Judges 2:7 Komentář

In this chapter we have, I. A particular message which God sent to Israel by an angel, and the impression it made upon them (Jdg 2:1-5). II. A general idea of the state of Israel during the government of the judges, in which observe, 1. Their adherence to God while Joshua and the elders lived (Jdg 2:6-10). 2. Their revolt afterwards to idolatry (Jdg 2:11-13). 3. God's displeasure against them, and his judgments upon them for it (Jdg 2:14, Jdg 2:15). 4. His pity towards them, shown in raising them up deliverers (Jdg 2:16-18). 5. Their relapse into idolatry after the judgment was over (Jdg 2:17-19). 6. The full stop God in anger put to their successes (Jdg 2:20-23). These are the contents, not only of this chapter, but of the whole book.

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 2 This chapter gives an account of an angel of the Lord appearing and rebuking the children of Israel for their present misconduct, Jdg 2:1; of their good behaviour under Joshua, and the elders that outlived him, Jdg 2:6; and of their idolatries they fell into afterwards, which greatly provoked the Lord to anger, Jdg 2:11; and of the goodness of God to them nevertheless, in raising up judges to deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, of which there are many instances in the following chapter, Jdg 2:16; and yet that how, upon the demise of such persons, they relapsed into idolatry which caused the anger of God to be hot against them, and to determine not to drive out the Canaanites utterly from them, but to leave them among them to try them, Jdg 2:19.

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. In Egypt, at the Red sea, in the wilderness, at the river Jordan, and in the land of Canaan; See Gill on Jos 24:31. The Jews (a) say, the elders died on the fifth of Shebet, which answers to part of January and part of February, on which account a fast was kept on that day. (a) Schulchan Aruch, par. 1. c. 580. sect. 2.

Who are these elders who either came with Joshua/Jesus or after him, if not the very apostles who illumined our hearts by their writings and precepts, even bringing a certain kind of “day” among us from that “true light” in which they were partakers? Whoever, therefore, is enlightened and instructed from the precepts of the apostles and is ordained according to the apostolic rules for the service of the Lord is the very person who is said to serve the Lord in the days of the elders who came after Jesus. Do you wish to see that the apostles also were the “light of the world,” just as the Savior “was the true light which illumines every person coming into the world”2? The Lord himself said to them, as it is written in the Gospel, “You are the light of the world.” But if the apostles are also the light of the world, then the “days” in which “we serve the Lord” undoubtedly illuminate us through their precepts and commandments.

It mentions “the days of the elders who knew all the works of the Lord.” Who is the person who “knows all the works of the Lord,” except the one who does them himself? For just as it was said that the sons of Eli were “sons of pestilence, having no knowledge of the Lord,” yet not meaning that these men who taught others were ignorant of the Lord, but rather that they behaved like those who did not know the Lord, so also in like manner is this statement to be understood that the elders “knew all the works of the Lord.” Moreover, it does not merely say that “they knew the works of the Lord” but specifies that “they knew every work of the Lord,” that is, that they knew the Lord’s work of justice and work of sanctification and patience and kindness and piety, for everything that comes from the commandments of God is called a “work of the Lord.” … Therefore, they are said to “know” the work of God who do his work. But that its customary use of “to know” and “not to know” may shine still more clearly from the authority of the Scriptures, observe how it is written elsewhere that “he who keeps the commandment,” it says, “will not know an evil word.” Can, therefore, one who keeps the commandments become one who does not know evil? He knows, of course, but “not know” is said of him because he is careful to avoid the evil. It is even said of the Lord and Savior himself that “he did not know sin,” certainly indicating in this case that to be ignorant of sin is equivalent to refraining from every sinful act. In this way, therefore, he is said to “know the works of the Lord” who performs “the works of the Lord,” whereas he who does not do the work of God is ignorant of the work of God.

AN ANGEL SENT TO REBUKE THE PEOPLE AT BOCHIM. (Jdg 2:1-10) an angel . . . came from Gilgal to Bochim--We are inclined to think, from the authoritative tone of his language, that he was the Angel of the Covenant (Exo 23:20; Jos 5:14); the same who appeared in human form and announced himself captain of the Lord's host. His coming from Gilgal had a peculiar significance, for there the Israelites made a solemn dedication of themselves to God on their entrance into the promised land [Jos 4:1-9]; and the memory of that religious engagement, which the angel's arrival from Gilgal awakened, gave emphatic force to his rebuke of their apostasy. Bochim--"the weepers," was a name bestowed evidently in allusion to this incident or the place, which was at or near Shiloh. I said, I will never break my covenant with you . . . but ye have not obeyed my voice--The burden of the angel's remonstrance was that God would inviolably keep His promise; but they, by their flagrant and repeated breaches of their covenant with Him, had forfeited all claim to the stipulated benefits. Having disobeyed the will of God by voluntarily courting the society of idolaters and placing themselves in the way of temptation, He left them to suffer the punishment of their misdeeds.