Judges 2:11-19

11 And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they served Baalim and Ashtaroth; (And the Israelites did evil before the Lord, and they served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth;)
12 and forsook the Lord God of their fathers, that led them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed alien gods, the gods of peoples, that dwelled in the compass of them, and worshipped those gods, and they stirred the Lord to great wrath, (and deserted the Lord God of their fathers, who led them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed foreign, or other, gods, the gods of the peoples, who lived all around them, and they worshipped those gods, and they stirred the Lord to great anger,)
13 and they forsook him, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 And the Lord was wroth against Israel, and he betook them into the hands of ravishers, the which took them, and sold them to enemies, that dwelled by compass (who lived all around them); and they might not against-stand their adversaries;
15 but whither ever they would go, the hand of the Lord was on them, that is, to torment them, as he spake and swore to them; and they were tormented greatly. (but wherever they went, the Lord's hand was against them, to torment them, as he had said, and had sworn to them, that he would do; and they were greatly tormented.)
16 And the Lord raised judges, that delivered them from the hands of destroyers, (And then the Lord raised up judges, who delivered them from the hands of their destroyers,)
17 but they would not hear them, and they did fornication, that is, idolatry, with alien gods, and worshipped them. Soon they forsook the way, by which their fathers entered; and they heard the commandments of the Lord, and did all things contrary. (but they would not listen to them, and they did fornication, that is, idolatry, with foreign, or other, gods, and worshipped them. And soon they deserted the way, by which their fathers went; and they heard the commandments of the Lord, but they did all things to the contrary.)
18 And when the Lord raised up judges in their days, he was bowed by mercy, and he heard the wailings of them that were tormented, and he delivered them from the slaying of their destroyers.
19 Soothly after that the judge was dead, they turned again, and did many things greater in evil than their fathers did; and they followed alien gods, and served them, and worshipped them; they left not their own findings, and the hardest way by which they were wont to go. (But after that the judge died, they returned to their old ways, and did many things even greater in evil than what their fathers did; and they followed foreign, or other, gods, and served them, and worshipped them; they did not cease from doing whatever they wanted to do, and the stubborn, or willful, ways by which they were wont to go.)

Judges 2:11-19 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.