17 And yet they would not hearken H8085 unto their judges, H8199 but they went a whoring H2181 after H310 other H312 gods, H430 and bowed H7812 themselves unto them: they turned H5493 quickly H4118 out of the way H1870 which their fathers H1 walked in, H1980 obeying H8085 the commandments H4687 of the LORD; H3068 but they did H6213 not so.
And the people H5971 served H5647 the LORD H3068 all the days H3117 of Joshua, H3091 and all the days H3117 of the elders H2205 that outlived H748 H3117 H310 Joshua, H3091 who had seen H7200 all the great H1419 works H4639 of the LORD, H3068 that he did H6213 for Israel. H3478
And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto me, Arise, H6965 get thee down H3381 quickly H4118 from hence; for thy people H5971 which thou hast brought forth H3318 out of Egypt H4714 have corrupted H7843 themselves; they are quickly H4118 turned aside H5493 out of the way H1870 which I commanded H6680 them; they have made H6213 them a molten image. H4541
And G2532 there came G2064 one G1520 of G1537 the seven G2033 angels G32 which G3588 had G2192 the seven G2033 vials, G5357 and G2532 talked G2980 with G3326 me, G1700 saying G3004 unto me, G3427 Come hither; G1204 I will shew G1166 unto thee G4671 the judgment G2917 of the great G3173 whore G4204 that sitteth G2521 upon G1909 many G4183 waters: G5204 With G3326 whom G3739 the kings G935 of the earth G1093 have committed fornication, G4203 and G2532 the inhabitants G2730 of the earth G1093 have been made drunk G3184 with G1537 the wine G3631 of her G846 fornication. G4202 So G2532 he carried G667 me G3165 away G667 in G1722 the spirit G4151 into G1519 the wilderness: G2048 and G2532 I saw G1492 a woman G1135 sit G2521 upon G1909 a scarlet coloured G2847 beast, G2342 full of G1073 names G3686 of blasphemy, G988 having G2192 seven G2033 heads G2776 and G2532 ten G1176 horns. G2768 And G2532 the woman G1135 was G2258 arrayed G4016 in purple G4209 and G2532 scarlet colour, G2847 and G2532 decked G5558 with gold G5557 and G2532 precious G5093 stones G3037 and G2532 pearls, G3135 having G2192 a golden G5552 cup G4221 in G1722 her G846 hand G5495 full of G1073 abominations G946 and G2532 filthiness G168 of her G846 fornication: G4202 And G2532 upon G1909 her G846 forehead G3359 was a name G3686 written, G1125 MYSTERY, G3466 BABYLON G897 THE GREAT, G3173 THE MOTHER G3384 OF HARLOTS G4204 AND G2532 ABOMINATIONS G946 OF THE EARTH. G1093
Many H7227 times H6471 did he deliver H5337 them; but they provoked H4784 him with their counsel, H6098 and were brought low H4355 for their iniquity. H5771
Thus were they defiled H2930 with their own works, H4639 and went a whoring H2181 with their own inventions. H4611
And the LORD H3068 God H430 of their fathers H1 sent H7971 to them by H3027 his messengers, H4397 rising up betimes, H7925 and sending; H7971 because he had compassion H2550 on his people, H5971 and on his dwelling place: H4583 But they mocked H3931 the messengers H4397 of God, H430 and despised H959 his words, H1697 and misused H8591 his prophets, H5030 until the wrath H2534 of the LORD H3068 arose H5927 against his people, H5971 till there was no remedy. H4832
They have turned H5493 aside quickly H4118 out of the way H1870 which I commanded H6680 them: they have made H6213 them a molten H4541 calf, H5695 and have worshipped H7812 it, and have sacrificed H2076 thereunto, and said, H559 These be thy gods, H430 O Israel, H3478 which have brought thee up H5927 out of the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
Is it not wheat H2406 harvest H7105 to day? H3117 I will call H7121 unto the LORD, H3068 and he shall send H5414 thunder H6963 and rain; H4306 that ye may perceive H3045 and see H7200 that your wickedness H7451 is great, H7227 which ye have done H6213 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 in asking H7592 you a king. H4428
And when ye saw H7200 that Nahash H5176 the king H4428 of the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 came H935 against you, ye said H559 unto me, Nay; but a king H4428 shall reign H4427 over us: when the LORD H3068 your God H430 was your king. H4428
And said H559 unto him, Behold, thou art old, H2204 and thy sons H1121 walk H1980 not in thy ways: H1870 now make H7760 us a king H4428 to judge H8199 us like all the nations. H1471 But the thing H1697 displeased H3415 H5869 Samuel, H8050 when they said, H559 Give H5414 us a king H4428 to judge H8199 us. And Samuel H8050 prayed H6419 unto the LORD. H3068 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Samuel, H8050 Hearken H8085 unto the voice H6963 of the people H5971 in all that they say H559 unto thee: for they have not rejected H3988 thee, but they have rejected H3988 me, that I should not reign H4427 over them. According to all the works H4639 which they have done H6213 since the day H3117 that I brought them up H5927 out of Egypt H4714 even unto this day, H3117 wherewith they have forsaken H5800 me, and served H5647 other H312 gods, H430 so do H6213 they also unto thee.
And the people H5971 said H559 unto Joshua, H3091 The LORD H3068 our God H430 will we serve, H5647 and his voice H6963 will we obey. H8085
Lest thou make H3772 a covenant H1285 with the inhabitants H3427 of the land, H776 and they go a whoring H2181 after H310 their gods, H430 and do sacrifice H2076 unto their gods, H430 and one call H7121 thee, and thou eat H398 of his sacrifice; H2077 And thou take H3947 of their daughters H1323 unto thy sons, H1121 and their daughters H1323 go a whoring H2181 after H310 their gods, H430 and make H2181 thy sons H1121 go a whoring H2181 after H310 their gods. H430
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Judges 2
Commentary on Judges 2 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 2
Jud 2:1-10. An Angel Sent to Rebuke the People at Bochim.
1-3. an angel … came from Gilgal to Bochim—We are inclined to think, from the authoritative tone of his language, that he was the Angel of the Covenant (Ex 23:20; Jos 5:14); the same who appeared in human form and announced himself captain of the Lord's host. His coming from Gilgal had a peculiar significance, for there the Israelites made a solemn dedication of themselves to God on their entrance into the promised land [Jos 4:1-9]; and the memory of that religious engagement, which the angel's arrival from Gilgal awakened, gave emphatic force to his rebuke of their apostasy.
Bochim—"the weepers," was a name bestowed evidently in allusion to this incident or the place, which was at or near Shiloh.
I said, I will never break my covenant with you … but ye have not obeyed my voice—The burden of the angel's remonstrance was that God would inviolably keep His promise; but they, by their flagrant and repeated breaches of their covenant with Him, had forfeited all claim to the stipulated benefits. Having disobeyed the will of God by voluntarily courting the society of idolaters and placing themselves in the way of temptation, He left them to suffer the punishment of their misdeeds.
4, 5. when the angel of the Lord spake these words … the people lifted up their voice, and wept—The angel's expostulation made a deep and painful impression. But the reformation was but temporary, and the gratifying promise of a revival which this scene of emotion held out, was, ere long, blasted by speedy and deeper relapses into the guilt of defection and idolatry.
6-10. And when Joshua had let the people go—This passage is a repetition of Jos 24:29-31. It was inserted here to give the reader the reasons which called forth so strong and severe a rebuke from the angel of the Lord. During the lifetime of the first occupiers, who retained a vivid recollection of all the miracles and judgments which they had witnessed in Egypt and the desert, the national character stood high for faith and piety. But, in course of time, a new race arose who were strangers to all the hallowed and solemnizing experience of their fathers, and too readily yielded to the corrupting influences of the idolatry that surrounded them.
Jud 2:11-19. Wickedness of the New Generation after Joshua.
11-19. the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord—This chapter, together with the first eight verses of the next [Jud 2:11-3:8], contains a brief but comprehensive summary of the principles developed in the following history. An attentive consideration of them, therefore, is of the greatest importance to a right understanding of the strange and varying phases of Israelitish history, from the death of Joshua till the establishment of the monarchy.
served Baalim—The plural is used to include all the gods of the country.
13. Ashtaroth—Also a plural word, denoting all the female divinities, whose rites were celebrated by the most gross and revolting impurities.
14. the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them—Adversities in close and rapid succession befell them. But all these calamities were designed only as chastisements—a course of correctional discipline by which God brought His people to see and repent of their errors; for as they returned to faith and allegiance, He "raised up judges" (Jud 2:16).
16. which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them—The judges who governed Israel were strictly God's vicegerents in the government of the people, He being the supreme ruler. Those who were thus elevated retained the dignity as long as they lived; but there was no regular, unbroken succession of judges. Individuals, prompted by the inward, irresistible impulse of God's Spirit when they witnessed the depressed state of their country, were roused to achieve its deliverance. It was usually accompanied by a special call, and the people seeing them endowed with extraordinary courage or strength, accepted them as delegates of Heaven, and submitted to their sway. Frequently they were appointed only for a particular district, and their authority extended no farther than over the people whose interests they were commissioned to protect. They were without pomp, equipage, or emoluments attached to the office. They had no power to make laws; for these were given by God; nor to explain them, for that was the province of the priests—but they were officially upholders of the law, defenders of religion, avengers of all crimes, particularly of idolatry and its attendant vices.