Chapter 2
Israel Did Not Obey God
2:1 Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you,
Who is this angel of YHWH? Note the use of the pronouns when He said “I brought you up from Egypt…I swore to give to your fathers…I will never break my covenant with you,” this is God speaking, not a messenger from God. This is none other than a pre-incarnation of Jesus, what theologians call a ‘Christophany’, an Old Testament encounter with Jesus (click here for more information regarding preincarnate appearances of Jesus in the Old Testament). He went from Gilgal to a location that will be called Bochim (meaning ‘weeping’ or ’the weepers’, see verse five), some believe it to be near Gilgal others believe it to be a pseudonym for Bethel based on the same verse in the Septuagint, which reads, “An angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to the Place of Weeping, to Bethel and to the house of Israel; and he said to them, “The Lord says this, ‘I brought you out of Egypt and led you to the land that I swore to your fathers, and I said, “I will never break my covenant, [which is with you forever]”[1] (Judges 2:1, LXX).
God states who He is, the God that brought them out of Egypt into the Promised Land, and states again that He will not break His covenant with them (see also Genesis 17:7; Exodus 6:4; Deuteronomy 31:16).
2:2 and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? 3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”
He reminds them that they were not to make a covenant with those residing in the land (see Deuteronomy 7:2) and they are to destroy their altars (see Deuteronomy 12:3). But Jesus asks, “What have you done?” They did not do what they were told, they did not remove the people. They did not have faith in God, even though they had seen miracles and saw first-hand the success in fighting elsewhere. Due to their disobedience He withdrew His offer to drive the people out and adds that those idol worshiping pagans will be the source of major problems for them. That they will embrace those idols which will directly affect their relationship with Him.
2:4 As soon as the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. 5 And they called the name of that place Bochim. And they sacrificed there to the LORD.
Like the time when the Israelites heard that they were going to spend the rest of their lives in the wilderness and then tried to enter the land (see Numbers 14:1-12), it was too late for them then and it is too late for the people now, they forfeited their opportunity for God to do the fighting, it was now up to them. Understanding what was said, the people cried out loud (but note there is no reference to any repentance), so the location was called Bochim. While there they offered a sacrifice to YHWH.
Considerations
Where and when did this take place?
Good questions, but sadly there are no firm answers. It does not appear that the people of this potential ‘gathering’ to have been called by anyone to assemble. We need to consider the possibility that this event occurred while they were already assembled. Let’s look at some of the possibilities that have been proposed. We will first review the location, then look at the timing, and some alternative viewpoints.
I. Potential Locations of Bochim
A. Gilgal - Believed to be near Jericho as this was Joshua’s home base that they returned to between battle campaigns. Verse one states that the angel of YHWH went up from Gilgal. If the angel is the same as the Commander of the YHWH’s army, we read that encounter occurred near Jericho (see Joshua 5:13-15), possibly Gilgal? But if the angel “went up” from Gilgal wouldn’t that imply leaving it?
B. Shechem - A location where the people of Israel had recently gathered together (see Joshua 24:1-13). It was also here where Jacob years earlier bought land and erected an altar (see Genesis 33:18-20).
C. Shiloh - Since the last time the Tabernacle’s location was mentioned was Shiloh (see Judges 18:1; 19:51; 21:2; 22:9, see also Judges 18:31) and verse five notes that they offered a sacrifice there, and since the only altar that God allowed sacrifices to be made was the bronze altar which would be with the Tabernacle in Shiloh, assuming the Tabernacle was not moved. It was also the location where all the west-of-the-Jordan tribes met when they thought the eastern tribes had violated the covenant (see Joshua 22:12).
D. Bethel - The Septuagint’s rendition of verse one states that the angel of the Lord went to Bethel and since the people of Israel will come to inquire of God through a future judge named Deborah there, it is thought to be “Spiritually” important to them (see Judges 4:5). Interestingly it is also where Jacob on his way to Laban received a dream from God, built a stone pillar, and named the location Bethel the “House of God’ (see Genesis 28:10-22).
E. Elsewhere - Some place other than those suggested. Some believe Bochim was a separate location on the west side of the Jordan River near, but not at, Gilgal or Bethel. Perhaps it is just commemorative name.
II. Potential Timeframes
A. Before Joshua Died - After the southern and northern battle campaigns were completed the locations of the remaining Canaanite residents were identified by God. The problem with this time period is that God used the men of the tribe of Judah (not Joshua’s coalition) to purge the land, here the angel said that God would no longer clear the land. Although some suggest that these events occurred between the end of Joshua’s battle campaigns and his death.
B. After Joshua Died - Recognizing that after Judah was done clearing out the land, but many of the Canaanites still lived in the land. We saw Judah seek Simeon’s help and later refused to go any further because they didn’t have enough faith to fight an enemy with iron chariots. These events occurred after Joshua died and the following five verses recall Joshua’s death, not report it.
III. Alternative Viewpoints
A. No need for the Tabernacle - Some theologians point out that the presence of Jesus (the second member of the Godhead, click here for more information regarding the Godhead) sanctifies the location which would allow sacrifices to be offered. Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum writes:
The fact that they sacrificed unto God at Bochim does not mean that is where the Tabernacle was at this time. Normally the Tabernacle would have been the place of sacrifices. However, since the angel of Jehovah was a Theophany, the Shechinah Glory, the visible manifestation of God’s presence, it was permissible to sacrifice here. This action will be repeated in Judges later (Judges 6:20, 26, 28; 13:16–20), and also in 2 Samuel 24:25. Any place where a Theophany, a visible manifestation of God appeared, it was permissible to perform a sacrifice at that place. This further shows that the angel of Jehovah is indeed God Himself. However, Israel’s revival was very short-lived.[2]
B. Mǎl·‘ǎḵ Translated Incorrectly - Some believe that the Hebrew word that is translated as ‘angel’ should be ‘messenger’ and that it was referring to Phinehas the high priest that relayed the words from God.
IV. Summary
None of the locations are very far from each other so distance is not a major factor. Even though the Tabernacle was ‘portable’ there is reason to believe that it remained in Shiloh for many years and therefore it is the most likely to be called the place of weepers or Bochim. It also seems likely that these events did occur after Joshua’s death, setting the stage for us readers to see how fast the people turned away from God.
Death of Joshua Revisited
2:6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. 7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the LORD had done for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110 years. 9 And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.
These verses are a repeat of Joshua 24:28-31, which bridges the end of Joshua to the following section beginning with Judges 2:11. It seems that Judges 1:1-2:5 provided its readers with a summary of the results of the campaign against the inhabitants of the land and to reveal the source of apostasy that degraded Joshua’s generation relatively close relationship with God to that of rejecting and turning away from Him by the generation that followed. Click here to read the commentary for Joshua 24:28-31.
The People of Israel Abandoned God
2:11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.
This short statement doesn’t elaborate on the issue but it is clear that what they did was evil in God’s eyes. In addition the conjunction suggests they also served the Baals (see Appendix 1), which would also be evil in the sight of YHWH.
2:12 And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger.
The Israelites abandoned YHWH, the one that brought them out of Egypt, and went after (actively pursuing) other gods. Where did they learn about these other gods? They learned about them from the people they failed to remove from the land. If that wasn’t insulting enough, they bowed down to them. All of which provoked YHWH’s anger.
2:13 They abandoned the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. 14 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them for harm, as the LORD had warned, and as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.
Again, we are told that they abandoned YHWH and served the Baals and now the Ashtaroth (see Appendix 1). God’s anger burned against Israel, so to get their attention and return to Him, He sent people to plunder the Israelites and hand them over to the surrounding enemy nations. They were unable to hold them back (which God promised He would do for them as long as they obeyed, but now they are on their own). Through His appointed leaders, God warned them multiple times of the consequences of disobedience (see Exodus 15:26; 19:5; 23:13; 34:11-12; Leviticus 20:22; 22:9, 31; 25:18; 26:2-3; Deuteronomy 4:2, 9, 15, 23, 40; 5:1, 10, 29, 32; 6:2-3, 12, 17, 25; 7:9-12; 8:1-11; 10:13; 11:1, 8-16, 22, 32; 12:1, 13, 28-32; 13:4, 18; 15:5; 17:19; 19:9; 23:9; 26:16-18; 27:1; 28:1, 9, 13, 15, 45, 58; 29:9; 30:10, 16; 31:12; 32:46; Joshua 1:7-8; 22:5; 23:6, 11, to name a few).
Then YHWH Raised Up Judges!
2:16 Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.
The author introduces us to the concept of leadership through individuals called ‘judges’, people selected by God to save the people of Israel from the plunderers (see verse fourteen) He sent. Most of these judges would stop the oppression and then oversee the people as judge for a period of time. Some judges that were appointed by God only served in that capacity without first conquering an enemy.
2:17 Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so.
Even though we read that the people turned away from what the judges instructed typically only after the judge’s death, there seems to be an eagerness to pursue and whore (deliberate term, they were unfaithful to God) after other gods and bow down to them.
2:18 Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. 19 But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.
To emphasize the nature and commitment of these judges, the author notes that these people were raised up (selected and prepared) for Israel by YHWH and that He was with them. These “oppression and deliverance cycles” begin with the people of Israel disobeying God (see Judges 2:13), followed by God sending a foreign people group to plunder them (see Judges 2:14), and now we read that when God hears their groaning, He sends a judge. But after the judge dies, they return to idol worship with greater intensity than their parents! The second half of verse nineteen is disturbing, “They went after other gods, serving and worshiping them. And they refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.” (Judges 2:19b, NLT) The fact that they refused exposes the true nature of their hearts.
2:20 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the LORD as their fathers did, or not.” 23 So the LORD left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.
God’s anger aroused against Israel and said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant,” the Hebrew word translated here as ‘people’ is gôy’ a word used to describe other nations, an appropriate term as they are acting like Gentiles. God is letting them, using an old idiomatic expression, “stew in their own juice!” Because the people violated the covenant, God would no longer drive out the pagan worshippers from the land that remained. Then in verse twenty-two God says He is going to test Israel by allowing the pagan people to remain. Since God is omniscient He already knows what they are going to do, so why the test? It allows them a choice, to either walk in the way of YHWH or not, to repent or not. He allowed some of the Canaanites to stay for this reason, but now they are on their own as God had left those nations.
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[1] Brannan, R., Penner, K. M., Loken, I., Aubrey, M., & Hoogendyk, I., eds. (2012). The Lexham English Septuagint (Jdg 2:1). Lexham Press.
[2] Fruchtenbaum, A. G. (2006). Ariel’s Bible commentary: the books of Judges and Ruth (1st ed., p. 39). Ariel Ministries.