Judges 2:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

NIV: After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.

NASB: All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and another generation rose up after them who did not know the Lord, nor even the work which He had done for Israel.

CSB: That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors. After them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works he had done for Israel.

NLT: After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.

This sad verse represents the fear of every generation faithful to the Lord. How do you raise those who will come after you to be faithful to Him, as well? In this case, the writer of the book of Judges is going back, repeating information which was already recorded (Joshua 24:28–31). The first verses of Judges explained how Israel failed to follow through on their mission to take the Promised Land. The early part of chapter 2 included a rebuke from God (Judges 2:1–5). This passage (Judges 2:5–9) re-introduces the story, to give context for all that happens in the future.

Joshua, Israel's great and faithful leader, died at an old age and was buried. All the people of his generation soon die off, as well. They are said to be "gathered to their fathers," meaning that they join the previous generations who have died.

Now the next generation takes over. These children and grandchildren of Joshua's generation are said to "not know" the Lord. In this context, that simply means they didn't acknowledge God's authority. They did not experience firsthand some of the mighty works that the Lord had done for Israel. They did not carry the same commitment to the Lord that Joshua had demonstrated during his years of service. Add to that the temptations of the Canaanites' religious and immoral culture, and the results will be disastrous (Deuteronomy 20:16–18).

The rest of chapter 2 is a coarse synopsis of the book of Judges: Israel sins, falls into oppression, is rescued by a God-appointed "judge," then sins again once that judge is gone (Judges 2:11–15).

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.

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.

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).