Judges 2:15-23

Context
2:15 Whenever they went out to fight,¹ the Lord did them harm,² just as he had warned and solemnly vowed he would do.³ They suffered greatly.⁴

2:16 The Lord raised up leaders⁵ who delivered them from these robbers.⁶ 2:17 But they did not obey⁷ their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped⁸ them. They quickly turned aside from the path⁹ their ancestors¹⁰ had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lord’s commands, but they did not.¹¹ 2:18 When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people¹² from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them¹³ when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them.¹⁴ 2:19 When a leader died, the next generation¹⁵ would again¹⁶ act more wickedly than the previous one.¹⁷ They would follow after other gods, worshiping them¹⁸ and bowing down to them. They did not give up¹⁹ their practices or their stubborn ways.

A Divine Decision

2:20 The Lord was furious with Israel.²⁰ He said, “This nation²¹ has violated the terms of the agreement I made with their ancestors²² by disobeying me.²³ 2:21 So I will no longer remove before them any of the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died. 2:22 Joshua left those nations²⁴ to test²⁵ Israel. I wanted to see²⁶ whether or not the people²⁷ would carefully walk in the path²⁸ marked out by²⁹ the Lord, as their ancestors³⁰ were careful to do.” 2:23 This is why³¹ the Lord permitted these nations to remain and did not conquer them immediately;³² he did not hand them over to Joshua.

[2:15] ¹tn The expression “to fight” is interpretive.

[2:15] ²tn Heb “the Lord’s hand was against them for harm.”

[2:15] ³tn Heb “just as he had said and just as he had sworn to them.”

[2:15] ⁴tn Or “they experienced great distress.”

[2:16] ⁵tn 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.”

[2:16] ⁶tn Heb “and they delivered them from the hand of the ones robbing them.”

[2:17] ⁷tn Or “did not listen to.”

[2:17] ⁸tn Or “bowed before.”

[2:17] ⁹tn Or “way [of life].”

[2:17] ¹⁰tn Or “fathers.”

[2:17] ¹¹tn Heb “…walked, obeying the Lord’s commands. They did not do this.”

[2:18] ¹²tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:18] ¹³tn The phrase “for them” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[2:18] ¹⁴tn 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.

[2:19] ¹⁵tn Heb “they”; the referent (the next generation) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:19] ¹⁶tn 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.

[2:19] ¹⁷tn Heb “their fathers.”

[2:19] ¹⁸tn Or “serving [them]”; or “following [them].”

[2:19] ¹⁹tn Or “drop.”

[2:20] ²⁰tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”

[2:20] ²¹tn Heb “Because this nation.”

[2:20] ²²tn Heb “my covenant which I commanded their fathers.”

[2:20] ²³tn Heb “and has not listened to my voice.” The expression “to not listen to [God’s] voice” is idiomatic here for disobeying him.

[2:22] ²⁴tn 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.)

[2:22] ²⁵tn 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.

[2:22] ²⁶tn The words “I [i.e., the Lord] wanted to see” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[2:22] ²⁷tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:22] ²⁸tn Or “way [of life].”

[2:22] ²⁹tn “The words “marked out by” are interpretive.

[2:22] ³⁰tn Or “fathers.”

[2:23] ³¹tn The words “this is why” are interpretive.

[2:23] ³²tn Or “quickly.”