Judges 2:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So the LORD left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

NIV: The LORD had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.

NASB: So the Lord allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not hand them over to Joshua.

CSB: The Lord left these nations and did not drive them out immediately. He did not hand them over to Joshua.

NLT: That is why the Lord left those nations in place. He did not quickly drive them out or allow Joshua to conquer them all.

KJV: Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

NKJV: Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out immediately; nor did He deliver them into the hand of Joshua.

This verse offers a partial explanation for why Joshua did not complete a conquest of the entire Promised Land (Joshua 1:4) prior to his death. Even though Joshua was faithful to the Lord, and the Lord's hand was with Joshua, the people of Israel were not so loyal. Thanks to Israel's complacency and disobedience (Deuteronomy 20:16–18), God allowed some of Israel's enemies to survive. These foes rose against Israel later, as God's chosen people rebelled against their Lord.

In this way, the Lord will use these enemies to test His people—in truth, to prove beyond all doubt—whether they would begin to obey Him again when they were under duress.

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.

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).

Accessed 4/29/2024 3:54:27 AM