TRV
Translation
King James Version
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?
Complete Jewish Bible
you, for your part, are not to make any covenant with the inhabitants of this land but must tear down their altars.' However, you have paid no attention to what I said. What is this you have done?
Berean Standard Bible
and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done?
American Standard Version
and ye shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall break down their altars. But ye have not hearkened unto my voice: why have ye done this?
World English Bible Messianic
and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not listened to my voice: why have you done this?
Geneva Bible (1599)
Ye also shall make no couenant with the inhabitants of this land, but shall breake downe their altars: but ye haue not obeyed my voyce. Why haue ye done this?
Young's Literal Translation
and saith, `I cause you to come up out of Egypt, and bring you in unto the land which I have sworn to your fathers, and say, I do not break My covenant with you to the age; and ye--ye make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land--their altars ye break down; and ye have not hearkened to My voice--what is this ye have done?
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Commentary on Judges 2 verses 1–5
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.
It was the privilege of Israel that they had not only a law in general sent them from heaven, once for all, to direct them into and keep them in the way of happiness, but that they had particular messages sent them from heaven, as there was occasion, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, when at any time they turned aside out of that way. Besides the written word which they had before them to read, they often heard a word behind them, saying, This is the way, Isa 30:21. Here begins that way of God's dealing with them. When they would not hear Moses, let it be tried whether they will hear the prophets. In these verses we have a very awakening sermon that was preached to them when they began to cool in their religion.
I. The preacher was an angel of the Lord (Jdg 2:1), not a prophet, not Phinehas, as the Jews conceit; gospel ministers are indeed called angels of the churches, but the Old Testament prophets are never called angels of the Lord; no doubt this was a messenger we from heaven. Such extraordinary messengers we sometimes find in this book employed in the raising up of the judges that delivered Israel, as Gideon and Samson; and now, to show how various are the good offices they do for God's Israel, here is one sent to preach to them, to prevent their falling into sin and trouble. This extraordinary messenger was sent to command, if possible, the greater regard to the message, and to affect the minds of a people whom nothing seemed to affect but what was sensible. The learned bishop Patrick is clearly of opinion that this was not a created angel, but the Angel of the covenant, the same that appeared to Joshua as captain of the hosts of the Lord, who was God himself. Christ himself, says Dr. Lightfoot; who but God and Christ could say, I made you to go up out of Egypt? Joshua had lately admonished them to take heed of entangling themselves with the Canaanites, but they regarded not the words of a dying man; the same warning therefore is here brought them by the living God himself, the Son of God appearing as an angel. If they slight his servants, surely they will reverence his Son. This angel of the Lord is said to come up from Gilgal, perhaps not walking on the earth, but flying swiftly, as the angel Gabriel did to Daniel, in the open firmament of heaven; but, whether walking or flying, he seemed to come from Gilgal for a particular reason. Gilgal was long their headquarters after they came into Canaan, many signal favours they had there received from God, and there the covenant of circumcision was renewed (Mic 6:5), of all which it was designed they should be reminded by his coming from Gilgal. The remembrance of what we have received and heard will prepare us for a warning to hold fast, Rev 3:2, Rev 3:3.
II. The persons to whom this sermon was preached were all the children of Israel, Jdg 2:4. A great congregation for a great preacher! They were assembled either for war, each tribe sending in its forces for some great expedition, or rather for worship, and then the place of their meeting must be Shiloh, where the tabernacle was, at which they were all to come together three times a year. When we attend upon God in instituted ordinances we may expect to hear from him, and to receive his gifts at his own gates. The place is called Bochim (Jdg 2:1), because it gained that name upon this occasion. All Israel needed the reproof and warning here given, and therefore it is spoken to them all.
III. The sermon itself is short, but very close. God here tells them plainly, 1. What he had done for them, Jdg 2:1. He had brought them out of Egypt, a land of slavery and toil, into Canaan, a land of rest, liberty, and plenty. The miseries of the one served as a foil to the felicities of the other. God had herein been kind to them, true to the oath sworn to their fathers, had given such proofs of his power as left them inexcusable if they distrusted it, and such engagements to his service as left them inexcusable if they deserted it. 2. What he had promised them: I said, I will never break my covenant with you. When he took them to be his peculiar people, it was not with any design to cast them off again, or to change them for another people at his pleasure; let them but be faithful to him, and they should find him unchangeably constant to them. He told them plainly that the covenant he entered into with them should never break, unless it broke on their side. 3. What were his just and reasonable expectations from them (Jdg 2:2): that being taken into covenant with God they should make no league with the Canaanites, who were both his enemies and theirs, - that having set up his altar they should throw down their altars, lest they should be a temptation to them to serve their gods. Could any thing be demanded more easy? 4. How they had in this very thing, which he had most insisted on, disobeyed him: "But you have not in so small a matter obeyed my voice." In contempt of their covenant with God, and their confederacy with each other in that covenant, they made leagues of friendship with the idolatrous devoted Canaanites, and connived at their altars, though they stood in competition with God's. "Why have you done this? What account can you give of this perverseness of yours at the bar of right reason? What apology can you make for yourselves, or what excuse can you offer?" Those that throw off their communion with God, and have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, know not what they do now, and will have nothing to say for themselves in the day of account shortly. 5. How they must expect to smart by and by for this their folly, Jdg 2:3. Their tolerating the Canaanites among them would, (1.) Put a period to their victories: "You will not drive them out," says God, "and therefore I will not;" thus their sin was made their punishment. Thus those who indulge their lusts and corruptions, which they should mortify, forfeit the grace of God, and it is justly withdrawn from them. If we will not resist the devil, we cannot expect that God should tread him under our feet. (2.) It would involve them in continual troubles. "They shall be thorns in your sides to gore you, which way soever you turn, always doing you one mischief or other." Those deceive themselves who expect advantage by friendship with those that are enemies to God. (3.) It would (which was worst of all) expose them to constant temptation and draw them to sin. "Their gods" (their abominations, so the Chaldee) "will be a snare to you; you will find yourselves wretchedly entangled in an affection to them, and it will be your ruin," so some read it. Those that approach sin are justly left to themselves to fall into sin and to perish in it. God often makes men's sin their punishment; and thorns and snares are in the way of the froward, who will walk contrary to God.
IV. The good success of this sermon is very remarkable: The people lifted up their voice and wept, Jdg 2:4. 1. The angel had told them of their sins, for which they thus expressed their sorrow: the lifted up their voice in confession of sin, crying out against their own folly and ingratitude, and wept, as those that were both ashamed of themselves and angry at themselves, as having acted so directly contrary both to their reason and to their interest. 2. The angel had threatened them with the judgments of God, of which they thus expressed their dread: they lifted up their voice in prayer to God to turn away his wrath from them, and wept for fear of that wrath. They relented upon this alarm, and their hearts melted within them, and trembled at the word, and not without cause. This was good, and a sign that the word they heard made an impression upon them: it is a wonder sinners can ever read their Bible with dry eyes. But this was not enough; they wept, but we do not find that they reformed, that they went home and destroyed all the remains of idolatry and idolaters among them. Many are melted under the word that harden again before they are cast into a new mould. However, this general weeping, (1.) Gave a new name to the place (Jdg 2:5): they called it Bochim, Weepers, a good name for our religious assemblies to answer. Had they kept close to God and their duty, no voice but that of singing would have been heard in their congregation; but by their sin and folly the had made other work for themselves, and now nothing is to be heard but the voice of weeping. (2.) It gave occasion for a solemn sacrifice: They sacrificed there unto the Lord, having (as is supposed) met at Shiloh, where God's altar was. They offered sacrifice to turn away God's wrath, and to obtain his favour, and in token of their dedication of themselves to him, and to him only, making a covenant by this sacrifice. The disease being thus taken in time, and the physic administered working so well, one would have hoped a cure might be effected. But by the sequel of the story it appears to have been too deeply rooted to be wept out.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–5. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Judges 2:2 records a profound divine confrontation at Bochim, where the Angel of the Lord delivers a severe rebuke to the Israelites for their blatant disregard of God's explicit commands. Despite being instructed to forge no alliances with the indigenous inhabitants and to utterly dismantle their pagan altars, Israel had demonstrably failed to obey. This pivotal verse encapsulates their covenant infidelity, revealing God's deep disappointment and setting the stage for the recurring cycles of spiritual compromise, divine judgment, and subsequent oppression that characterize the unfolding narrative of the Book of Judges.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Judges 2:2 employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message. The most prominent is the Rhetorical Question ("why have ye done this?"), which serves not to elicit an answer but to emphasize the inexcusability of Israel's actions and God's profound disappointment and sorrow. This question functions as a powerful Reproach, directly confronting Israel with their egregious failure to uphold their covenant obligations. The initial commands ("ye shall make no league," "ye shall throw down") are presented in the Imperative Mood, highlighting their nature as direct, non-negotiable divine decrees that demand immediate and complete obedience. The entire passage is steeped in Covenant Language, recalling the terms of the Mosaic Covenant and underscoring Israel's breach of their obligations. The stark contrast between God's clear commands and Israel's explicit disobedience ("but ye have not obeyed") creates a powerful Antithesis, emphasizing the gravity of their sin and the resulting divine judgment that is about to be pronounced.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Judges 2:2 powerfully illustrates the critical importance of absolute obedience to God's commands, especially concerning spiritual purity and separation from the world's corrupting influences. Israel's failure to fully dispossess the Canaanites and destroy their altars was not a minor oversight but a direct act of covenant infidelity, demonstrating a profound lack of faith in God's power and a willingness to compromise His holiness for perceived convenience or fear. This disobedience led directly to spiritual syncretism, moral decay, and ultimately, divine judgment in the form of oppression by the very nations they failed to eradicate. The verse reveals God's character as a holy and jealous God who demands exclusive worship, but also as a God who grieves over His people's rebellion and holds them accountable for their choices. It serves as a perennial warning against spiritual compromise and the insidious nature of incremental disobedience, underscoring that partial obedience is, in fact, disobedience.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The divine rebuke in Judges 2:2 resonates deeply with believers today, serving as a potent reminder of the ongoing call to spiritual vigilance and uncompromising obedience. Just as ancient Israel was commanded to be distinct from the pagan cultures around them, followers of Christ are called to be "in the world but not of the world" (John 17:16). This means actively identifying and dismantling the "altars" of modern idolatry in our lives—anything that competes for God's supreme place, such as materialism, self-worship, the relentless pursuit of worldly approval, or reliance on human wisdom over divine truth. We must critically examine our "leagues" or compromises with worldly values, thought patterns, or practices that subtly contradict God's Word and dilute our commitment to Christ. True spiritual vitality and freedom from the cycles of defeat come through wholehearted obedience, recognizing that God's commands are always for our ultimate good and His greater glory. Our own "why have ye done this?" moment may come when we face the natural and spiritual consequences of our spiritual compromises, leading us to a necessary season of repentance and renewed, unwavering commitment to Christ.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "make no league" mean in this context, and why was it so important?
Answer: To "make no league" (Hebrew: bᵉrîyth) means to enter into no covenant, treaty, or formal agreement with the Canaanite inhabitants of the land. This prohibition was critically important because such alliances would inevitably lead to spiritual compromise and assimilation. God's ultimate purpose for Israel was to be a holy nation, set apart for His exclusive worship, a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6). Covenants with pagan nations would lead to intermarriage, the adoption of their idolatrous practices, and the erosion of Israel's unique identity and mission. God knew that close association would corrupt His people, as tragically seen later in Judges 3:5-6, where they married into these nations and served their gods.
Why did God command them to "throw down their altars"?
Answer: The command to "throw down their altars" was a direct assault on the very heart of Canaanite religion. These altars were centers of worship for false gods like Baal and Asherah, often involving abhorrent practices, including ritual prostitution and child sacrifice. God's command underscored His absolute intolerance for idolatry and His demand for exclusive worship. By failing to destroy these altars, Israel left open a gateway for spiritual contamination and syncretism, allowing the worship of Yahweh to become mixed with pagan practices, thereby defiling their covenant with Him. This was a necessary act to purify the land and ensure Israel's spiritual integrity, as commanded in Deuteronomy 12:2-3.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Judges 2:2, with its stark portrayal of Israel's covenant failure and the devastating consequences of their disobedience, profoundly points to the necessity of Christ. The Israelites repeatedly failed to maintain their distinct identity and purity, entering into "leagues" with the world and embracing its "altars" of idolatry. This tragic pattern highlights humanity's pervasive inability to perfectly obey God's commands and uphold the terms of the Old Covenant. However, in Jesus Christ, we find the perfectly obedient Israelite, the one who fully honored God's voice without deviation. He made no "league" with the world's systems of sin and idolatry, but rather perfectly fulfilled the Father's will even to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Furthermore, Christ Himself became the ultimate "altar" and the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice, through whom all other altars and their associated rituals are rendered obsolete (Hebrews 10:10). Through His atoning work, He takes away the sin of the world, including the sin of idolatry and spiritual compromise, offering a New Covenant in His blood that writes God's law on our hearts and empowers us to live in true obedience (Jeremiah 31:33). Thus, the failure at Bochim underscores our desperate need for a Savior who perfectly fulfills the covenant and enables us, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, to truly "obey His voice" and "throw down" the idols in our own lives, living as a people set apart for Him (2 Corinthians 5:17).