Judges 2

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Judges 2

1 And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the Lord.

6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.

7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.

8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.

10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:

12 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.

13 And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

14 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

16 Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so.

18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

20 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;

21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:

22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.

23 Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

Notes

Cross Reference

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 1

<html> Adonoy's emissary went up. We learn in Seder Olam that this was Pinchos.¹ Son of Elazar, grandson of Aharon Hakohen. (Bemidbar, 25:11.)² Why is Pinchas entitled מַלְאַךְ ה׳, lit. “an angel of Adonoy”? Because, when visited by the sacred spirit, he was enflamed with radiance. (Vayikra Rabah, A. See Rashi to Yehoshua, 2:4). To Bochim. The name of a place.³Not literally “weeping”. See vs.4,5. I took you up. This was My original intent,⁴The future tense, אַעֲלֶה, literally “I shall take”, indicates the intent which preceded the actual taking. See Rashi to Shemos, 15:1. to take you up from Mitzrayim—and I did so—with the stipulation that My enemies be ousted.⁵ As indicated by the warning against covenants [v.2].</html>

Verse 3

<html> Now I have also declared. At present I have declared, in My fury.⁶This is not part of the original intent stated in vs.1,2, but is a new declaration, made now because they sinned. At your flanks. They will harass your flanks with bandits and troops, pillaging and plundering.</html>

Verse 6

<html> Yehoshua dismissed, etc. This incident had taken place previously, but, as Scripture intends to relate that they acted wickedly [v.11], it begins with the following statement: at Yehoshua's death, when they resolved, in his presence, to serve Adonoy, he dismissed them, each man to his ancestral property. They served Adonoy throughout his days and the days of the elders. Afterward, “The Bnei Yisroel acted wickedly.”</html>

Verse 7

<html> Whose days extended. Their 'days' extended⁷In contentment. However, their lives were short. (Shabbos, 105:b.-See Rashi there). but not their 'years', as they neglected to eulogize him.⁸Scripture omits any mention of a mourning period for Yehoshua, as with Aharon (Bemidbar 20:29) and Moshe (Devarim 34:8). This indicates that they were remiss in eulogizing him and mourning for him. (Tosafos to Shabbos, 105:b). Thus it is said, “…of Mount Ga'ash”—⁹“They buried him (Yehoshua)…at Mount Ephraim, north of Ga’ash.” [v.9] Mount Ephraim was better known than G’ash. Why, then, does Scripture identify the famous Mountain by its proximity to the obscure Ga’ash? Evidently, “Ga’ash” is not an identifying landmark, but is intended as a homiletical allusion to “ra’ash”, “storm”, teaching that the mountain stormed against them. (Maharsha to Shabbos, ibid.). the mountain stormed at them¹⁰Shabbos, ibid. to slaughter them.</html>

Verse 9

<html> At Timnas Cheres. So entitled because a likeness of the sun¹¹‘Timnas Serach’ is literally translated as ‘The likeness of the sun’. was placed over his grave, as if to say, “Alas, that a man who halted the sun¹²Yehoshua ordered the sun to stand still, and the sun obeyed. (Yehoshua, 10:12,13.) lies in the grave.”</html>

Verse 15

<html> Wherever they went, the hand of Adonoy was destructive to them. This refers to Elimelech, Machlon, and Chilyon—¹³Naomi’s husband and two sons, mentioned in the opening passages of the Book of Rus. They were punished with poverty and then death. See Rashi to Megilas Rus, ch.1. Seder Olam.</html>

Verse 16

<html> Adonoy established judges. Continuously, in successive generations, as enumerated in this book, judge succeeding judge.</html>

Verse 18

<html> When He would establish—This describes an ongoing process—'When He would establish judges for them, and Adonoy would visit with the judge, etc.' For He would recant. He would recant, concerning them, from the destruction.¹⁴Which He had intended to rain upon them. Accordingly, יְנַחֵם is not understood as ‘would find comfort,’ but as ‘would recant.’ See Rashi to Bereishis, 6:6, second interpretation. This is Yonasan's rendition. From the outcry—As a result of their cry that went up to Him because of their tormentors</html>

Verse 19

<html> They fell nothing short. They omitted nothing deserving of the reproach inherent in everything that befell them.</html>

Verse 22

<html> Whether they observe. The letter ה is vocalized with the abridged pasach,¹⁵This vocalization is used to express inquiry. as it expresses the inquiry involved in testing.<html>

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Table of Contents

Judges 2

Judges 2

Notes

Cross Reference

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 1

Verse 3

Verse 6

Verse 7

Verse 9

Verse 15

Verse 16

Verse 18

Verse 19

Verse 22