Net English TranslationJudges 2 =
Confrontation and Repentance at Bokim
2

1 The Lord’s angelic messenger1 went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors.2 I said, ‘I will never break my agreement3 with you, 2 but you must not make an agreement with the people who live in this land. You should tear down the altars where they worship.’4 But you have disobeyed me.5 Why would you do such a thing?6 3 At that time I also warned you,7 ‘If you disobey,8 I will not drive out the Canaanites9 before you. They will ensnare you10 and their gods will lure you away.’”11

4 When the Lord’s messenger finished speaking these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly.12 5 They named that place Bokim13 and offered sacrifices to the Lord there.

The End of an Era

6 When Joshua dismissed14 the people, the Israelites went to their allotted portions of territory,15 intending to take possession of the land. 7 The people worshiped16 the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men17 who outlived him remained alive. These men had witnessed18 all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.19 8 Joshua son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died at the age of one hundred ten. 9 The people20 buried him in his allotted land21 in Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 That entire generation passed away;22 a new generation grew up23 that had not personally experienced the Lord’s presence or seen what he had done for Israel.24

A Monotonous Cycle

11 The Israelites did evil before25 the Lord by worshiping26 the Baals. 12 They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors27 who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods – the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped28 them and made the Lord angry. 13 They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtars.29

14 The Lord was furious with Israel30 and handed them over to robbers who plundered them.31 He turned them over to32 their enemies who lived around them. They could not withstand their enemies’ attacks.33 15 Whenever they went out to fight,34 the Lord did them harm,35 just as he had warned and solemnly vowed he would do.36 They suffered greatly.37

16 The Lord raised up leaders38 who delivered them from these robbers.39 17 But they did not obey40 their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped41 them. They quickly turned aside from the path42 their ancestors43 had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lord’s commands, but they did not.44 18 When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people45 from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them46 when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them.47 19 When a leader died, the next generation48 would again49 act more wickedly than the previous one.50 They would follow after other gods, worshiping them51 and bowing down to them. They did not give up52 their practices or their stubborn ways.

A Divine Decision

20 The Lord was furious with Israel.53 He said, “This nation54 has violated the terms of the agreement I made with their ancestors55 by disobeying me.56 21 So I will no longer remove before them any of the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died. 22 Joshua left those nations57 to test58 Israel. I wanted to see59 whether or not the people60 would carefully walk in the path61 marked out by62 the Lord, as their ancestors63 were careful to do.” 23 This is why64 the Lord permitted these nations to remain and did not conquer them immediately;65 he did not hand them over to Joshua.

12:1sn See Exod 14:19; 23:20. 22:1tn Heb “the land that I had sworn to your fathers.” 32:1tn Or “covenant” (also in the following verse). 42:2tn Heb “their altars.” 52:2tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.” 62:2tn Heb “What is this you have done?” 72:3tn Heb “And I also said.” The use of the perfect tense here suggests that the messenger is recalling an earlier statement (see Josh 23:12-13). However, some translate, “And I also say,” understanding the following words as an announcement of judgment upon those gathered at Bokim. 82:3tn The words “If you disobey” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See Josh 23:12-13. 92:3tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Canaanites) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 102:3tn The meaning of the Hebrew word צִדִּים (tsiddim) is uncertain in this context. It may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “snare.” If so, a more literal translation would be “they will become snares to you.” Normally the term in question means “sides,” but this makes no sense here. On the basis of Num 33:55 some suggest the word for “thorns” has been accidentally omitted. If this word is added, the text would read, “they will become [thorns] in your sides” (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT). 112:3tn Heb “their gods will become a snare to you.” 122:4tn Heb “lifted their voices and wept.” 132:5sn Bokim means “weeping ones” and is derived from the Hebrew verb בָּכָא (bakha’, “to weep”). 142:6tn Or “sent away.” 152:6tn Heb “the Israelites went each to his inheritance.” 162:7tn Or “served”; or “followed.” 172:7tn Or perhaps “elders,” which could be interpreted to mean “leaders.” 182:7tn Heb “all the days of Joshua and all the days of the old men who outlived him, who had seen.” 192:7tn Heb “the great work of the Lord which he had done for Israel.” 202:9tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 212:9tn Heb “in the territory of his inheritance.” 222:10tn Heb “All that generation were gathered to their fathers.” 232:10tn Heb “arose after them.” 242:10tn Heb “that did not know the Lord or the work which he had done for Israel.” The expressions “personally experienced” and “seen” are interpretive. 252:11tn Heb “in the eyes of.” 262:11tn Or “serving”; or “following.” 272:12tn Or “fathers.” 282:12tn Or “bowed before” (the same expression occurs in the following verse). 292:13tn Some English translations simply transliterate the plural Hebrew term (“Ashtaroth,” cf. NAB, NASB), pluralize the transliterated Hebrew singular form (“Ashtoreths,” cf. NIV), or use a variation of the name (“Astartes,” cf. NRSV).sn The Ashtars were local manifestations of the goddess Astarte. 302:14tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.” 312:14tn Heb “robbers who robbed them.” (The verb שָׁסָה [shasah] appears twice in the verse.)sn The expression robbers who plundered them is a derogatory reference to the enemy nations, as the next line indicates. 322:14tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.” 332:14tn The word “attacks” is supplied in the translation both for clarity and for stylistic reasons. 342:15tn The expression “to fight” is interpretive. 352:15tn Heb “the Lord’s hand was against them for harm.” 362:15tn Heb “just as he had said and just as he had sworn to them.” 372:15tn Or “they experienced great distress.” 382:16tn Or more traditionally, “judges” (also in vv. 17, 18 [3x], 19). Since these figures carried out more than a judicial function, also serving as rulers and (in several instances) as military commanders, the translation uses the term “leaders.” 392:16tn Heb “and they delivered them from the hand of the ones robbing them.” 402:17tn Or “did not listen to.” 412:17tn Or “bowed before.” 422:17tn Or “way [of life].” 432:17tn Or “fathers.” 442:17tn Heb “…walked, obeying the Lord’s commands. They did not do this.” 452:18tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 462:18tn The phrase “for them” is supplied in the translation for clarity. 472:18tn Heb “the ones oppressing them and afflicting them.” The synonyms “oppressing” and “afflicting” are joined together in the translation as “harsh oppressors” to emphasize the cruel character of their enemies. 482:19tn Heb “they”; the referent (the next generation) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 492:19tn The verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to turn”) is sometimes translated “turn back” here, but it is probably used in an adverbial sense, indicating that the main action (“act wickedly”) is being repeated. 502:19tn Heb “their fathers.”sn The statement the next generation would again act more wickedly than the previous one must refer to the successive sinful generations after Joshua, not Joshua’s godly generation (cf. vv. 7, 17). 512:19tn Or “serving [them]”; or “following [them].” 522:19tn Or “drop.” 532:20tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.” 542:20tn Heb “Because this nation.” 552:20tn Heb “my covenant which I commanded their fathers.” 562:20tn Heb “and has not listened to my voice.” The expression “to not listen to [God’s] voice” is idiomatic here for disobeying him. 572:22tn The words “Joshua left those nations” are interpretive. The Hebrew text of v. 22 simply begins with “to test.” Some subordinate this phrase to “I will no longer remove” (v. 21). In this case the Lord announces that he has now decided to leave these nations as a test for Israel. Another possibility is to subordinate “to test” to “He said” (v. 20; see B. Lindars, Judges 1-5, 111). In this case the statement recorded in vv. 20b-21 is the test in that it forces Israel to respond either positively (through repentance) or negatively to the Lord’s declaration. A third possibility (the one reflected in the present translation) is to subordinate “to test” to “left unconquered” (v. 21). In this case the Lord recalls that Joshua left these nations as a test. Israel has failed the test (v. 20), so the Lord announces that the punishment threatened earlier (Josh 23:12-13; see also Judg 2:3) will now be implemented. As B. G. Webb (Judges [JSOTSup], 115) observes, “The nations which were originally left as a test are now left as a punishment.” This view best harmonizes v. 23, which explains that the Lord did not give all the nations to Joshua, with v. 22. (For a grammatical parallel, where the infinitive construct of נָסָה [nasah] is subordinated to the perfect of עָזַב [’azav], see 2 Chr 32:31.) 582:22tn The Hebrew text includes the phrase “by them,” but this is somewhat redundant in English and has been omitted from the translation for stylistic reasons. 592:22tn The words “I [i.e., the Lord] wanted to see” are supplied in the translation for clarification. 602:22tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 612:22tn Or “way [of life].” 622:22tn “The words “marked out by” are interpretive. 632:22tn Or “fathers.” 642:23tn The words “this is why” are interpretive. 652:23tn Or “quickly.”
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