Judges 2:20

And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(20) This people.—Comp. Isaiah 6:9-10, “Go, and tell this people”; Judges 8:12.

Hath transgressed my covenant.—The same expression is used in Joshua 23:16.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:6-23 We have a general idea of the course of things in Israel, during the time of the Judges. The nation made themselves as mean and miserable by forsaking God, as they would have been great and happy if they had continued faithful to him. Their punishment answered to the evil they had done. They served the gods of the nations round about them, even the meanest, and God made them serve the princes of the nations round about them, even the meanest. Those who have found God true to his promises, may be sure that he will be as true to his threatenings. He might in justice have abandoned them, but he could not for pity do it. The Lord was with the judges when he raised them up, and so they became saviours. In the days of the greatest distress of the church, there shall be some whom God will find or make fit to help it. The Israelites were not thoroughly reformed; so mad were they upon their idols, and so obstinately bent to backslide. Thus those who have forsaken the good ways of God, which they have once known and professed, commonly grow most daring and desperate in sin, and have their hearts hardened. Their punishment was, that the Canaanites were spared, and so they were beaten with their own rod. Men cherish and indulge their corrupt appetites and passions; therefore God justly leaves them to themselves, under the power of their sins, which will be their ruin. God has told us how deceitful and desperately wicked our hearts are, but we are not willing to believe it, until by making bold with temptation we find it true by sad experience. We need to examine how matters stand with ourselves, and to pray without ceasing, that we may be rooted and grounded in love, and that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith. Let us declare war against every sin, and follow after holiness all our days.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This verse is connected with Judges 2:13. The intermediate verses refer to much later times; they have the appearance of being the reflections of the compiler interspersed with the original narrative. But Judges 2:20 catches up the thread only to let it fall immediately. All that follows, down to the end of Judges 3:7, seems to be another digression, closing with words like those of Judges 2:13.

It does not appear how this message was given to Israel, whether by Angel, or prophet, or Urim, nor indeed is it certain whether any message was given. The words may be understood as merely explaining what passed through the divine mind, and expressing the thoughts which regulated the divine proceeding.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

16. which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them—The judges who governed Israel were strictly God's vicegerents in the government of the people, He being the supreme ruler. Those who were thus elevated retained the dignity as long as they lived; but there was no regular, unbroken succession of judges. Individuals, prompted by the inward, irresistible impulse of God's Spirit when they witnessed the depressed state of their country, were roused to achieve its deliverance. It was usually accompanied by a special call, and the people seeing them endowed with extraordinary courage or strength, accepted them as delegates of Heaven, and submitted to their sway. Frequently they were appointed only for a particular district, and their authority extended no farther than over the people whose interests they were commissioned to protect. They were without pomp, equipage, or emoluments attached to the office. They had no power to make laws; for these were given by God; nor to explain them, for that was the province of the priests—but they were officially upholders of the law, defenders of religion, avengers of all crimes, particularly of idolatry and its attendant vices.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel,.... As at first, so whenever they fell into idolatry; see Judges 2:14,

and he said, because this people have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers; made at Sinai, in which they were enjoined to have no other gods before him:

and have not hearkened to my voice; in his commands, and particularly what related to his worship and against idolatry.

Geneva Study Bible

And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

20–22. These verses are clearly not the sequel of Jdg 2:11-19; Jdg 2:20 continues Jdg 2:13 (see note); the opening words repeat Jdg 2:14; the nations in Jdg 2:21 are not on the frontiers, round about Israel (Jdg 2:14), but those left by Joshua in the midst of Israel; they are spared not only to punish Israel’s sin, but to test its loyalty. The change of view indicates a different hand: Jdg 2:20-21 seem to come from E; the source of Jdg 2:22 is not so evident, D (Moore, Nowack), half E and half D (Budde), a later gloss (Lagrange). The three verses have been worked over and expanded in the editorial process, but the main contents may be assigned to E. For hearkened unto my voice in E cf. Exodus 15:26; Exodus 18:24.

transgressed my covenant which I commanded] Joshua 7:11? Rje, Joshua 23:16 D; cf. Joshua 7:15, Deuteronomy 17:2, 1 Kings 11:11, Jeremiah 34:18. The covenant inaugurated at Sinai, renewed at Shechem (Joshua 24:24-25), imposed obligations upon Israel which practically amounted to commands; hence Jehovah could be said to “command His covenant,” i.e. the obligations involved in the covenant. Thus in Deuteronomy 4:13 the covenant is identified with the Decalogue, in ib. Deuteronomy 5:2-3 it is followed by the Decalogue; cf. Deuteronomy 33:9 ("" thy promise), Psalm 111:9.

Judges 2:20

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Chastisement of the Rebellious Nation. - Judges 2:20, Judges 2:21. On account of this idolatry, which was not only constantly repeated, but continued to grow worse and worse, the anger of the Lord burned so fiercely against Israel, that He determined to destroy no more of the nations which Joshua had left when he died, before the people that had broken His covenant. In order to set forth this divine purpose most distinctly, it is thrown into the form of a sentence uttered by God through the expression וגו ויּאמר. The Lord said, "Because this people has transgressed my covenant, ... I also will no longer keep my covenant promise (Exodus 23:23, Exodus 23:27., Exodus 34:10.), and will no more drive out any of the remaining Canaanites before them" (see Joshua 23:13).