1An angel rebuketh the people at Bochim for their disobedience to God's command. 6During the life of Joshua and of the elders who survived him the people serve the Lord; 10but in the next generation fall away to grievous idolatry. 14God's anger against them. 16His pity toward them in their distress, and their ungrateful behaviour. 20The Canaanites are therefore left to prove Israel.
1AND an 1angel of the LORD came up from 2Gilgal to 3Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, Ia will never break my covenant with you.
1 Understand the Son of God, as it clearly appears out of the entire sequel. See also on Judges 6:11.
2 See Joshua 5:9.
3 Thus called from the weeping of the people, verse 5, situated near Gilgal.
a Gen. 17:7; Deut. 29:14, 15.
2And ye shall make no leagueb with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars:c but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
b Deut. 7:2.
c Deut. 12:3.
3Wherefore I also said, Id will not drive 4them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your 5sides, and their gods shall be a snaree unto you.
d Joshua 23:13.
4 Namely, the heathen who dwell in Canaan.
5 See a further explanation hereof, Num. 33:55.
e Exod. 23:33; 34:12; Deut. 7:16.
4And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5And they called the name of that place 6Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.
6 That is, the weeping ones.
6 ¶ 7Andf when Joshua had 8let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.
7 The reason is given in the sequel why God would not drive out the inhabitants of this land, namely, Israel’s backsliding from God.
f Joshua 24:28.
8 After he had earnestly exhorted; and strongly engaged to the pure worship of God, Joshua 24.
7And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that 9outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.
9 That is, who had outlived Joshua.
8And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being 10an hundred and ten years old.
10 Hebr. a son of an hundred and ten years.
9And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in 11Timnath-heres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
11 Otherwise called Timnath-serah, Joshua 24:30.
10And 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.
11¶And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served 12Baalim:
12 By the name Baal, which signifies a lord, did the Gentiles commonly call their idols, because they held them for their lords and givers of all good things; and to distinguish them, in regard they were several, not only the heathen but also the idolatrous Jews, did give or add unto them certain surnames, as Baal-berith, Judges 8:33; Baal-peor, Num. 25:3; Baal-zebub, 2 Kings 1:6; Baal-ashtaroth, compare on verse 13 and 1 Kings 16:31. The idolatry committed with these (idols) was a total departure from God, although the backsliding Israelites persuaded themselves that they could honor God by and together with them, as they did also with the golden calves, 1 Kings 12:28. See Hosea 2:15; Judges 8 on verse 33.
12And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
13And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and 13Ashtaroth.
13 That is, the images of the idol, whether male or female, called by the heathen Astaroth, which the Zidonians and Philistines had set up in the shapes of sheep. See 1 Sam. 31:10; 1 Kings 11:5, 33:2 Kings 23:13.
14¶And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, andg he 14sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
g Psalm 44:12; Isa. 50:1.
14 That is, He delivered them over, as the seller delivers the wares that are sold into the hand of the buyer. Also Judges 4:2, 9; 10:7. Compare Psalm 44:12.
15Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for 15evil, ash the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and 16they were greatly distressed.
15 To punish them with all manner of plagues, disasters, and calamities.
h Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28.
16 Or, he (namely, the Lord) distressed them greatly.
16¶Nevertheless the LORD 17raised up 18judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17 By a special call and impulse of His Spirit.
18 Understand not lords of the land, or kings, neither such as executed the ordinary office of a judge, and administered justice between man and man, which continued among the tribes, according to the order appointed and instituted of God by Moses, but such as executed the public right and interest of God’s people against their enemies and oppressors, and delivered them out of their hand, purged and preserved religion, paid and protected the republic of Israel in their liberty, and assisted the common good both by their service and good counsel. See Judges 3:9, 10, 15, etc.; 4:4; 6:15, 16; 8:23; and so forth.
17And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they 19went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.
19 See Lev. 17 on verse 7; Lev. 20 on verse 5.
18And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies 20all the days of the judge: for it 21repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
20 That is, as long as this judge lived.
21 See Gen. 6 on verse 6.
19Andi it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they 22ceased not from their own doings, nor from their 23stubborn way.
i Judges 3:12.
22 Having no remorse or sorrow, nor ceasing from their purpose and practice.
23 That is, of their obstinate or obdurate manner of life and practice; whereby they provoked God, and hurt themselves, as a hard way hurts and injures him, who walks in it.
20¶And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
21I alsoj will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations 24which Joshua left when he died:
j Joshua 23:13.
24 Understand which remained of those whom Joshua had driven out, together with the other of whom Judges 1 mention is made.
22That through them I may 25prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
25 See Gen. 22 on verse 1. Also Judges 3:1, 4.
23Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; 26neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
26 Or, and he gave them not over, or, had not given them over.