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Judges 2 Study Notes: Weeping at Bochim and the Cycle of Judges

At Bochim the LORD’s angel rebukes Israel for making room for the Canaanites, and the people weep. After Joshua’s generation dies, Israel turns to Baal, and a cycle begins: God hands them to enemies, pities their groaning, and raises up judges, yet they sink lower each time, so He leaves the nations to test them.

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General

At Bochim, the angel of the LORD recounts what God has done for Israel. What does he say God promised He would never do (Judges 2:1)?

Answer: Break His covenant with Israel

The angel of the LORD, a messenger sent from the LORD and carrying His authority, came to Bochim from Gilgal and spoke there in the LORD’s own voice (2:1). Speaking in the first person, he recalls bringing Israel out of Egypt into the land promised to their fathers, and says that God had promised never to break His covenant with Israel. A covenant is the binding agreement God made with His people. Readers have understood this figure in two ways: some see the Son of God appearing before He became man, while others see an angel who carries the LORD’s name and authority. Either way, the message is the LORD’s, and its first point is His faithfulness, which Moses had also proclaimed (Deuteronomy 7:9; Leviticus 26:44). The problem at Bochim lies entirely with Israel (2:2).

  • Judges 2:1 (BSB)
    “Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I had promised to your fathers, and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you,”
    The angel of the LORD comes to Bochim and speaks in the first person of what God has done and promised.
  • Deuteronomy 7:9 (BSB)
    “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
    Moses described the LORD as the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations.
  • Leviticus 26:44 (BSB)
    “Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject or despise them so as to destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God.”
    Even while warning of judgment, the LORD promised He would not break His covenant with Israel.

Theological

According to the angel of the LORD at Bochim, what had God pledged never to do (Judges 2:1)?

Answer: Break His covenant with Israel

The angel of the LORD speaks at Bochim in the divine first person: he brought Israel out of Egypt, led them into the land sworn to the fathers, and declared that he would never break his covenant with Israel (2:1). Some identify this figure as the pre-incarnate Son, others as an angel bearing the LORD’s name and authority; the text itself presents his words as the LORD’s own. The indictment opens by establishing God’s covenant fidelity, the same fidelity Moses proclaimed (Deuteronomy 7:9) and which the LORD affirmed even within the covenant curses (Leviticus 26:44). The breach is wholly on Israel’s side (2:2).

  • Judges 2:1 (BSB)
    “Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I had promised to your fathers, and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you,”
    The angel of the LORD comes to Bochim and speaks in the first person of what God has done and promised.
  • Deuteronomy 7:9 (BSB)
    “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
    Moses described the LORD as the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations.
  • Leviticus 26:44 (BSB)
    “Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject or despise them so as to destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God.”
    Even while warning of judgment, the LORD promised He would not break His covenant with Israel.

General

According to the angel at Bochim, what had God told Israel to do regarding the people of the land (Judges 2:2)?

Answer: Refuse any covenant and pull down their altars

God’s instructions had been plain: Israel was to make no covenant, no binding agreement, with the peoples of the land, and was to pull down their altars (2:2). God had given the same commands at Sinai and through Moses, warning that such alliances would become a snare and draw Israel into false worship (Exodus 34:12-13; Deuteronomy 7:2, 5). The angel’s charge is simple: Israel had not obeyed the LORD’s voice. Chapter 1 had already shown the tribes living alongside the Canaanites and putting them to forced labor rather than removing them and their worship.

  • Judges 2:2 (BSB)
    “and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done?”
    The angel restates God’s commands about the peoples of the land and charges Israel with disobedience.
  • Exodus 34:12-13 (BSB)
    “Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land you are entering, lest they become a snare in your midst. Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles.”
    At Sinai God forbade treaties with the inhabitants of the land and commanded their altars to be torn down.
  • Deuteronomy 7:2 (BSB)
    “and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.”
    Moses repeated that Israel must make no treaty with the peoples of Canaan.
  • Deuteronomy 7:5 (BSB)
    “Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.”
    Moses commanded Israel to tear down the altars and destroy the idols of the land.

Theological

Which two commands does the angel at Bochim recall regarding the inhabitants of Canaan (Judges 2:2)?

Answer: Refuse any covenant and pull down their altars

The angel cites two stipulations: no covenant with the peoples of the land, and the demolition of their altars (2:2). Both come straight from the Sinai and Deuteronomic commands (Exodus 34:12-13; Deuteronomy 7:2, 5), which were meant to guard Israel from being drawn into Canaanite worship. Israel’s failure was disobedience to the LORD’s voice, as the accommodation and forced-labor arrangements of chapter 1 had already displayed.

  • Judges 2:2 (BSB)
    “and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done?”
    The angel restates God’s commands about the peoples of the land and charges Israel with disobedience.
  • Exodus 34:12-13 (BSB)
    “Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land you are entering, lest they become a snare in your midst. Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles.”
    At Sinai God forbade treaties with the inhabitants of the land and commanded their altars to be torn down.
  • Deuteronomy 7:2 (BSB)
    “and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.”
    Moses repeated that Israel must make no treaty with the peoples of Canaan.
  • Deuteronomy 7:5 (BSB)
    “Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.”
    Moses commanded Israel to tear down the altars and destroy the idols of the land.

General

True or False: Judges 2:19 says that after each judge died, Israel sank lower than the generation before them.

Answer: True

This is true. Even while the judges lived, Israel ignored them and quickly turned to other gods (2:17). When a judge died, the people became more corrupt than the generation before, refusing to let go of their wicked deeds and hard-hearted ways (2:19). Each cycle left them worse off, not merely back where they began. This downward spiral runs through the whole book and shows how deep human sin goes: rescue from enemies did not change Israel’s heart. Jeremiah describes the same pattern generations later (Jeremiah 7:26), and Nehemiah 9:28 recalls that as soon as Israel had rest, they did evil again.

  • Judges 2:17 (BSB)
    “Israel, however, did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the LORD’s commandments; they did not do as their fathers had done.”
    Even while the judges lived, Israel ignored them and quickly turned to other gods.
  • Judges 2:19 (BSB)
    “But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”
    When a judge died, Israel became more corrupt than the previous generation and clung to its evil ways.
  • Jeremiah 7:26 (BSB)
    “Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.”
    Jeremiah describes the same pattern of Israel refusing to listen and doing more evil than their fathers.
  • Nehemiah 9:28 (BSB)
    “But as soon as they had rest, they again did evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to the hands of their enemies, who had dominion over them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven, and You delivered them many times in Your compassion.”
    Nehemiah’s prayer recalls that as soon as Israel had rest, they again did evil.

Theological

True or False: According to Judges 2:19, each relapse after a judge’s death left Israel more corrupt than the previous generation.

Answer: True

This is true. Israel ignored its judges even during their lifetimes (2:17), and after each judge’s death the people outdid their fathers in corruption and would not abandon their practices or their stubbornness (2:19). The cycle is not a static repetition but a descending spiral, displaying the depth of human depravity: deliverance from oppression did not renew the heart. The same verdict recurs in Jeremiah 7:26, and Nehemiah 9:28 notes the relapse that followed every rest.

  • Judges 2:17 (BSB)
    “Israel, however, did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the LORD’s commandments; they did not do as their fathers had done.”
    Even while the judges lived, Israel ignored them and quickly turned to other gods.
  • Judges 2:19 (BSB)
    “But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”
    When a judge died, Israel became more corrupt than the previous generation and clung to its evil ways.
  • Jeremiah 7:26 (BSB)
    “Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.”
    Jeremiah describes the same pattern of Israel refusing to listen and doing more evil than their fathers.
  • Nehemiah 9:28 (BSB)
    “But as soon as they had rest, they again did evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to the hands of their enemies, who had dominion over them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven, and You delivered them many times in Your compassion.”
    Nehemiah’s prayer recalls that as soon as Israel had rest, they again did evil.

General

What does Judges 2:10 say about the generation that came after Joshua’s generation?

Answer: They knew neither the LORD nor His deeds

After Joshua’s whole generation died, another one rose up that had no knowledge of the LORD or of what He had done on Israel’s behalf (2:10). Knowing the LORD here means more than having heard about Him; it is the personal acquaintance with God and His acts that the earlier generation had (2:7). God had commanded each generation to tell the next about His works so that their children would trust Him and obey His commands (Psalm 78:4-7), and He had warned Israel not to forget Him once they were enjoying the land’s plenty (Deuteronomy 6:10-12). The failure described in 2:10 leads straight into the idolatry of 2:11-13.

  • Judges 2:10 (BSB)
    “After that whole generation had also been gathered to their fathers, another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works that He had done for Israel.”
    After Joshua’s generation dies, a new generation arises without knowledge of the LORD or His works.
  • Psalm 78:4-7 (BSB)
    “We will not hide them from their children but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might and the wonders He has performed. For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the coming generation would know them—even children yet to be born—to arise and tell their own children that they should put their confidence in God, not forgetting His works, but keeping His commandments.”
    God commanded each generation to tell the next His works so that they would trust Him and keep His commandments.
  • Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (BSB)
    “And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build, with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells that you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied, be careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”
    Moses warned Israel not to forget the LORD once they were enjoying the land’s plenty.

Theological

How does Judges 2:10 characterize the generation that followed Joshua’s?

Answer: They knew neither the LORD nor His deeds

The new generation is defined by ignorance both of the LORD Himself and of His mighty acts for Israel (2:10), a lack of covenant knowledge rather than mere unfamiliarity with history, in contrast to the eyewitness elders of 2:7. The law had made the transmission of God’s works from generation to generation the means of sustaining trust and obedience (Psalm 78:4-7), and had warned against forgetting the LORD amid the land’s abundance (Deuteronomy 6:10-12). This failure of knowledge opens directly onto the apostasy of 2:11-13.

  • Judges 2:10 (BSB)
    “After that whole generation had also been gathered to their fathers, another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works that He had done for Israel.”
    After Joshua’s generation dies, a new generation arises without knowledge of the LORD or His works.
  • Psalm 78:4-7 (BSB)
    “We will not hide them from their children but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might and the wonders He has performed. For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the coming generation would know them—even children yet to be born—to arise and tell their own children that they should put their confidence in God, not forgetting His works, but keeping His commandments.”
    God commanded each generation to tell the next His works so that they would trust Him and keep His commandments.
  • Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (BSB)
    “And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build, with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells that you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied, be careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”
    Moses warned Israel not to forget the LORD once they were enjoying the land’s plenty.

General

According to Judges 2:11-13, whom did Israel serve after forsaking the LORD?

Answer: Baal, the Ashtoreths, and other gods nearby

Israel committed evil in the LORD’s sight by serving the Baals (2:11). Baal was the chief god worshiped by the Canaanites, honored under many local forms, which is why the text speaks of Baals in the plural; the Ashtoreths were likewise the many local forms of a Canaanite goddess (2:13). In turning to these and to the gods of the surrounding peoples, Israel abandoned the very God who had rescued them from Egypt and stirred Him to anger (2:12). This was the unfaithfulness the LORD had foretold to Moses (Deuteronomy 31:16), and the very thing Joshua had warned them not to do (Joshua 23:7).

  • Judges 2:11-13 (BSB)
    “And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.”
    Israel does evil, abandons the LORD who rescued them from Egypt, and serves Baal and the Ashtoreths.
  • Deuteronomy 31:16 (BSB)
    “And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them.”
    Before his death Moses was told that Israel would forsake the LORD for the foreign gods of the land.
  • Joshua 23:7 (BSB)
    “So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you. You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them, and you must not serve them or bow down to them.”
    Joshua had forbidden Israel to serve or bow down to the gods of the nations that remained.

Theological

Whom does Judges 2:11-13 say Israel served after abandoning the LORD?

Answer: Baal, the Ashtoreths, and other gods nearby

The narrator’s first evaluative summary of the era is that Israel did evil by serving the Baals (2:11), abandoning their fathers’ God, their rescuer from Egypt, to follow the gods of the surrounding peoples, including Baal and the Ashtoreths, local forms of a Canaanite goddess (2:12-13). The plural forms reflect the many local forms in which Baal and a Canaanite goddess were worshiped. The apostasy fulfills what the LORD foretold to Moses (Deuteronomy 31:16) and violates Joshua’s explicit prohibition (Joshua 23:7).

  • Judges 2:11-13 (BSB)
    “And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.”
    Israel does evil, abandons the LORD who rescued them from Egypt, and serves Baal and the Ashtoreths.
  • Deuteronomy 31:16 (BSB)
    “And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them.”
    Before his death Moses was told that Israel would forsake the LORD for the foreign gods of the land.
  • Joshua 23:7 (BSB)
    “So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you. You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them, and you must not serve them or bow down to them.”
    Joshua had forbidden Israel to serve or bow down to the gods of the nations that remained.

General

Why did the LORD raise up judges to rescue Israel, according to Judges 2:18?

Answer: He felt compassion for them as they groaned

A judge in this book is a deliverer and leader raised up by God, not mainly a courtroom official. The LORD provided judges who rescued Israel from their plunderers (2:16), was with each judge, and saved Israel while that judge lived, because He took pity on His people as they groaned under their oppressors (2:18). The reason lies in God’s compassion, not in Israel’s goodness; the very next verse describes Israel as stubborn (2:19). God had acted the same way in Egypt when He heard Israel’s groaning (Exodus 2:24), and both Psalm 106:44-45 and Nehemiah 9:27 trace Israel’s repeated rescues to His loving devotion and great compassion. This is grace, God’s undeserved kindness, shown to an undeserving people.

  • Judges 2:16 (BSB)
    “Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them.”
    The LORD raises up judges who rescue Israel from their plunderers.
  • Judges 2:18 (BSB)
    “Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them.”
    The LORD is with each judge and saves Israel because He pities their groaning under oppression.
  • Exodus 2:24 (BSB)
    “So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
    In Egypt, too, God heard Israel’s groaning and remembered His promises to the patriarchs.
  • Psalm 106:44-45 (BSB)
    “Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress. And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion.”
    The psalm says God heard Israel’s cry and relented out of His abundant loving devotion.
  • Nehemiah 9:27 (BSB)
    “So You delivered them into the hands of enemies who oppressed them, and in their time of distress they cried out to You. From heaven You heard them, and in Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hands of their enemies.”
    Nehemiah’s prayer traces each deliverer God gave Israel to His great compassion.

Theological

What motive does Judges 2:18 give for the LORD’s raising up of judges?

Answer: He felt compassion for them as they groaned

The judges were the LORD’s appointed deliverers (2:16), and 2:18 grounds their raising-up in His pity for Israel’s groaning under their oppressors. The verse names no repentance or merit on Israel’s part, and the very next verse shows the people returning to other gods as soon as each judge died (2:19). The pattern repeats the exodus, where God heard the groaning of His people (Exodus 2:24), and later Scripture attributes the recurring deliverances to His loving devotion and great compassion (Psalm 106:44-45; Nehemiah 9:27). The deliverances of Judges are acts of sovereign, unmerited grace to an undeserving people.

  • Judges 2:16 (BSB)
    “Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them.”
    The LORD raises up judges who rescue Israel from their plunderers.
  • Judges 2:18 (BSB)
    “Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them.”
    The LORD is with each judge and saves Israel because He pities their groaning under oppression.
  • Exodus 2:24 (BSB)
    “So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
    In Egypt, too, God heard Israel’s groaning and remembered His promises to the patriarchs.
  • Psalm 106:44-45 (BSB)
    “Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress. And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion.”
    The psalm says God heard Israel’s cry and relented out of His abundant loving devotion.
  • Nehemiah 9:27 (BSB)
    “So You delivered them into the hands of enemies who oppressed them, and in their time of distress they cried out to You. From heaven You heard them, and in Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hands of their enemies.”
    Nehemiah’s prayer traces each deliverer God gave Israel to His great compassion.

General

Whenever Israel marched out to fight in this period, whose hand does Judges 2:15 say was against them?

Answer: The LORD’s own hand

In His anger the LORD handed Israel over to plunderers and to enemies they could no longer withstand (2:14). Whenever they marched out, it was the LORD’s own hand that opposed them to bring disaster, exactly as He had warned by oath, and Israel was in great distress (2:15). The enemies were not acting outside God’s rule; He used them to discipline His covenant people, as the covenant warnings had said He would (Deuteronomy 28:25). Moses had made the same point: a smaller force could rout Israel only if the LORD had handed Israel over (Deuteronomy 32:30). The enemies remained responsible for their own cruelty, yet the LORD governed the outcome.

  • Judges 2:14-15 (BSB)
    “Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of those who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. Wherever Israel marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them to bring calamity, just as He had sworn to them. So they were greatly distressed.”
    In anger the LORD gives Israel over to plunderers, and His hand is against them in battle.
  • Deuteronomy 28:25 (BSB)
    “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.”
    Among the covenant curses, the LORD warned that He would cause Israel to be defeated before its enemies.
  • Deuteronomy 32:30 (BSB)
    “How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?”
    Moses said that Israel’s defeat by a smaller force could only mean the LORD had handed them over.

Theological

According to Judges 2:15, who stood behind Israel’s defeats whenever they went out to battle?

Answer: The LORD’s own hand

The LORD in His anger sold Israel to its plunderers (2:14), and His hand was against them in every campaign, in keeping with His oath (2:15). Israel’s defeats were covenant discipline administered by God Himself, executing the curses of Deuteronomy 28:25 and explaining the anomaly Moses described, in which few routed many because the LORD had surrendered Israel (Deuteronomy 32:30). God sovereignly employed the oppressors without approving their violence, which remained their own.

  • Judges 2:14-15 (BSB)
    “Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of those who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. Wherever Israel marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them to bring calamity, just as He had sworn to them. So they were greatly distressed.”
    In anger the LORD gives Israel over to plunderers, and His hand is against them in battle.
  • Deuteronomy 28:25 (BSB)
    “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.”
    Among the covenant curses, the LORD warned that He would cause Israel to be defeated before its enemies.
  • Deuteronomy 32:30 (BSB)
    “How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?”
    Moses said that Israel’s defeat by a smaller force could only mean the LORD had handed them over.

General

What purpose does the LORD give in Judges 2:22 for leaving in place the nations Joshua had not driven out?

Answer: To test whether Israel would walk in His way

Because Israel had broken the covenant God gave their fathers and had not listened to Him, the LORD said He would no longer expel the nations that remained when Joshua died (2:20-21). Their presence would test whether Israel would walk in the LORD’s way like their fathers before them (2:22). In Scripture, God’s testing brings into the open what is in His people’s hearts, whether they love Him and will keep His commandments (Deuteronomy 8:2; 13:3), and chapter 3 repeats this purpose (3:4). The narrator adds that this explains why He had not handed these nations over to Joshua all at once (2:23), so even Israel’s unfinished conquest lay within God’s purposes.

  • Judges 2:20-22 (BSB)
    “So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed the covenant I laid down for their fathers and has not heeded My voice, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. In this way I will test whether Israel will keep the way of the LORD by walking in it as their fathers did.””
    Because Israel broke the covenant, the LORD leaves the remaining nations in place to test Israel.
  • Deuteronomy 8:2 (BSB)
    “Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments.”
    Moses explained that the LORD tested Israel to reveal what was in their hearts and whether they would keep His commandments.
  • Deuteronomy 13:3 (BSB)
    “you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
    Moses said the LORD tests His people to find out whether they love Him with all their heart.
  • Judges 3:4 (BSB)
    “These nations were left to test the Israelites, to find out whether they would keep the commandments of the LORD, which He had given their fathers through Moses.”
    The next chapter restates that the nations were left to see whether Israel would obey the LORD’s commandments.

Theological

According to Judges 2:20-22, why does the LORD leave the remaining nations in the land?

Answer: To test whether Israel would walk in His way

In response to Israel’s covenant breach, the LORD refuses to dispossess the nations left at Joshua’s death (2:20-21), turning them into an instrument of testing to see whether Israel will hold to His way (2:22). Divine testing in Scripture exposes the heart’s true allegiance (Deuteronomy 8:2; 13:3), and 3:4 restates the same purpose. The narrator’s closing note (2:23) places even the incomplete conquest under God’s sovereign design: what was Israel’s failure was also the LORD’s chosen means of testing.

  • Judges 2:20-22 (BSB)
    “So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed the covenant I laid down for their fathers and has not heeded My voice, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. In this way I will test whether Israel will keep the way of the LORD by walking in it as their fathers did.””
    Because Israel broke the covenant, the LORD leaves the remaining nations in place to test Israel.
  • Deuteronomy 8:2 (BSB)
    “Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments.”
    Moses explained that the LORD tested Israel to reveal what was in their hearts and whether they would keep His commandments.
  • Deuteronomy 13:3 (BSB)
    “you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
    Moses said the LORD tests His people to find out whether they love Him with all their heart.
  • Judges 3:4 (BSB)
    “These nations were left to test the Israelites, to find out whether they would keep the commandments of the LORD, which He had given their fathers through Moses.”
    The next chapter restates that the nations were left to see whether Israel would obey the LORD’s commandments.

General

What consequence did the LORD announce at Bochim because Israel had disobeyed (Judges 2:3)?

Answer: He would stop driving the nations out for them

Because Israel had not obeyed, the LORD said He would no longer drive these peoples out. Instead they would be like thorns in Israel’s sides, while their gods would be a snare, a trap that catches and holds (2:3). This was exactly what God had warned of through Moses and Joshua (Numbers 33:55; Joshua 23:12-13; Exodus 23:33). The judgment fit the sin: the peoples Israel chose to keep became the trouble Israel had to live with, and their gods became a constant temptation.

  • Judges 2:3 (BSB)
    “So now I tell you that I will not drive out these people before you; they will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.””
    The LORD announces that He will not drive out the peoples, who will trouble Israel, and whose gods will ensnare them.
  • Numbers 33:55 (BSB)
    “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you settle.”
    Moses warned that peoples left in the land would become barbs and thorns to Israel.
  • Joshua 23:12-13 (BSB)
    “For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them, know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.”
    Joshua warned that if Israel clung to the nations, the LORD would stop driving them out and they would become a snare.
  • Exodus 23:33 (BSB)
    “They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.””
    God warned at Sinai that serving the gods of the land would be a snare to Israel.

Theological

What judgment does the LORD pronounce at Bochim in Judges 2:3?

Answer: He would stop driving the nations out for them

The LORD declares that He will no longer dispossess the peoples; they will become thorns in Israel’s sides, while their gods become a snare (2:3). The sentence fulfills the covenant warnings given through Moses and Joshua (Numbers 33:55; Exodus 23:33; Joshua 23:12-13). The punishment corresponds to the sin: the nations Israel chose to tolerate become both a source of affliction and a standing temptation to idolatry, the dynamic that drives the rest of the book.

  • Judges 2:3 (BSB)
    “So now I tell you that I will not drive out these people before you; they will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.””
    The LORD announces that He will not drive out the peoples, who will trouble Israel, and whose gods will ensnare them.
  • Numbers 33:55 (BSB)
    “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you settle.”
    Moses warned that peoples left in the land would become barbs and thorns to Israel.
  • Joshua 23:12-13 (BSB)
    “For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them, know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.”
    Joshua warned that if Israel clung to the nations, the LORD would stop driving them out and they would become a snare.
  • Exodus 23:33 (BSB)
    “They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.””
    God warned at Sinai that serving the gods of the land would be a snare to Israel.

General

How long did the people serve the LORD, according to Judges 2:7?

Answer: As long as Joshua and those elders lived

Israel remained faithful to the LORD through Joshua’s lifetime and the lifetimes of those elders who survived him, leaders who had personally seen the great works the LORD did for Israel (2:7). Judges 2:6-9 retells the close of the book of Joshua, and this verse matches Joshua 24:31 almost word for word. Their firsthand knowledge of God’s mighty acts anchored their faithfulness, which is why Moses had urged Israel not to forget what their own eyes had seen and to teach it to their children and grandchildren (Deuteronomy 4:9).

  • Judges 2:7 (BSB)
    “And the people served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had seen all the great works that the LORD had done for Israel.”
    Israel served the LORD while Joshua and the elders who had seen the LORD’s works were alive.
  • Joshua 24:31 (BSB)
    “Israel had served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced all the works that the LORD had done for Israel.”
    Joshua’s book records the same statement at the close of Joshua’s life.
  • Deuteronomy 4:9 (BSB)
    “Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren.”
    Moses urged Israel not to forget what their eyes had seen and to teach it to their children.

Theological

Judges 2:7 sets the limit of Israel’s faithfulness by whose lifetimes?

Answer: As long as Joshua and those elders lived

Israel’s faithfulness lasted as long as Joshua lived and as long as the elders who survived him lived, men who had witnessed the LORD’s great works (2:7), a statement that also appears in Joshua 24:31. Their fidelity was bound up with their eyewitness memory of God’s deeds, which is why the law required that what Israel had seen be diligently taught to succeeding generations (Deuteronomy 4:9).

  • Judges 2:7 (BSB)
    “And the people served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had seen all the great works that the LORD had done for Israel.”
    Israel served the LORD while Joshua and the elders who had seen the LORD’s works were alive.
  • Joshua 24:31 (BSB)
    “Israel had served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced all the works that the LORD had done for Israel.”
    Joshua’s book records the same statement at the close of Joshua’s life.
  • Deuteronomy 4:9 (BSB)
    “Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren.”
    Moses urged Israel not to forget what their eyes had seen and to teach it to their children.

General

True or False: When the people heard the message of the angel of the LORD, they wept aloud, sacrificed to the LORD, and gave the place the name Bochim.

Answer: True

This is true. After the angel of the LORD finished speaking, the people wept aloud, so the place was called Bochim, and they sacrificed to the LORD there (2:4-5). The text does not record any lasting change that followed; it moves on to Joshua’s death and to a generation that forsook the LORD (2:10-13). Scripture describes this pattern in Israel’s history elsewhere: under God’s discipline the people would turn to Him, yet their hearts were not loyal to Him (Psalm 78:34-37), and their devotion vanished like the morning mist (Hosea 6:4).

  • Judges 2:4-5 (BSB)
    “When the angel of the LORD had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept. So they called that place Bochim and offered sacrifices there to the LORD.”
    The people weep at the angel’s words, name the place Bochim, and offer sacrifices.
  • Psalm 78:34-37 (BSB)
    “When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God. And they remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues. Their hearts were disloyal to Him, and they were unfaithful to His covenant.”
    The psalm describes Israel turning to God under His discipline while their hearts stayed disloyal.
  • Hosea 6:4 (BSB)
    “What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes.”
    The prophet compares Israel’s loyalty to morning mist that quickly disappears.

Theological

True or False: Judges 2:4-5 records that the people responded to the rebuke from the angel of the LORD with weeping and sacrifice, and named the place for their weeping.

Answer: True

This is true. The assembly wept aloud, called the place Bochim, and sacrificed to the LORD (2:4-5). The narrator records the grief without recording any lasting reform; the account moves directly to Joshua’s death and the apostasy of the next generation (2:10-13). Elsewhere Scripture portrays the same pattern of contrition under discipline without steadfast hearts (Psalm 78:34-37) and loyalty that evaporates like the dew (Hosea 6:4).

  • Judges 2:4-5 (BSB)
    “When the angel of the LORD had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept. So they called that place Bochim and offered sacrifices there to the LORD.”
    The people weep at the angel’s words, name the place Bochim, and offer sacrifices.
  • Psalm 78:34-37 (BSB)
    “When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God. And they remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues. Their hearts were disloyal to Him, and they were unfaithful to His covenant.”
    The psalm describes Israel turning to God under His discipline while their hearts stayed disloyal.
  • Hosea 6:4 (BSB)
    “What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes.”
    The prophet compares Israel’s loyalty to morning mist that quickly disappears.