelites would go back to worshiping other gods. In fact, with every cycle, their sin became even worse than before. Once again, God's anger would burn. Once again, Israel's enemies would conquer her. The people would suffer. Another new judge would come and save the people, a peace lasting only until the judge's death. In response to their persistent sin, God stops enabling Israel's conquest of more territory in the Promised Land. He also leaves them to the consequences of allowing the Canaanites to persist in the land. He will continue to use those enemies to demonstrate whether Israel will turn and obey in response to suffering (Judges 2:19–23).

Chapter 3 begins with a brief explanation of the two main groups which will antagonize Israel during the era of the judges. Attacks, enslavement, and oppression come from the unconquered nations surrounding Israel (Judges 3:1–4). Temptation and idolatry come from the people living among Israel in the captured territories (Judges 3:5–6).

Judges 2:1–5 reveals the conclusion to the reports from chapter one: the tribes of Israel did not drive the Canaanites from the Promised Land. The angel of the Lord appears to the people, speaking as the Lord. He reminds them how He has done good for them, and empowered them, yet they have broken their covenant with Him. Now, the wicked and ungodly Canaanites will become thorns and their false gods will ensnare Israel. The people weep and make sacrifices to the Lord. However, as the rest of the book of Judges shows, their weeping doesn't lead to any meaningful change.

Judges 2:6–10 is almost a second introduction to the book of Judges. It reiterates the end of Joshua's life, when he sent the tribes to occupy their territories and drive the people from the land (Joshua 24:29–31). The people continued to follow the Lord all the days of Joshua's life and his generation. He died and was buried on his allotted land in the territory of Ephraim at 110 years old. The generations following Joshua's death did not acknowledge God or the work He had done for Israel.

Judges 2:11–15 summarizes the source of Israel's troubles in the book of Judges. This passage describes the rebellion of Israel against Yahweh after the time of Joshua. They abandon faithfulness to God and worship the gods of the Canaanites. Names associated with those false gods include Baal and Ashtaroth. As He promised, the Lord allows the faithless Israelites to be attacked and plundered. They suffer until they are in terrible distress. As the following passage describes, this is followed by God sending a rescuer—referred to as a "judge." Yet, when that rescuer is gone, Israel returns to their sin (Judges 2:16–19). This cycle will continue for centuries.

Judges 2:16–23 describes the pattern developed and repeated after the death of Joshua. The Israelites begin with freedom and faithfulness towards God. Then they fall into idolatry and sin. In response, they are overcome by their enemies. When the suffering of the Israelites becomes great, God raises up judges—military and civic leaders—to save Israel from their enemies. When the judge dies, the Israelites soon return to their sinful worship of Canaan's gods. Each time, Israel's idolatry worsens, and their faith becomes weaker.

Chapter Summary:

The tribes of Israel committed great sin when they failed to drive the depraved, wicked Canaanites from the land. God rebukes them harshly, warning them of the consequences to follow. The people weep and offer sacrifices. And yet, the generations after Joshua abandon God. They worship false gods and perform heinous sins. The Lord burns with anger and uses Israel's enemies as punishment. When the suffering becomes intense, God rescues Israel through a human "judge." When the judge dies, the people return to their sin, deeper even than before.

Chapter Context:

Judges 2 follows reports about the failure of Israel to drive the Canaanites from each tribes' territories. Despite being rebuked by God, the generations after Joshua eventually abandon the Lord to worship the gods of the Canaanites: the Baals and the Ashtaroth. This establishes a pattern to be repeated in the chapters to come. Israel will worship Canaan's gods. God punishes the people through their enemies. God saves the people through a human judge. When the judge dies, the people return to their sin. This cycle continues throughout the rest of the book of Judges.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).

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