Judges 2:5

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

And they called {H7121} the name {H8034} of that place {H4725} Bochim {H1066}: and they sacrificed {H2076} there unto the LORD {H3068}.

So they called the name of that place Bokhim [crying] and sacrificed there to ADONAI.

So they called that place Bochim and offered sacrifices there to the LORD.

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

Commentary

Judges 2:5 marks a crucial and somber moment in the early history of Israel in the Promised Land, following directly from a divine rebuke. This verse highlights the immediate, emotional response of the Israelites to the consequences of their disobedience.

Context

The Book of Judges begins by detailing Israel's partial obedience in conquering the land of Canaan. Rather than fully driving out the inhabitants as God commanded, they made covenants with them and allowed their pagan altars to remain. In Judges 2:1-3, the Angel of the LORD appeared at a place later named Bochim, confronting the Israelites with their spiritual failure. He declared that because they had broken their covenant with God by not obeying His voice, He would no longer drive out the remaining nations before them. Instead, these nations and their gods would become a snare to Israel. This pronouncement of judgment, revealing the painful repercussions of their compromise, caused the people to weep aloud (Judges 2:4). Verse 5 records their collective act of naming the place and their subsequent worship.

Key Themes

  • Sorrow and Grief: The central theme is the overwhelming sorrow of the Israelites. The name given to the place, "Bochim," directly signifies their weeping and lamentation, underscoring the deep emotional impact of the Angel's message.
  • Consequences of Disobedience: The weeping was a direct response to understanding the severe repercussions of their spiritual compromise and failure to fully obey God's commands regarding the Canaanites. Their sorrow was a fruit of their sin.
  • Attempted Reconciliation and Worship: The act of sacrificing "unto the LORD" indicates an attempt to seek God's favor, express remorse, or make atonement for their transgressions. While it suggests a recognition of God's authority, the subsequent narrative of Judges reveals that this sorrow often lacked the lasting transformation of true repentance.

Linguistic Insights

The name Bochim (Hebrew: בֹּכִים, Bokhim) is highly evocative. It is derived from the Hebrew verb meaning "to weep" and literally translates to "weepers" or "place of weeping." This name permanently memorialized the profound grief and lamentation experienced by the Israelites at that location. The phrase "sacrificed there unto the LORD" signifies a formal act of worship, likely involving burnt offerings or peace offerings, which were common means of seeking God's forgiveness or expressing devotion in ancient Israelite practice.

Practical Application

Judges 2:5 serves as a powerful reminder for believers today:

  • The Gravity of Spiritual Compromise: Israel's sorrow at Bochim highlights that disobedience and spiritual compromise have real, painful consequences. Allowing worldly influences or values to persist in our lives can hinder God's full blessing and lead to distress.
  • Sorrow vs. True Repentance: While the Israelites wept, their history in the Book of Judges shows that this sorrow often didn't lead to sustained obedience. True repentance involves not only emotional grief over sin but also a decisive turning away from it and a renewed commitment to God's ways. The recurring cycles of sin and deliverance seen later in Judges (Judges 3:7-11) illustrate this distinction.
  • God's Persistent Grace: Even in their failure, God sent a warning and an opportunity for repentance. This demonstrates His enduring patience and desire for His people to return to Him, providing a pathway for reconciliation even when they stray.
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Cross-References

  • Joshua 7:26

    And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

  • Judges 6:24

    Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it [is] yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

  • Genesis 35:8

    But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.

  • Judges 13:19

    So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered [it] upon a rock unto the LORD: and [the angel] did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.

  • 1 Samuel 7:9

    And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered [it for] a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him.