Judges 8:34

KJV

And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:

KJV (with Strong's)

And the children {H1121} of Israel {H3478} remembered {H2142} not the LORD {H3068} their God {H430}, who had delivered {H5337} them out of the hands {H3027} of all their enemies {H341} on every side {H5439}:

Complete Jewish Bible

They forgot ADONAI their God, who had saved them from the power of all their enemies on every side;

Berean Standard Bible

The Israelites failed to remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.

American Standard Version

And the children of Israel remembered not Jehovah their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side;

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Judges 8:34 serves as a poignant and somber declaration of Israel's spiritual decline immediately following the death of Gideon, their deliverer. Despite experiencing profound and comprehensive deliverance from their adversaries by the hand of the LORD, the nation quickly succumbed to spiritual amnesia, neglecting their covenant relationship with God. This verse encapsulates a recurring pattern of human ingratitude and forgetfulness, setting the stage for the subsequent cycles of apostasy and oppression that characterize the remainder of the Book of Judges.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse marks a critical turning point, immediately following the death of Gideon, whose leadership brought forty years of peace after a decisive victory over the Midianites described in [Judges 7](/judges/7 "Judges 7 - Gideon's Victory"). While Gideon's own actions at the end of his life were not without blemish (e.g., the ephod in [Judges 8:27](/judges/8-27 "Judges 8:27 - Gideon's Ephod")), his death removed the primary human instrument of God's recent deliverance. Judges 8:34 thus serves as a stark transition from a period of relative stability to the rapid moral and spiritual decay that defines the subsequent chapters, particularly the rise of Abimelech in [Judges 9](/judges/9 "Judges 9 - Abimelech's Usurpation") and the deepening apostasy under later judges. It signals the beginning of a new downward spiral in the recurring cycle of sin, oppression, and deliverance that structures the entire book, as outlined in [Judges 2:11-19](/judges/2-11 "Judges 2:11-19 - The Cycle of Judges").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The period of the Judges (roughly 1200-1000 BC) was a turbulent era in Israel's history, characterized by a lack of centralized leadership ("In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes," [Judges 17:6](/judges/17-6 "Judges 17:6 - No King in Israel")). After the initial conquest under Joshua, the tribes often struggled to fully dispossess the Canaanites, leading to cultural and religious syncretism. The "enemies on every side" refer to the various surrounding peoples—Midianites, Amalekites, Ammonites, Philistines, etc.—who frequently oppressed Israel due to their covenant infidelity. The covenant with Yahweh, established at Sinai, demanded exclusive worship and obedience, promising blessing for fidelity and judgment for apostasy (as detailed in [Deuteronomy 28](/deuteronomy/28 "Deuteronomy 28 - Blessings and Curses")). Israel's failure to "remember" God was not merely forgetfulness but a deliberate turning away from this covenant, often involving the worship of Baal and Asherah, common Canaanite deities associated with fertility and prosperity.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully underscores several core themes of the Book of Judges. Firstly, it highlights **Spiritual Amnesia and Ingratitude**, demonstrating Israel's profound and repeated failure to recall God's mighty acts of deliverance and His covenant faithfulness, despite direct, miraculous intervention. Secondly, it exemplifies the **Cycle of Disobedience and Judgment**, serving as the pivot point where Israel's peace gives way to renewed apostasy, foreshadowing the subsequent oppression and the need for another deliverer. This cycle is a central theological framework of the book, illustrating the consequences of covenant breaking. Thirdly, it starkly contrasts **Divine Faithfulness with Human Fickleness**. God consistently "delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side," demonstrating His unwavering commitment to His covenant people, even when they proved profoundly unreliable and prone to spiritual wandering. This tension between God's steadfast character and Israel's wavering loyalty is a pervasive theme throughout the Old Testament, from the wilderness wanderings in [Numbers](/numbers/1 "The Book of Numbers") to the prophetic critiques in [Jeremiah](/jeremiah/1 "The Book of Jeremiah").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Remembered not (Hebrew, _lo zakaru'_):** This phrase, derived from the root *zakar* (זָכַר), implies far more than a passive lapse of memory. Coupled with the negative particle *lo* (לֹא), it signifies an active, deliberate failure to call to mind, to acknowledge, or to act upon the knowledge of God's past deeds and covenant obligations. It suggests a willful neglect, an intentional turning away from the foundational truths of their relationship with Yahweh, leading to a practical disregard for His commands and His identity as their deliverer. This "not remembering" is a profound act of spiritual rebellion and ingratitude.
* **Delivered (Hebrew, _natsal'_):** The verb *natsal* (נָצַל) conveys the powerful action of snatching away, rescuing, or pulling out, often from a dangerous or oppressive situation. It emphasizes God's active, decisive, and often miraculous intervention on Israel's behalf. The use of this word here highlights the magnitude of God's past salvific acts—He didn't just help, He *rescued* them completely from overwhelming forces. The fact that Israel "remembered not" such a powerful and comprehensive deliverance underscores the depth of their spiritual blindness and ingratitude.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God":** This initial clause immediately establishes the core problem: Israel's profound spiritual amnesia. It's not merely forgetting a historical event, but forgetting *who* their God is (the LORD, Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God) and *their relationship* to Him. This failure to remember implies a failure to worship, obey, and acknowledge His sovereignty, directly violating the first commandment.
* **"who had delivered them":** This phrase serves as a powerful indictment and a reminder of God's consistent faithfulness. It highlights God's active role as their rescuer, emphasizing that their existence as a free people was entirely due to His intervention. The past perfect tense ("had delivered") points to a long history of divine rescue, making their current forgetfulness even more egregious.
* **"out of the hands of all their enemies on every side":** This final phrase underscores the comprehensive and complete nature of God's deliverance. It was not just from one enemy or one direction, but from *all* their enemies and from *every side*, implying total and pervasive protection. This detail magnifies Israel's ingratitude, as they forgot the God who had granted them holistic peace and security against overwhelming odds.

#### Literary Devices
Judges 8:34 masterfully employs **Irony** and **Repetition** to convey its message. The primary irony lies in the stark contrast between God's unwavering and comprehensive deliverance ("out of the hands of all their enemies on every side") and Israel's immediate and profound forgetfulness ("remembered not the LORD their God"). This highlights the tragic human tendency to neglect divine faithfulness once immediate threats have passed, despite overwhelming evidence of God's power and benevolence. Furthermore, the verse functions as a crucial point in the **Repetitive Cycle** of the Book of Judges, serving as the "apostasy" stage that inevitably follows a period of peace and deliverance. It foreshadows the subsequent oppression and the need for a new deliverer, reinforcing the book's overarching message about Israel's spiritual instability and God's persistent yet conditional covenant relationship with His people.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Judges 8:34 is a theological pivot, articulating Israel's corporate failure to uphold their covenant responsibilities, despite God's unwavering faithfulness. It underscores the profound human tendency towards spiritual amnesia and ingratitude, particularly after periods of divine blessing and peace. This "not remembering" is not a passive oversight but an active turning away from the God who had repeatedly demonstrated His power and love. The verse highlights the critical importance of remembering God's past acts of deliverance as a foundation for present obedience and future hope, a theme central to Israel's identity and their relationship with Yahweh. Their failure to remember the LORD their God directly led to their subsequent spiritual and moral decay, paving the way for further cycles of sin and suffering.

* [Deuteronomy 6:10-12](/deuteronomy/6-10 "Deuteronomy 6:10-12 - Do Not Forget the LORD")
* [Psalm 106:13-14](/psalms/106-13 "Psalm 106:13-14 - They Soon Forgot His Works")
* [Hebrews 3:7-12](/hebrews/3-7 "Hebrews 3:7-12 - Do Not Harden Your Hearts")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Judges 8:34 serves as a timeless mirror for believers today, exposing the universal human propensity for spiritual forgetfulness and ingratitude. Just as Israel quickly forgot God's miraculous deliverance once the immediate threat subsided, we too can become complacent in our faith during times of comfort and blessing. This verse is a powerful call to intentional remembrance: to actively recall and recount God's past faithfulness, His specific interventions in our lives, and His unwavering character. Cultivating a grateful heart and regularly reflecting on God's goodness helps to guard against spiritual drift and the subtle erosion of our devotion. It reminds us that true spiritual vitality is not merely about seeking God in crisis, but about consistently acknowledging His sovereignty, His grace, and His presence in every season, lest we, like Israel, neglect the One who has delivered us from the hands of our greatest enemies.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of your life have you recently experienced God's deliverance or blessing, and how intentionally are you remembering those acts?**
* **What practices can you implement to cultivate a more consistent and intentional remembrance of God's faithfulness, even during times of peace?**
* **How might spiritual complacency manifest in your life, and what steps can you take to guard against it?**

### FAQ
**What does "remembered not" truly mean in this context?**

Answer: In biblical Hebrew, "remembering" (from the root *zakar*) is not merely a passive act of recalling information. When applied to God, it implies an active, intentional engagement with His character, His covenant, and His past deeds. Conversely, "remembered not" (*lo zakar*) signifies a deliberate failure to acknowledge God's identity, His mighty acts of deliverance, and His covenant demands. It's a profound act of spiritual neglect, a turning away from their relationship with Yahweh, which leads to practical disobedience and idolatry. It means they failed to live in light of who God is and what He had done for them, effectively disregarding their covenant obligations (see [Deuteronomy 8:11-14](/deuteronomy/8-11 "Deuteronomy 8:11-14 - Do Not Forget the LORD Your God")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Judges 8:34, with its lament over Israel's spiritual amnesia and ingratitude, finds its ultimate resolution and reversal in Jesus Christ. Israel's repeated failure to "remember the LORD their God" highlighted their inability to maintain covenant faithfulness and their desperate need for a perfect deliverer. Jesus, as the true and faithful Israelite, perfectly remembered and obeyed the Father, even to the point of death on the cross ([Philippians 2:8](/philippians/2-8 "Philippians 2:8 - Obedience to Death")). He is the ultimate "deliverer" (the *natsal* par excellence), not just from physical enemies, but from sin and death itself ([Romans 11:26](/romans/11-26 "Romans 11:26 - The Deliverer from Zion")). In the New Covenant, established through His blood, God promises to write His laws on our hearts, enabling a true and lasting remembrance of Him, not based on human effort but on divine grace ([Jeremiah 31:33](/jeremiah/31-33 "Jeremiah 31:33 - The New Covenant") and [Hebrews 8:10](/hebrews/8-10 "Hebrews 8:10 - God's Law on Our Hearts")). Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, believers are empowered to remember God's faithfulness, to walk in His ways, and to live lives of gratitude, reflecting the perfect remembrance and obedience of Christ, who truly takes away the sin of the world ([John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Psalms 78:42

They remembered not his hand, [nor] the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

Psalms 78:11

And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

Psalms 106:21

They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

Jeremiah 2:32

Can a maid forget her ornaments, [or] a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

Ecclesiastes 12:1

¶ Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

Deuteronomy 4:9

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

Psalms 106:18

And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.