Judges 2:2

2 So you must not make a covenant with the people of this land. Instead, you must tear down their altars.' "But you have disobeyed me. Why did you do it?

Judges 2:2 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 2:2

And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land,
&c.] This the Lord charged them not to do, when he covenanted with them, and assured them of bringing them into the land; and yet they had done it, as some instances in the preceding chapter show, which were the occasion of the angel's coming to them to rebuke them, see ( Deuteronomy 7:2 ) ;

you shall throw down their altars;
this they aught to have done as soon as they were come into the land, and possessed of the places where they were erected, to show their detestation of idolatry, and to prevent the use of them to idolatrous purposes, see ( Deuteronomy 7:5 ) ( 12:3 ) ;

but ye have not obeyed my voice;
the command of God, but on the contrary had made leagues and covenants with several inhabitants of the land, allowing them to dwell among them on paying a certain tax or tribute to them; and had suffered their altars to continue, and them to sacrifice upon them to their idols, according to their former customs:

why have ye done this?
transgressed the commandment of God in the instances mentioned. It showed the wickedness of their hearts, their ingratitude to God, who had done such great things for them, and their proneness to idolatry, and liking of it.

Judges 2:2 In-Context

1 The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim. There he spoke to the people of Israel. "I brought you up out of Egypt," he said. "I led you into this land. It is the land I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I said, 'I will never break the covenant I made with you.

2 So you must not make a covenant with the people of this land. Instead, you must tear down their altars.' "But you have disobeyed me. Why did you do it?

3 I have something to tell you. I will not drive those people out to make room for you. They will be like thorns in your sides. Their gods will be a trap to you."

4 The angel of the LORD spoke those things to all of the people of Israel. Then the people began to sob out loud.

5 So that place was called Bokim. The people offered sacrifices to the LORD there.