1 The angel of Yahweh came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, "I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to your fathers; and I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you: 2 and you 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? 3 Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be (as thorns) in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you." 4 It happened, when the angel of Yahweh spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. 5 They called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there to Yahweh. 6 Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel went every man to his inheritance to possess the land. 7 The 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. 8 Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, being one hundred ten years old. 9 They 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. 10 Also all that generation were gathered to their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, who didn't know Yahweh, nor yet the work which he had worked for Israel. 11 The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and served the Baals; 12 and they forsook 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. 13 They forsook Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. 14 The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers who despoiled them; and he sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. 15 Wherever they went out, the hand of Yahweh was against them for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them: and they were very distressed. 16 Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who despoiled them. 17 Yet they didn't listen to their judges; for they played the prostitute after other gods, and bowed themselves down to them: they turned aside quickly out of the way in which their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of Yahweh; (but) they didn't do so. 18 When Yahweh raised them up judges, 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. 19 But it happened, when the judge was dead, that 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 from their doings, nor from their stubborn way. 20 The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel; and he said, "Because this nation have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not listened to my voice; 21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations that Joshua left when he died; 22 that by them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of Yahweh to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not." 23 So Yahweh left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
An angel comes to the Israelites at Bochim, and gives them various reproofs, at which they are greatly affected, Judges 2:1-5. They served the Lord during the days of Joshua, and the elders who succeeded him, Judges 2:6, Judges 2:7. Joshua having died, and all that generation, the people revolted from the true God and served idols, Judges 2:8-13. The Lord, being angry, delivered them into the hands of spoilers, and they were greatly distressed, Judges 2:14, Judges 2:15. A general account of the method which God used to reclaim them, by sending them judges whom they frequently disobeyed, Judges 2:16-19. Therefore God left the various nations of the land to plague and punish them, Judges 2:20-23.
INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 2
This chapter gives an account of an angel of the Lord appearing and rebuking the children of Israel for their present misconduct, Judges 2:1; of their good behaviour under Joshua, and the elders that outlived him, Judges 2:6; and of their idolatries they fell into afterwards, which greatly provoked the Lord to anger, Judges 2:11; and of the goodness of God to them nevertheless, in raising up judges to deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, of which there are many instances in the following chapter, Judges 2:16; and yet that how, upon the demise of such persons, they relapsed into idolatry which caused the anger of God to be hot against them, and to determine not to drive out the Canaanites utterly from them, but to leave them among them to try them, Judges 2:19.
(Judges 2:1-5) The angel of the Lord rebukes the people.
(v. 6-23) The wickedness of the new generation after Joshua.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.