PART II Ch. Judges 2:6 to Judges 16:31. The History of Israel under the Judges Ch. Judges 2:6 to Judges 3:6. _Introduction_ By way of general introduction to the Book of Judges proper, the section Judges 2:6 to Judges 3:6 takes a survey of the period from the death of Joshua to the death of Samso... [ Continue Reading ]
_the angel of the Lord_ Not a prophet, as the Targ. and Rabbis interpret, and the LXX and Peshitto seem to imply when they insert the prophetic formula -thus saith the Lord," but the Angel who had led Israel to the Promised Land, Exodus 23:20-23; Exodus 32:34; Exodus 33:2. This Angel was the self-ma... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 2:1-5. _The angel of Jehovah moves from Gilgal; he rebukes Israel's unfaithfulness. Origin of Bochim_ This section connects with ch. 1. The going up of the Angel of Jehovah from Gilgal to Beth-el marks the close of the period of invasion (Judges 2:1 a); the settlement of the tribes in Canaan... [ Continue Reading ]
_this land_ After -this land" the LXX inserts -nor shall ye worship their gods, but their graven images ye shall break to pieces," an addition of no critical value. _break down their altars_ Exodus 34:13; cf. Deuteronomy 7:5; Deuteronomy 12:3. _hearkened unto my voice_ Cf. Exodus 23:21 f., where t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherefore I also said_ MOREOVER ALSO I SAID; perhaps referring to the warning in Joshua 23:13 D, Numbers 33:55 P, from which latter place the expressions in this verse appear to be borrowed. Others translate -and I have also said," a present, resolve in antithesis to the past promise -And I said, I... [ Continue Reading ]
_unto all the children of Israel_ although, as ch. 1 has told, the tribes were dispersed in their various settlements. The expression, as indeed the whole situation presupposed in Judges 2:1; Judges 2:1 a, is influenced by later conceptions of national unity; cf. the editorial passages Judges 6:8; J... [ Continue Reading ]
_Bochim_ i.e. -Weepers." The author sees in this name of the place a recollection of the Angel's reproof and the people's repentance. But such a form as Bochim, active ptcp. plur., is very unusual in a place-name, and it has probably been adapted to suit the present occasion. Originally the name may... [ Continue Reading ]
_had sent the people away and_ J _._ SENT _the people away_(exactly as Joshua 24:28) from the great assembly at Shechem, at which the covenant had been renewed, and Joshua had delivered his parting exhortations, Joshua 24:1-27 E. The words were allowed to stand here in spite of their inconsistency w... [ Continue Reading ]
_the elders_ or sheikhs, who, as the head men of families and clans, would take a leading part in maintaining the customs and religion of the people. _that outlived_ lit. -that prolonged days after," a common expression in Deut., e.g. Deuteronomy 4:26; Deuteronomy 4:40; Deuteronomy 5:33; Deuteronom... [ Continue Reading ]
_the servant of the Lord_ Though not limited to Moses, this title is most frequently given to him, Deuteronomy 34:5; Joshua 1:1, and often in the Dtc. parts of Joshua. It is now transferred, with the leadership, to Moses" successor. For Joshua's age at his death cf. Genesis 50:26.... [ Continue Reading ]
_in the border of his inheritance_ i.e. within the district allotted to him, Joshua 19:49. _Timnath-heres_ An early tradition, mentioned by Eusebius (_Onom. Sacr._261, 33) and Jerome, pointed out the tomb of Joshua at Thamna, a fortified place of some importance in Maccabaean and Roman times (1Ma 9:... [ Continue Reading ]
_were gathered unto their fathers_ This expression (as here only in 2 Kings 22:20 = 2 Chronicles 34:28), and the commoner -was gathered unto his people" (P), referred originally to the family sepulchre; then to the shadowy life of Sheol, the Underworld; finally it was used as a euphemism for death.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Deuteronomist's rationale of the period of the Judges begins here. He starts with one of his recurring formulae, _did evil in the sight of the Lord_, Judges 3:7; Judges 3:12; Judges 4:1; Judges 6:1; Judges 10:6; Judges 13:1; 1 Kings 11:6; 1 Kings 14:22 and often;... [ Continue Reading ]
Each phrase of this verse is characteristic of the Deuteronomic school; thus _they forsook the Lord_Judges 10:6; Judges 10:10; Judges 10:13; Deuteronomy 28:20, frequently in the Dtc. parts of Kings and in Jeremiah, see also the next verse; _the God of their fathers_Deuteronomy 1:11; Deuteronomy 1:21... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse repeats the substance of Judges 2:12; it continues Judges 2:10 and leads on to Judges 2:20. The repetition is explained if the verse belongs to E; for the expression _forsook the Lord_in E cf. Joshua 24:20; Deuteronomy 31:16. _served Baal and the Ashtaroth_ Once settled in Canaan, the Isr... [ Continue Reading ]
_delivered them into the hands of spoilers_ So 2 Kings 17:20. The Dtc. compiler summarizes in general terms the various nations who were allowed to chastise Israel; there were _spoilers_(Judges 2:16) such as the Midianites, _oppressors_(Judges 2:18) such as the Philistines. _Spoilers_, Hebr. _shôsim... [ Continue Reading ]
For the threat of punishment in case of disloyalty see Deuteronomy 28:48-53 and Leviticus 26:17; Leviticus 26:36-39.... [ Continue Reading ]
_raised up … saved_ Phrases of the compiler, cf. Judges 2:18; Judges 3:9; Judges 3:15; Judges 3:31; Judges 10:12-13. _judges_ not in the sense of magistrates, for there was no law or tribunal in our sense at a period when "every man did that which was right in his own eyes." The "judges" were champi... [ Continue Reading ]
_they went a whoring after other gods_ As notoriously after the death of Gideon Judges 8:33 (cf. Judges 8:27). This figurative expression occurs in the Pent., and especially in the prophets Hos. and Ezek., to denote forcibly Israel's unfaithfulness to Jehovah. As prostitution was a common feature of... [ Continue Reading ]
_was with the judge_ as He had been with Moses and Joshua, Joshua 1:5. The Hebrew tense here shews that the verbs _was, saved_, denote frequentative acts in the past, _used to be, used to save_; similarly, _it repented the Lord_means _the Lord used to be moved to pity_. Not that Jehovah abandoned Hi... [ Continue Reading ]
_when the judge was dead … they turned back_ e.g. Judges 4:1; Judges 8:33; the whole period is a continual repetition of apostasy, subjugation, the cry for help, the deliverance such is the Dtc. editor's reading of the history; see note at the beginning of this section. As in Judges 2:18, the tenses... [ Continue Reading ]
These verses are clearly not the sequel of Judges 2:11; Judges 2:20 continues Judges 2:13 (see note); the opening words repeat Judges 2:14; the nations in Judges 2:21 are not on the frontiers, _round about_Israel (Judges 2:14), but those left by Joshua in the midst of Israel; they are spared not onl... [ Continue Reading ]
_I also will not … drive out_ By worshipping other gods Israel had broken the terms of the covenant, Exodus 23:24 f., Exodus 23:32 f., Exodus 34:12-16; therefore Jehovah would not fulfil His promise to drive out the nations of Canaan, Exodus 23:27 f., Exodus 23:31; Exodus 34:11; Exodus 34:24. _which... [ Continue Reading ]
_prove Israel_ Judges 3:1; Judges 3:4, as He had _proved_them in the wilderness, Exodus 16:4 J, Exodus 15:25; Exodus 20:20 E, Deuteronomy 8:2; Deuteronomy 8:16; Deuteronomy 13:3. The purpose of God's _proving_is to test man's loyalty and to perfect the character,... [ Continue Reading ]
Taking this verse as the conclusion of Judges 2:20, the emphasis falls on _hastily_, i.e. during Joshua's life-time; the nations were not destroyed all at once, because Jehovah wished to test the fidelity of the succeeding generations. But this adds little to the thought of Judges 2:20; and the last... [ Continue Reading ]