Judges 2

 

וַיַּעַל מַלְאַךְ־יְהוָה מִן־הַגִּלְגָּל אֶל־הַבֹּכִים וַיֹּאמֶר אַעֲלֶה אֶתְכֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם וָאָבִיא אֶתְכֶם אֶל־הָאָרֶץ   2:1

אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם וָאֹמַר לֹא־אָפֵר בְּרִיתִי אִתְּכֶם לְעוֹלָם׃

Judg. 2:1   And an angel of the Lord came up from the Gilgal to the Bochim, and He said, “I made you come up from Egypt and brought you in to the land that I swore to your fathers, and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you,

וְאַתֶּם לֹא־תִכְרְתוּ בְרִית לְיוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת מִזְבְּחוֹתֵיהֶם תִּתֹּצוּן וְלֹא־שְׁמַעְתֶּם בְּקֹלִי מַה־זֹּאת   2:2

עֲשִׂיתֶם׃

Judg. 2:2   and you shall not make a covenant for the inhabitants of this land; you shall pull down their altars.’  But you did not listen into My voice.  What is this you have done?”

וְגַם אָמַרְתִּי לֹא־אֲגָרֵשׁ אוֹתָם מִפְּנֵיכֶם וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְצִדִּים וֵאלֹהֵיהֶם יִהְיוּ לָכֶם לְמוֹקֵשׁ׃   2:3

Judg. 2:3   “So I indeed say, ‘I will not drive them out from before you, and they will be for snares for you, and their gods will be for a trap to you.’”

וַיְהִי כְּדַבֵּר מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֶל־כָּל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּשְׂאוּ הָעָם אֶת־קוֹלָם וַיִּבְכּוּ׃   2:4

Judg. 2:4   And it happened when the angel of the Lord had spoken these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.

וַיִּקְרְאוּ שֵׁם־הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא בֹּכִים וַיִּזְבְּחוּ־שָׁם לַיהוָה׃   2:5

Judg. 2:5   So they called the name of that place Bochim and they sacrificed there to the Lord.

The name Bochim means “weeping.”  Let me point out that the children of Israel were showing their perfidy and faithlessness here:  Acting as if they were doing the Lord’s bidding, yet violating the commandment not to sacrifice except at the Tabernacle!  This makes me imagine that the name Bochim might be both a description and a prophecy, for the people will be weeping again and often.

וַיְשַׁלַּח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־הָעָם וַיֵּלְכוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ לְנַחֲלָתוֹ לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת־הָאָרֶץ׃   2:6

Judg. 2:6   When Joshua had sent the people away, then the children of Israel had gone, every one to his inheritance, to possess the land.

וַיַּעַבְדוּ הָעָם אֶת־יְהוָה כֹּל יְמֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְכֹל יְמֵי הַזְּקֵנִים אֲשֶׁר הֶאֱרִיכוּ יָמִים אַחֲרֵי יְהוֹשׁוּע אֲשֶׁר רָאוַ   2:7

אֵת כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂה יְהוָה הַגָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל׃

Judg. 2:7   And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders for whom the days were long after Joshua, who saw all the great work of the Lord that He wrought for Israel.

וַיָּמָת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן עֶבֶד יְהוָה בֶּן־מֵאָה וָעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים׃   2:8

Judg. 2:8   And Joshua son of Nun, servant of the Lord, died at age one hundred and ten years.

וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אוֹתוֹ בִּגְבוּל נַחֲלָתוֹ בְּתִמְנַת־חֶרֶס בְּהַר אֶפְרָיִם מִצְּפוֹן לְהַר־גָּעַשׁ׃   2:9

Judg. 2:9   And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim from the north of Mount Gaash.

וְגַם כָּל־הַדּוֹר הַהוּא נֶאֶסְפוּ אֶל־אֲבוֹתָיו וַיָּקָם דּוֹר אַחֵר אַחֲרֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדְעוּ אֶת־יְהוָה וְגַם   2:10

אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל׃

Judg. 2:10   And all of that generation were also gathered to its fathers, and another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord and also the work that He had wrought for Israel.

וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֶת־הַבְּעָלִים׃   2:11

Judg. 2:11   And the children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baalim.

וַיַּעַזְבוּ אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתָם הַמּוֹצִיא אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וַיֵּלְכוּ אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים מֵאֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים   2:12

אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבוֹתֵיהֶם וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָהֶם וַיַּכְעִסוּ אֶת־יְהוָה׃

Judg. 2:12   And they forsook the Lord, God of their fathers, Who had brought them out from the land of Egypt, and they went after other gods from the gods of the peoples who surrounded them, and bowed down to them, and they “angered” the Lord.

וַיַּעַזְבוּ אֶת־יְהוָה וַיַּעַבְדוּ לַבַּעַל וְלָעַשְׁתָּרוֹת׃   2:13

Judg. 2:13   And they forsook the Lord and did service to Baal and to Ashtaroth.

וַיִּחַר־אַף יְהוָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתְּנֵם בְּיַד־שֹׁסִים וַיָּשֹׁסּוּ אוֹתָם וַיִּמְכְּרֵם בְּיַד אוֹיְבֵיהֶם מִסָּבִיב וְלֹא־יָכְלוּ   2:14

עוֹד לַעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי אוֹיְבֵיהֶם׃

Judg. 2:14   And the “anger” of the Lord was kindled against Israel and He delivered them into the hand of spoilers, and they spoiled them, and He gave them away into the hand of their enemies from the surroundings, so they were not able to stand before their enemies anymore.

בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר יָצְאוּ יַד־יְהוָה הָיְתָה־בָּם לְרָעָה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְהוָה לָהֶם וַיֵּצֶר לָהֶם   2:15

מְאֹד׃

Judg. 2:15   In everywhere that they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had spoken and as the Lord had sworn to them, and it was very distressing to them.

וַיָּקֶם יְהוָה שֹׁפְטִים וַיּוֹשִׁיעוּם מִיַּד שֹׁסֵיהֶם׃   2:16

Judg. 2:16   And the Lord raised up judges, and they rescued them from the hand of their spoilers.

וְגַם אֶל־שֹׁפְטֵיהֶם לֹא שָׁמֵעוּ כִּי זָנוּ אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָהֶם סָרוּ מַהֵר מִן־הַדֶּרֶךְ   2:17

אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ אֲבוֹתָם לִשְׁמֹעַ מִצְוֺת־יְהוָה לֹא־עָשׂוּ כֵן׃

Judg. 2:17   But also they did not listen to their judges, for they strayed after other gods and bowed down to them.  They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked, to obey the Lord's commandments; they did not do the same.

וְכִי־הֵקִים יְהוָה לָהֶם שֹׁפְטִים וְהָיָה יְהוָה עִם־הַשֹּׁפֵט וְהוֹשִׁיעָם מִיַּד אֹיְבֵיהֶם כֹּל יְמֵי הַשּׁוֹפֵט כִּי־   2:18

יִנָּחֵם יְהוָה מִנַּאֲקָתָם מִפְּנֵי לֹחֲצֵיהֶם וְדֹחֲקֵיהֶם׃

Judg. 2:18   And when the Lord raised up judges for them, then the Lord would be with the judge and rescued them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge, for the Lord would repent because of their groaning, by reason of their oppressors and their crushers.

וְהָיָה בְּמוֹת הַשּׁוֹפֵט יָשֻׁבוּ וְהִשְׁחִיתוּ מֵאֲבוֹתָם לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לְעָבְדָם וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺת   2:19

לָהֶם לֹא הִפִּילוּ מִמַּעַלְלֵיהֶם וּמִדַּרְכָּם הַקָּשָׁה׃

Judg. 2:19   Then it would be, on the death of the judge, they would turn back and be more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them; they did not cease from their practices or their ways of stubbornness.

וַיִּחַר־אַף יְהוָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר יַעַן אֲשֶׁר עָבְרוּ הַגּוֹי הַזֶּה אֶת־בְּרִיתִי אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי אֶת־אֲבוֹתָם   2:20

וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ לְקוֹלִי׃

Judg. 2:20   And the “anger” of the Lord was kindled against Israel and He said, “For the reason that this nation have transgressed My covenant that I gave their fathers in command, and have not listened to My voice,

גַּם־אֲנִי לֹא אוֹסִיף לְהוֹרִישׁ אִישׁ מִפְּנֵיהֶם מִן־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר־עָזַב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיָּמֹת׃   2:21

Judg. 2:21   I will also not continue to drive out anyone from before them from the nations that Joshua had left when he died,

לְמַעַן נַסּוֹת בָּם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲשֹׁמְרִים הֵם אֶת־דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה לָלֶכֶת בָּם כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמְרוּ אֲבוֹתָם אִם־לֹא׃   2:22

Judg. 2:22   in order to prove Israel by them, if they are keeping the ways of the Lord, walking in them, as their fathers kept, or not.”

וַיַּנַּח יְהוָה אֶת־הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה לְבִלְתִּי הוֹרִישָׁם מַהֵר וְלֹא נְתָנָם בְּיַד־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ׃   2:23

Judg. 2:23   So the Lord let those nations alone, without driving them out at once, and He did not deliver them into the hand of Joshua.

As I read this chapter, I get the impression that it covers several generations, thereby serving as an introduction to this book.  At least this appears true of the verses from v. 2:10 to the end.

 

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