Judges Chapter 2
Israel’s Failure and God’s Mercy
A. From Gilgal to Bochim
Judges 2:1–3 – The Angel of the LORD Preaches to Israel
Judges 2:1–3
“Then the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: ‘I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, “I will never break My covenant with you. And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.” But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, “I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”’” (New King James Version)
1. Theophany from Gilgal to Bochim (vv. 1–2)
The figure identified as “the Angel of the LORD” is not a created angel, but a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ, a theophany. This divine messenger speaks in the first person as God: “I led you up from Egypt… I will never break My covenant with you…” The reference is not to a human prophet or angelic being but to God Himself in visible, bodily form. This aligns with appearances such as:
Genesis 18:1–33, where the LORD visits Abraham.
Genesis 32:24–30, where Jacob wrestles with a man, later revealed to be God.
Joshua 5:13–15, where the Commander of the LORD’s army appears before Jericho.
Since God the Father is invisible — “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17), and “…whom no man has seen or can see…” (1 Timothy 6:16) — we must conclude this visible, speaking presence is the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, before His incarnation in Bethlehem.
This divine messenger came from Gilgal, the base camp of Israel when they first entered Canaan. Gilgal represents beginnings, obedience, and consecration (see Joshua 5:2–12), while Bochim, meaning “weepers,” marks their failure and sorrow. The shift in location symbolizes the nation’s spiritual decline.
2. The Covenant Reminder and Rebuke (vv. 1–2)
The Angel of the LORD begins by reminding Israel of God’s grace:
“I led you up from Egypt” – delivering them from bondage.
“I brought you to the land” – fulfilling His promise.
“I will never break My covenant with you” – underscoring God's unchanging faithfulness.
Despite this, the people disobeyed the command:
“And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.”
God had clearly warned them in:
Exodus 23:32–33 – “You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me.”
Deuteronomy 7:2–5 – “...nor show mercy to them… But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars...”
Yet they failed. God now asks: “Why have you done this?” — a rhetorical question meant to expose guilt and provoke repentance.
The real issue was not military might, but spiritual failure. As Numbers 33:55 had forewarned:
“But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell.”
This was a judicial consequence of their compromise.
3. Divine Judgment: A Snare and a Thorn (v. 3)
God responds not with annihilation, but with chastening:
“I will not drive them out before you…” — The conquest will now be partial.
“…they shall be thorns in your side…” — Constant irritation and resistance.
“…their gods shall be a snare to you.” — Spiritual entrapment.
This judicial decision reflects Romans 1:24:
“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts...”
God’s chastening isn’t arbitrary — it’s measured and purposeful. He disciplines to correct, not to destroy. Hebrews 12:6 affirms this:
“For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”
Judges 2:4–6 – Israel’s Response at Bochim
Judges 2:4–6
“So it was, when the Angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept. Then they called the name of that place Bochim; and they sacrificed there to the LORD. And when Joshua had dismissed the people, the children of Israel went each to his own inheritance to possess the land.” (New King James Version)
1. Superficial Sorrow (v. 4)
The people wept at Bochim, indicating conviction and emotional response. However, the Book of Judges later reveals this sorrow was not lasting repentance. As the prophet Joel warns:
Joel 2:13 – “So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness...”
The same warning applies today: emotion is not enough — there must be inner transformation. Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 7:10:
“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”
2. The Sacrifices at Bochim (v. 5)
Their response included sacrifice, an outward action expressing devotion. Sacrifice in the Mosaic system was the appointed way to confess and receive atonement for sin (see Leviticus 1–5). However, without inward faith and obedience, the ritual becomes hollow.
Psalm 51:17 – “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise.”
While their offering was technically correct, their later actions show it lacked the inward heart-change.
3. Joshua’s Dismissal and Historical Context (v. 6)
This verse places the events chronologically earlier, during Joshua’s lifetime, anchoring the moment as part of a retrospective prologue. Judges 2:6 mirrors Joshua 24:28:
“So Joshua let the people depart, each to his own inheritance.”
Bochim became a warning marker. It stands in contrast to Gilgal, where the reproach of Egypt was rolled away (Joshua 5:9). Now they weep not in joy, but in shame — for forsaking their God.
Conclusion
Israel’s failure at Bochim reveals a timeless principle:
God is faithful even when His people are not.
Partial obedience is still disobedience.
Mere emotion without transformation leads to recurring bondage.
Bochim teaches us that the compromise we tolerate today becomes the snare that enslaves us tomorrow. The thorns in our side and the idols in our midst are not because God failed—but because we did not fully obey.
As Romans 15:4 reminds us:
“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
Judges 2:7–10 — The New Generation in Israel
Judges 2:7–10
“So 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 works of the LORD which He had done for Israel. Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died when he was one hundred and ten years old. And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Heres, in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash. When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.” (New King James Version)
1. The End of a Generation of Witnesses (v. 7)
The people remained faithful to God during Joshua's leadership and that of the elders who succeeded him. These men were eyewitnesses to God's mighty works: the plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the miraculous provision in the wilderness, and the conquest of Canaan. Their faithfulness was linked not merely to doctrine but to experiential knowledge of God’s power.
This aligns with Deuteronomy 4:9, which commands:
“Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren.”
Once those eyewitnesses were gone, the living testimony of God's acts was no longer present, and the cultural transmission of truth failed.
2. Joshua’s Legacy (v. 8)
Joshua is honored with the title “servant of the LORD,” a rare designation in Scripture reserved for men of profound faith and leadership. This same title is used for:
Moses – “So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab…” (Deuteronomy 34:5)
David – “To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD…” (Psalm 18:1, title)
His burial at Timnath Heres (“portion of the sun”) in Ephraim, near Mount Gaash, marked the geographical closing of an era. His death at 110 years reflects full completion, as with Joseph (Genesis 50:26). Joshua’s name means “Yahweh is salvation,” and indeed, he foreshadowed Christ, who leads His people into the true Promised Land.
3. A Generation That Did Not Know the LORD (v. 10)
The most tragic verse in this section states:
“Another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.”
This “not knowing” does not imply ignorance of facts — it means they had no personal relationship with God and no reverence for His past faithfulness. This is not about forgetting history, but about abandoning covenant loyalty.
Compare this with Exodus 1:8,
“Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.”
In both cases, failure to remember leads to failure to revere — and then to rebellion.
The problem was generational: parents failed to teach diligently the truths of God’s Word, which was explicitly commanded in:
Deuteronomy 6:6–7 – “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children…”
This decline was not due to pagan conquest, but spiritual negligence. This marks a pivotal lesson: if the knowledge of God is not actively passed down, apathy becomes idolatry within a generation.
Judges 2:11–13 — Israel Falls into Idolatry
Judges 2:11–13
“Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals; and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger. They forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.” (New King James Version)
1. The National Apostasy Begins (v. 11)
The phrase “did evil in the sight of the LORD” introduces a repeated cycle in the book of Judges: rebellion, retribution, repentance, and restoration. Their apostasy was personal, national, and covenantal betrayal.
This was not merely moral decline; it was covenant infidelity, likened in Scripture to spiritual adultery. As Jeremiah later said:
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13)
2. Who Was Baal? (v. 11–12)
Baal was the Canaanite god of rain, weather, and agriculture — essentially prosperity and success. In an agricultural society, he represented the god of material blessing. Baal worship included sacrifices, ritual prostitution, and fertility rites.
Even though Israel was told:
“You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3)
They turned to Baal because he was practical — the god of crops, wealth, and gain. The pull was not theological; it was economic.
Also, the plural “Baals” suggests local versions of Baal — such as Baal of Peor (Numbers 25:3) and Baal-Berith (Judges 9:4) — each representing territorial idols and specialized manifestations.
3. Forsaking Yahweh (v. 12–13)
To forsake Yahweh after all He had done — especially “who had brought them out of the land of Egypt” — was a gross act of betrayal. It reveals how quickly a generation can lose its historical anchor, spiritual identity, and covenant obligations.
The root cause is spelled out:
“They followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them.”
Because they had not fully driven out the Canaanites, they were now being influenced by them. As God warned in:
Exodus 34:12 – “Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst.”
4. The Ashtoreths and Sexual Idolatry (v. 13)
Ashtoreth (or Astarte) was the female counterpart to Baal — goddess of love, sex, and fertility. Her worship included temple prostitution, and at times, child sacrifice.
This is directly confronted in:
1 Kings 11:5 – “For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians…”
Jeremiah 7:31 – “They have built the high places of Tophet… to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire…”
Israel was lured not only by economic gain, but also by lust and sensuality. These two impulses — greed and lust — are still the core idols of modern society.
5. The Jealousy of God
The text says they “forsook the LORD” — yet likely, they didn’t believe they had abandoned Him completely. Instead, they tried to blend Yahweh worship with the gods of the nations. But Yahweh does not share His throne.
Exodus 34:14 – “For you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God…”
Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters…”
Just as a spouse cannot accept shared loyalty in a marriage, God does not accept syncretism in worship.
6. Summary of Their Decline
From faith to forgetfulness
From obedience to idolatry
From God’s presence to His provocation
As Psalm 106:34–36 later laments:
“They did not destroy the peoples, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them, but they mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works; they served their idols, which became a snare to them.”
Theological Reflection
This portion of Judges reveals a spiritual law of generational drift:
If the next generation is not intentionally discipled, they will be conquered culturally.
God had no grandchildren — only children. Each generation must personally know Him. As Jesus said in John 17:3:
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
Judges 2:14–15 — God’s Wrath Upon Their Sin of Idolatry
Judges 2:14–15
“And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for calamity, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were greatly distressed.” (NKJV)
1. The Righteous Anger of the LORD (v. 14)
The phrase “the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel” reveals divine justice. This was not impulsive rage, but holy wrath arising from a broken covenant. It was measured, just, and predicted. God's covenant with Israel, established at Mount Sinai, was clear in its terms:
Leviticus 26:17 – “I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.”
Deuteronomy 28:25 – “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them...”
This judgment is not arbitrary. It is the fulfillment of what God warned repeatedly, and thus a confirmation of His faithfulness to His word — both in blessing and in chastisement.
2. Delivered and Sold into Their Enemies’ Hands (v. 14)
God “delivered them into the hands of plunderers” and “sold them into the hands of their enemies all around.” The use of the term “sold” is covenantal and legal — it conveys God’s ownership over His people and His right to hand them over in judgment.
Psalm 106:41 – “And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles, and those who hated them ruled over them.”
To be “sold” by God is the reversal of Israel’s redemption from Egypt. They were once bought out of slavery; now they are sold back into it, not because God ceased to love them, but because they had abandoned Him.
3. The Consequences of Disobedience (v. 15)
“Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for calamity...”
This is covenantal language, and it echoes the warnings of:
Deuteronomy 31:17 – “Then My anger shall be aroused against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them...”
When God’s hand is against a people, no strategy, strength, or alliance will succeed. Their military failures were not due to tactical flaws but spiritual rebellion.
The purpose of this discipline was to provoke repentance, not to annihilate them. As the Apostle Paul writes:
Hebrews 12:6 – “For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”
When God chastens His people, it is not hatred — it is the most severe form of mercy. The worst judgment is when God gives people over and leaves them alone, as seen in:
Romans 1:24 – “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness...”
Their “great distress” was an act of divine love meant to humble and redirect them.
Judges 2:16–19 — The Cyclical Pattern of Bondage and Deliverance
Judges 2:16–19
“Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do so. And when the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge and delivered them out of 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 oppressed them and harassed them. And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.” (NKJV)
1. Nevertheless: God’s Grace in Their Rebellion (v. 16)
The word “Nevertheless” is a powerful hinge of grace. Though Israel had provoked God’s wrath, He still “raised up judges” — not because of merit, but because of His covenantal mercy.
Psalm 106:44–45 – “Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry; and for their sake He remembered His covenant...”
The term “judge” (Hebrew: shophetim) implies deliverer, rescuer, and leader — not merely legal adjudicators, but military saviors raised by God.
2. Playing the Harlot with Other Gods (v. 17)
Despite being rescued, Israel “would not listen to their judges,” and instead “played the harlot.”
This is not a casual metaphor. Idolatry is spiritual adultery — a breaking of covenant fidelity akin to a wife betraying her husband.
Jeremiah 3:20 – “Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” says the LORD.
Israel's rebellion was not merely religious—it was covenantal betrayal with emotional, moral, and legal consequences.
3. God's Empowerment of the Judges (v. 18)
“The LORD was with the judge…” — This was the source of their authority, not charisma or military prowess. Every victory in the Book of Judges was by divine power, not human excellence.
“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)
This mirrors how Jesus operated in complete dependence:
John 5:19 – “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do…”
4. The LORD Was Moved to Pity by Their Groaning (v. 18)
God responded not because they earned mercy, but because He was “moved to pity.” Their groaning awakened divine compassion.
Psalm 103:13–14 – “As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”
Even though their repentance was often shallow and circumstantial, God’s faithfulness remained consistent. This is the scandal of grace — mercy shown to those who deserve judgment.
5. The Tragic Cycle Repeats (v. 19)
“When the judge was dead, they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers...”
Each generation spiraled deeper into idolatry, indicating not just a lack of perseverance, but a compounding depravity. This regression reflects:
2 Timothy 3:13 – “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
They “did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.” The Hebrew word for “stubborn” (קָשֶׁה qasheh) implies a hard, stiff, unyielding neck — the same term used in:
Exodus 32:9 – “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!’”
Even after crossing into the Promised Land, they carried Egypt in their hearts. A new location doesn't guarantee a new disposition. Their bondage was not just geographical — it was spiritual.
Theological Summary: The Insidious Cycle
This passage outlines the tragic cycle of Judges:
Sin – They forsake the LORD.
Servitude – God sells them into oppression.
Supplication – They groan and cry out.
Salvation – God raises a judge to deliver them.
Silence – The judge dies, and the cycle repeats.
This is not merely historical observation, but spiritual instruction. Paul reminds us in:
1 Corinthians 10:11 – “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition...”
Final Reflection
God’s justice and mercy walk hand in hand throughout Judges. His wrath is real, but it is never without the hope of restoration. He disciplines as a Father, delivers as a Savior, and grieves as a Bridegroom betrayed.
Judges teaches us that when God's people abandon His Word, forget His works, and compromise with the world, decline is inevitable. But so is the mercy of God to raise up a deliverer — and in our case, that Deliverer is Jesus Christ.
