Judges 2:2

2 For your part, do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed my command. See what you have done!

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 Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, "I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you into the land that I had promised to your ancestors. I said, "I will never break my covenant with you.

2 For your part, do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed my command. See what you have done!

3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall become adversaries to you, and their gods shall be a snare to you."

4 When the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept.

5 So they named that place Bochim, and there they sacrificed to the Lord.