Hakim-hakim 2:1-6

Confrontation and Repentance at Bokim

2:1 The Lord’s angelic messenger ¹  went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors. ²  I said, ‘I will never break my agreement ³  with you, 2:2 but you must not make an agreement with the people who live in this land. You should tear down the altars where they worship.’ ⁴  But you have disobeyed me. ⁵  Why would you do such a thing? ⁶  2:3 At that time I also warned you, ⁷  ‘If you disobey, ⁸  I will not drive out the Canaanites ⁹  before you. They will ensnare you ¹⁰  and their gods will lure you away.’” ¹¹ 

2:4 When the Lord’s messenger finished speaking these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly. ¹²  2:5 They named that place Bokim ¹³  and offered sacrifices to the Lord there.

The End of an Era

2:6 When Joshua dismissed ¹⁴  the people, the Israelites went to their allotted portions of territory, ¹⁵  intending to take possession of the land.

Hakim-hakim 3:1-6

3:1 These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel – he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites. ¹⁶  3:2 He left those nations simply because he wanted to teach the subsequent generations of Israelites, who had not experienced the earlier battles, how to conduct holy war. ¹⁷  3:3 These were the nations: ¹⁸  the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo-Hamath. ¹⁹  3:4 They were left to test Israel, so the Lord would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses. ²⁰ 

3:5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 3:6 They took the Canaanites’ daughters as wives and gave their daughters to the Canaanites; ²¹  they worshiped ²²  their gods as well.

[2:1]  ¹ sn See Exod 14:19; 23:20.

[2:1]  ² tn Heb “the land that I had sworn to your fathers.”

[2:1]  ³ tn Or “covenant” (also in the following verse).

[2:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “their altars.”

[2:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”

[2:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “What is this you have done?”

[2:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “And I also said.” The use of the perfect tense here suggests that the messenger is recalling an earlier statement (see Josh 23:12-13). However, some translate, “And I also say,” understanding the following words as an announcement of judgment upon those gathered at Bokim.

[2:3]  ⁸ tn The words “If you disobey” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See Josh 23:12-13.

[2:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Canaanites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:3]  ¹⁰ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word צִדִּים (tsiddim) is uncertain in this context. It may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “snare.” If so, a more literal translation would be “they will become snares to you.” Normally the term in question means “sides,” but this makes no sense here. On the basis of Num 33:55 some suggest the word for “thorns” has been accidentally omitted. If this word is added, the text would read, “they will become [thorns] in your sides” (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).

[2:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “their gods will become a snare to you.”

[2:4]  ¹² tn Heb “lifted their voices and wept.”

[2:5]  ¹³ sn Bokim means “weeping ones” and is derived from the Hebrew verb בָּכָא (bakha’, “to weep”).

[2:6]  ¹⁴ tn Or “sent away.”

[2:6]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the Israelites went each to his inheritance.”

[3:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “did not know the wars of Canaan.”

[3:2]  ¹⁷ tn The Hebrew syntax of v. 2 is difficult. The Hebrew text reads literally, “only in order that the generations of the Israelites might know, to teach them war – only those who formerly did not know them.”

[3:2]  sn The stated purpose for leaving the nations (to teach the subsequent generations…how to conduct holy war) seems to contradict 2:22 and 3:4, which indicate the nations were left to test Israel’s loyalty to the Lord. However, the two stated purposes can be harmonized. The willingness of later generations to learn and engage in holy war would measure their allegiance to the Lord (see B. G. Webb, Judges [JSOTSup], 114-15).

[3:3]  ¹⁸ tn The words “These were the nations,” though not present in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[3:3]  ¹⁹ tn Or “the entrance to Hamath.”

[3:4]  ²⁰ tn Heb “to know if they would hear the commands of the Lord which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.”

[3:6]  ²¹ tn Heb “to their sons.”

[3:6]  ²² tn Or “served”; or “followed” (this term occurs in the following verse as well).