1AND 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 Timnath-heres, 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.

1And an Angel of the Lord came vp from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to goe vp out of Egypt, and haue brought you vnto the land which I sware vnto your fathers, and I said, I will neuer breake my Couenant with you.

2And yee shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land, you shal throw downe their altars: But ye haue not obeyed my voyce; Why haue ye done this?

3Wherefore I also said, I will not driue them out from before you: but they shalbe as thornes in your sides, and their gods shalbe a snare vnto you.

4And it came to passe when the Angel of the Lord spake these words vnto all the children of Israel, that the people lift vp their voice, and wept.

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

6 And when Ioshua had let the people goe, the children of Israel went euery man vnto his inheritance, to possesse the land.

7And the people serued the Lord all the dayes of Ioshua, and all the dayes of the Elders that outliued Ioshua, who had seene all the great workes of the Lord, that hee did for Israel.

8And Ioshua the sonne of Nun, the seruant of the Lord died, being an hundred and ten yeeres old.

9And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-Heres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the North side of the hill Gaash.

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

11 And the children of Israel did euil in the sight of the Lord, and serued Baalim:

12And they forsooke 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 themselues vnto them, and prouoked the Lord to anger.

13And they forsooke the Lord, and serued Baal and Ashtaroth.

14 And the anger of the Lord was hote against Israel, and he deliuered 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.

15Whither soeuer they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for euill, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworne vnto them: and they were greatly distressed.

16 Neuerthelesse, the Lord raysed vp Iudges, which deliuered them out of the hand of those that spoyled them.

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

18And when the Lord raised them vp Iudges, then the Lord was with the Iudge, and deliuered them out of the hand of their enemies, all the dayes of the Iudge (for it repented the Lord, because of their gronings by reason of them that oppressed them, and vexed them:)

19And it came to passe when the Iudge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselues more then their fathers, in following other gods, to serue them, and to bow downe vnto them: they ceased not from their owne doings, nor from their stubborne way.

20 And the anger of the Lord was hote against Israel, and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my Couenant which I commanded their fathers, and haue not hearkened vnto my voice:

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

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

23Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driuing them out hastily, neither deliuered he them into the hand of Ioshua

I == Gen 17:7 ; Judg 2:5

 

 

II == Deut 7:2 ; 12:3 ; Judg 2:20 ; Ps 106:34

 

 

III == Ex 23:33 ; 34:12 ; Deut 7:16 ; Josh 23:13 ; Judg 3:6 ; Ps 106:36

 

 

 

 

 

VI == Josh 22:6 ; 24:28

 

VII == Josh 24:29 , 31

 

 

 

 

IX == Josh 19:50 ; 24:30

 

 

X == Ex 5:2 ; 1st Sam 2:12 ; 1st Chr 28:9 ; Jer 9:3 ; 22:16 ; Gal 4:8 ; 2nd Thess 1:8 ; Titus 1:16

 

XII == Ex 20:5 ; Deut 6:14 ; 31:16

 

 

 

XIII == Judg 3:7 ; 10:6 ; Ps 100:36

XIV == Lev 26:37 ; Josh 7:12-13 ; Judg 3:8 ; 4:2 ; 2nd Kings 17:20 ; Ps 44:12 ; 106:40-42 ; Isa 50:1

 

 

 

 

XVI == Judg 3:9-10 , 15 ; 1st Sam 12:11 ; Acts 13:20

XVII == Ex 34:15-16 ; Lev 17:7

 

 

 

XVIII == Gen 6:6 ; Deut 32:36 ; Josh 1:5 ; Ps 106:44-45

 

 

 

XIX == Judg 3:12 ; 4:1 ; 8:33

 

 

 

 

XX == Josh 23:16 ; Judg 2:14

 

 

XXI == Josh 23:13

XXII == Deut 8:2 , 16 ; 13:3 ; Judg 3:1 , 4

 

 

 

 

1 An angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, "It was I who brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land which I promised on oath to your fathers. I said that I would never break my covenant with you,

2 but that you were not to make a pact with the inhabitants of this land, and you were to pull down their altars. Yet you have not obeyed me. What did you mean by this?

3 For now I tell you, I will not clear them out of your way; they shall oppose you and their gods shall become a snare for you."

4 When the angel of the LORD had made these threats to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud;

5 and so that place came to be called Bochim. They offered sacrifice there to the LORD.

6 When Joshua dismissed the people, each Israelite went to take possession of his own hereditary land.

7 The people served the LORD during the entire lifetime of Joshua, and of those elders who outlived Joshua and who had seen all the great work which the LORD had done for Israel.

8 Joshua, son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, was a hundred and ten years old when he died;

9 and they buried him within the borders of his heritage at Timnath-heres in the mountain region of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash.

10 But once the rest of that generation were gathered to their fathers, and a later generation arose that did not know the LORD, or what he had done for Israel,

11 the Israelites offended the LORD by serving the Baals.

12 Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had led them out of the land of Egypt, they followed the other gods of the various nations around them, and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD.

13 Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth,

14 the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel, and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them. He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about whom they were no longer able to withstand.

15 Whatever they undertook, the LORD turned into disaster for them, as in his warning he had sworn he would do, till they were in great distress.

16 Even when the LORD raised up judges to deliver them from the power of their despoilers,

17 they did not listen to their judges, but abandoned themselves to the worship of other gods. They were quick to stray from the way their fathers had taken, and did not follow their example of obedience to the commandments of the LORD.

18 Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge and save them from the power of their enemies as long as the judge lived; it was thus the LORD took pity on their distressful cries of affliction under their oppressors.

19 But when the judge died, they would relapse and do worse than their fathers, following other gods in service and worship, relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn conduct.

20 In his anger toward Israel the LORD said, "Inasmuch as this nation has violated my covenant which I enjoined on their fathers, and has disobeyed me,

21 I for my part will not clear away for them any more of the nations which Joshua left when he died."

22 Through these nations the Israelites were to be made to prove whether or not they would keep to the way of the LORD and continue in it as their fathers had done;

23 therefore the LORD allowed them to remain instead of expelling them immediately, or delivering them into the power of Israel.

v 1-3. The verses of this chapter are not in historically chronological order. This angel of the Lord was the pre incarnate Christ. He had promised to drive out the enemy, but since Israel had been willing to compromise and make them servants or simply to dwell among them, now the Lord will not drive them out. They will be a continuing problem, and intermarriage will lead Israel into idolatry. 

 

 

v 4,5. This caused Israel to weep, and even name the place Bochim, “Weepers”, but their sacrifices only represented sorrow, not action of true repentance. 

 

v 6,7. This reviews how Joshua had dismissed the people after the meeting in Shechem, Josh. 24:1, and how in general they followed the Lord as long as Joshua’s contemporary leaders lived. This ties the events of the two books together.

 

v 8,9. This reviews Joshua’s burial, Josh. 24:30.

 

 

v 10-13. The new generation were the ones who lived among the enemy, began to intermarry and follow after their gods. Baal was the Canaanite name for the Syrian god, Hadad, the god of storms and wars. Balaam, or Baals, is plural for the many local varieties of Baal that were worshiped. Ashtareth was plural of Ashtaroth, the same as the Babylonian goddess, Ishtar, the Aphrodite of the Greeks, the Venus of the Romans and the Phoenician goddess of fertility, Astarte. She was supposed to be the consort of Baal. See 3:7 At the altars of Baal, groves, or poles, were set up on either side, one having the female private parts carved in and the other with the male private parts.

 

v 14,15. God was angry with Israel for this great sin and delivered them into the hand of enemies who overcame and spoiled them, just as God had said he would do, Lev. 26:17; Deut. 28:25,48.

 

 

 

v 16-19. In His mercy, God raised up judges who were patriots and religious reformers to represent Him in the nation. The people would obey while the judge lived, then sin after he died, be chastened. repent and turn back to God. It was a downward spiral in cycles described as 1 Relapse; 2 Retribution; 3 Repentance 4 Restoration. This may be illustrated by a circle:
1  Relapse  
2 Retribution    
3 Repentance  
4 Restoration 
2:11-13 ;  2:14,15   ;  3:9  ;              2:16; 3:7 ;   3:8  ;    3:15  ;   
3:10,11 ; 3:12 ; 3:14,15 ;  3:28,30

 

 

v 20-23. God’s purpose in not driving out the Canaanites all at once as stated in Ex 23:29,30 was so the land would not become desolate and overcome with beasts. We can also see by the cycle mentioned, that had He driven them out all at once, the people would have soon become complacent and forsaken Him. So they were left to test Israel’s sincerity in following the Lord. Also to teach them war. See 3:1,2.