Judges 2:14-16

14 1So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he 2gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. 3And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, 4so 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, 5and as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.

The Lord Raises Up Judges

16 6Then the LORD raised up judges, 7who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.

Judges 2:14-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 2

This chapter gives an account of an angel of the Lord appearing and rebuking the children of Israel for their present misconduct, Jud 2:1-5; of their good behaviour under Joshua, and the elders that outlived him, Jud 2:6-10; and of their idolatries they fell into afterwards, which greatly provoked the Lord to anger, Jud 2:11-15; and of the goodness of God to them nevertheless, in raising up judges to deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, of which there are many instances in the following chapter, Jud 2:16-18; and yet that how, upon the demise of such persons, they relapsed into idolatry which caused the anger of God to be hot against them, and to determine not to drive out the Canaanites utterly from them, but to leave them among them to try them, Jud 2:19-23.

Cross References 7

  • 1. ver. 20
  • 2. 2 Kings 17:20
  • 3. Judges 3:8; Judges 4:2; [Deuteronomy 32:30; 1 Samuel 12:9]
  • 4. Leviticus 26:37; Joshua 7:12, 13
  • 5. See Leviticus 26:14-46; Deuteronomy 28:15-68
  • 6. Judges 3:9, 15; 1 Samuel 12:11; Acts 13:20
  • 7. Judges 3:31; Judges 10:1, 12, 13; Judges 12:2, 3; Judges 13:5; [Judges 3:9; Nehemiah 9:27]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.