Judges 2: The angel of Yahweh at Bochim, and Yahweh raises up judges
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What happens?
Yahweh's angel comes up from Gilgal to Bochim and tells the Israelites that they have not listened to his voice: they were to make no covenant with the people of the land and to break down their altars, so he will not drive those nations out. The people weep and sacrifice to Yahweh there. The book goes back to the death of Joshua and tells that a new generation grew up who did not know Yahweh. Then it gives the pattern of the whole book: Israel serves the Baals, Yahweh gives them into the hands of their enemies, he raises up judges who save them, and when each judge dies they turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers. Yahweh says he will no longer drive out the nations Joshua left, so that he can test Israel by them.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the chapter. God's own words are in 3 of the 23 verses: what Yahweh says in his anger in verses 20 to 22. The angel of Yahweh speaks to the Israelites in verses 1 to 3, and his words are not printed in gold. He speaks as the one who brought Israel out of Egypt (see the note on verse 1). God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Yahweh’s angel came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, “I brought you out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to give your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you.
In plain English: Yahweh's angel went up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, "I brought you up out of Egypt and brought you into the land I swore to give your fathers. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you.
The Hebrew word: "Angel" is malak, which the dictionary gives as "a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher)".
How it is translated: This Bible says "angel" or a longer form in 101 of the 196 verses that use malak, and "messenger" or a longer form in 92. In Judges it says "angel" in 18 of the 26 verses that use it.
Good to know: The angel speaks as the one who brought Israel out of Egypt and swore to give the land to their fathers. The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has him begin "Thus says the Lord". Gilgal was Israel's first camp in the land ().
Church tradition: Some readers take "the angel of Yahweh" to be Yahweh himself appearing, and others a messenger who speaks Yahweh's words (see the note on ). The text does not say which. Yahweh's angel is named again in the Song of Deborah () and comes again in and .
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2You shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land. You shall break down their altars.’ But you have not listened to my voice. Why have you done this?
In plain English: And you are to make no covenant with the people who live in this land. You are to break down their altars.' But you have not listened to my voice. Why have you done this?
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3Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’”
In plain English: So I also said (or: So now I say), 'I will not drive them out before you. They will be in your sides (or: they will be your adversaries), and their gods will be a trap (this Bible: a snare) to you.'"
The Hebrew word: "In your sides" is word for word "they will be to you sides": the word tsad, which the dictionary gives as "a side; figuratively, an adversary".
What changes: Read as "in your sides", it echoes , "thorns in your sides", and , "a scourge in your sides", where the same word is used. Read as "adversaries", the nations will be enemies to Israel. Either way, the verse goes on: "their gods will be a snare to you".
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4When Yahweh’s angel spoke these words to all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voice and wept.
In plain English: When Yahweh's angel had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people raised their voices and wept.
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5They called the name of that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to Yahweh.
In plain English: They named that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to Yahweh.
The Hebrew word: The name follows what verse 4 tells: the people "wept". Bochim sounds like bakah, which the dictionary gives as "to weep", the word for "wept" in verse 4. The dictionary gives Bochim only as a place name, and the old Greek translation (Brenton) writes "the place of weeping" in verse 1.
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6Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel each went to his inheritance to possess the land.
In plain English: When Joshua had sent the people away, the Israelites went each to his own inheritance to take possession of the land.
Good to know: Verses 6 to 9 tell again, in nearly the same words, what to tells at the end of Joshua: the people sent home, Israel serving Yahweh in the days of Joshua and the elders, and Joshua's death and burial. calls his town Timnathserah, and verse 9 here calls it Timnath Heres (see the note on ).
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7The people served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of Yahweh that he had worked for Israel.
In plain English: The people served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who lived on after Joshua (literally: made their days long after Joshua), who had seen all the great work Yahweh had done for Israel.
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8Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, being one hundred ten years old.
In plain English: Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died at the age of one hundred ten.
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9They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.
In plain English: They buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
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10After all that generation were gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who didn’t know Yahweh, nor the work which he had done for Israel.
In plain English: That whole generation was also gathered to their fathers, and another generation grew up after them who did not know Yahweh or the work he had done for Israel.
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11The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and served the Baals.
In plain English: The Israelites did what was evil in Yahweh's eyes (this Bible: sight) and served the Baals.
Good to know: Verses 11 to 19 give, in one place, the pattern the rest of the book tells again and again. Israel does what is evil in Yahweh's eyes and serves other gods (verses 11 to 13). Yahweh's anger burns, and he gives them into the hands of their enemies (verses 14 and 15). Yahweh raises up judges, who save them (verse 16), because of their groaning (verse 18). When the judge dies, they turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers (verse 19). In the stories that follow, the book also says that Israel cries out to Yahweh ( and ) and that the land has rest ( and ).
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12They abandoned Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; and they provoked Yahweh to anger.
In plain English: They left (this Bible: abandoned) Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods, from the gods of the peoples around them, and bowed down to them, and they made Yahweh angry (this Bible: provoked Yahweh to anger).
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13They abandoned Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
In plain English: They left Yahweh and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
The Hebrew words: "Baal" is ba'al. As a common word the dictionary gives it as "a master; hence, a husband, or (figuratively) owner", and as a name, "Baal, a Phoenician deity". The dictionary gives Ashtaroth as "the name of a Sidonian deity", and also of a place east of the Jordan. speaks of "Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians".
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14Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.
In plain English: Yahweh's anger burned against Israel. He gave them into the hands of raiders, who plundered them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand against their enemies.
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15Wherever they went out, Yahweh’s hand was against them for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them; and they were very distressed.
In plain English: Wherever they went out, Yahweh's hand was against them for harm (this Bible: for evil), as Yahweh had said and as Yahweh had sworn to them. They were in great distress.
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16Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.
In plain English: Then Yahweh raised up judges (or: leaders), who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them.
The Hebrew word: "Judges" is shophetim, from shaphat, which the dictionary gives as "to judge, i.e. pronounce sentence (for or against); by implication, to vindicate or punish; by extension, to govern".
How it is translated: In Judges this Bible says "judge" or a longer form (judges, judged) in all 17 verses that use the word.
What changes: Read as "judges", they are people who settle matters and give rulings, as Deborah "judged Israel" and the people came to her "for judgment" ( and ). Read as "leaders" or "rulers", they are the ones who govern and lead Israel against its enemies. This verse says what these judges did: they "saved" Israel.
Good to know: "Saved" is yasha, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e. (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or succor". The same word gives "a savior" for Othniel and Ehud in and .
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17Yet they didn’t listen to their judges; for they prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They quickly turned away from the way in which their fathers walked, obeying Yahweh’s commandments. They didn’t do so.
In plain English: Yet they did not listen even to their judges, because they gave themselves to other gods like prostitutes (this Bible: prostituted themselves to other gods) and bowed down to them. They quickly turned aside from the way their fathers had walked, obeying Yahweh's commandments. They did not do so.
The Hebrew word: "Prostituted themselves" is zanah. The dictionary gives it as "to commit adultery", and "figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah)". Here it is used of going after other gods.
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18When Yahweh raised up judges for them, then Yahweh was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it grieved Yahweh because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them.
In plain English: Whenever Yahweh raised up judges for them, Yahweh was with the judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies all the days of the judge, because it grieved Yahweh (or: Yahweh was moved to pity) at their groaning under those who oppressed them and troubled them.
The Hebrew word: "It grieved Yahweh" is nacham, the word explained in the note on . The dictionary gives it as "to be sorry", and "to pity, console" or "rue".
What changes: Read as "it grieved Yahweh" or "Yahweh was moved to pity", Yahweh felt for them in their groaning. Read as "Yahweh was sorry" or "relented", he changed course toward them. Either way, the verse says he saved them because of their groaning.
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19But when the judge was dead, they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers in following other gods to serve them and to bow down to them. They didn’t cease what they were doing, or give up their stubborn ways.
In plain English: But when the judge died, they turned back and acted more corruptly than their fathers, following other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not give up (literally: let fall) any of their practices or their stubborn ways.
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20Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel; and he said, “Because this nation transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to my voice,God speaks
In plain English: So Yahweh's anger burned against Israel, and he said, "Because this nation has broken (this Bible: transgressed) my covenant that I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to my voice,
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21I also will no longer drive out any of the nations that Joshua left when he died from before them;God speaks
In plain English: I in turn will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died,
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22that by them I may test Israel, to see if they will keep Yahweh’s way to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.”God speaks
In plain English: so that by them I may test Israel, to see whether or not they will keep Yahweh's way and walk in it, as their fathers kept it."
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23So Yahweh left those nations, without driving them out hastily. He didn’t deliver them into Joshua’s hand.
In plain English: So Yahweh left those nations. He did not drive them out quickly, and he did not give them into Joshua's hand.
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