Judges 2:1

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-manifestation of Jehovah, sometimes identified with Jehovah as here and Genesis 31:13; Genesis cf.11, Exodus 3:6; Exodus cf.2, and alluded to as Godor JehovahJudges 6:14 cf. Judges 6:12; Judges 13:21 cf. Judges 13:22; at other times distinguished from Jehovah Genesis 16:11; Genesis 19:13; Numbers 22:31; though "the only distinction implied is between Jehovah and Jehovah in manifestation" (A. B. Davidson in HDB. i. 94).

from Gilgal where the mysterious appearance of -the captain of the host of the Lord" had taken place, Joshua 5:13 ff. Gilgal, on the plains of Jericho, was the first halting-place (Joshua 4:19) of the tribes on the W. of Jordan, and for some time their camp, Joshua 9:6; Joshua 10:6 ff., Joshua 9:15; Joshua 14:6. The name denotes not rollingthe explanation given in Joshua 5:9 is merely a word-play but a sacred circleof stones such as existed in other parts of the country; it has survived in the mod. Birket Jiljuliyeh, near Jericho. The presence of the Angel shews that Gilgal was a sanctuary; as at Sinai, the Deity manifests Himself where He has His dwelling-place. In the 8th cent. Gilgal was still much frequented, Hosea 4:15; Hosea 9:15; Hosea 12:11; Amos 4:4; Amos 5:5.

to Bochim lit. -to the Weepers"; but here the name anticipates the account of its origin given in Judges 2:4 f.; we should expect the older, well known, name to come first. There is little doubt that we should substitute to Beth-el, following the LXX ἐπὶ τὸν κλαυθμῶνα [i.e. Bochim] καὶ ἐπὶ βαιθὴλ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰσραήλ : -to Bochim and" has been inserted to harmonize with the Hebr. text; -to Beth-el" is original; -and to the house of Israel" is suspiciously like a corrupt repetition of -to Beth-el," though in the form -and to the house of Joseph" some critics would restore it to the Hebr. text. The sequel of this half of the verse Isaiah 5 b -and they sacrificed there unto the Lord."

I made you to go up The Hebr. has -I make you to go up," an historic present; but the tense, followed by -and I have brought you," cannot be right. The versions insert -Thus saith the Lord," without removing the difficulty. It has been proposed to read - I surely visited you and madeyou to go up," after Exodus 3:16 f.; this at any rate is good grammar. For the expression cf. Judges 6:8; Leviticus 11:45 P; Deuteronomy 20:1; Joshua 24:17 E.

the land which I sware unto your fathers The oath sworn to the forefathers (Genesis 22:16 f., cf. Genesis 26:3 f. JE) is frequently referred to in JE, Genesis 50:24; Exodus 13:5; Exodus 13:11; Exodus 32:13; Exodus 33:1; Numbers 11:12; Numbers 14:16; Numbers 14:23; Numbers 32:11; Deuteronomy 31:20 f., Deuteronomy 34:4; and particularly in D, e.g. Deuteronomy 1:8; Deuteronomy 1:35; Deuteronomy 6:10; Deuteronomy 6:18; Deuteronomy 6:23 etc., Joshua 1:6; Joshua 5:6 etc. in Deut.-Josh. thirty-three times altogether. The promise is given in Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:14 f., Genesis 15:18 ff. (Abraham), Genesis 26:3 f. (Isaac), Genesis 28:13 f. (Jacob).

I will never break my covenant The allusion is not to the -oath sworn to the forefathers," but, as the phrases in the next verse shew, to the covenant at Sinai, Exodus 34:10 ff. For the expression cf. Deuteronomy 31:16; Deuteronomy 31:20 JE; Leviticus 26:44; Genesis 17:14 P; it is used rather frequently in the later prophetic style, e.g. Isaiah 24:5; Jeremiah 11:10; Ezekiel 44:7 etc.