Judges 2:12
in Judges 2Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and they forsook Jehovah, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples that were round about them, and bowed themselves down unto them: and they provoked Jehovah to anger.
KJV
And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.
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This verse in Judges 2
Commentary
9 notes on this verseAs long as a people serves God, they are not "delivered into the hands of plunderers." But when they "abandon the Lord" and begin to serve their own passions, then it is said of them that "God gave them over to shameful passions" and, again, "He gave them over to a reprobate mind, that they would do unsuitable things." Why? Because, he says, "they were filled with every iniquity, wickedness, fornication, greed" and all other evils.
This site's exposition
did evil in the sight of the LORD
on Judges 2:11-13
This is the first of seven times the book says it, at 2:11, 3:7, 3:12, 4:1, 6:1, 10:6 and 13:1, and three of those read did evil again, so a reader counting the shorter phrase finds only four. The gods named are Baalim and Ashtaroth, the storm god and the goddess of the surrounding towns, so what draws them is the religion of the neighbours rather than an argument. The verb forsook falls twice in three verses.
This site's exposition
they forsook the LORD
Origen of Alexandria links the forsaking here to the plunderers of verse 14. He teaches that a people who serve God are kept from plunderers, and that those who abandon the Lord to serve their own passions are given over to those passions. The gods they chose belonged to the peoples around them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
After the death of Joshua the son of Nave [Nun] they forsook the God of their fathers and served idols, Baalim and Ashtaroth; and the Lord in anger delivered them up to the hands of plunderers, and they continued to be plundered by them and to be sold to their adversaries, and [they] could not at all stand before their enemies. Wherever they went forth, his hand was upon them for evil, and they were greatly distressed. And after this God sets judges, the same as our censors, over them. But not even these did they continue steadfastly to obey. So soon as one of the judges died, they proceeded to transgress more than their fathers had done by going after the gods of others and serving and worshiping them. Therefore the Lord was angry. "Since, indeed," he says, "this nation has transgressed my covenant which I established with their fathers and has not hearkened to my voice, I will not remove from them any of the nations which Joshua left at his death." And thus, throughout almost all the annals of the judges and of the kings who succeeded them, while the strength of the surrounding nations was preserved, he meted wrath out to Israel by war and captivity and a foreign yoke, as often as they turned aside from him, especially to idolatry.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers,....
In general, they did evil, nothing could be more evil, that is, more provoking to God, nor more prejudicial to themselves, and it was in the sight of the Lord; all evil is before him, but he takes special notice of the sin of having any other god.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
An attentive consideration of them, therefore, is of the greatest importance to a right understanding of the strange and varying phases of Israelitish history, from the death of Joshua till the establishment of the monarchy. served Baalim--The plural is used to include all the gods of the country.
Which brought them out of the land of Egypt - This was one of the highest aggravations of their offense; they forsook the God who brought them out of Egypt; a place in which they endured the most grievous oppression and were subjected to the most degrading servitude, from which they never could have rescued themselves; and they were delivered by such a signal display of the power, justice, and mercy of God, as should never have been forgotten, because the most stupendous that had ever been exhibited.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Provoked the Lord to anger - A frequent expression in connection with idolatry, especially in Deuteronomy, in the Books of the Kings, and in Jeremiah.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעַזְב֞וּ | vaiyaazvu | and they forsook | H5800 → | 215 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה׀ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲבוֹתָ֗ם | ʾavotam | ancestors their | H1 → | 1212 times |
| הַמּוֹצִ֣יא | hamotzi' | who brought out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אוֹתָם֮ | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֵאֶ֣רֶץ | meeretz | from [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִצְרַיִם֒ | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| וַיֵּלְכ֞וּ | vaiyelekhu | and they went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֣י׀ | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֣ים | ʾelohim | gods | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲחֵרִ֗ים | ʾacherim | other | H312 → | 166 times |
| מֵאֱלֹהֵ֤י | meelohei | some of [the] gods of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הָֽעַמִּים֙ | haamim | the peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֙ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| סְבִיב֣וֹתֵיהֶ֔ם | sevivoteihem | [were] around them | H5439 → | 336 times |
| וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ | vaiyishtachavu | and they bowed down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| לָהֶ֑ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| וַיַּכְעִ֖סוּ | vaiyakhisu | and they provoked to anger | H3707 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַיַּעַזְב֞וּand they forsook
vaiyaazvuH5800 →215 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֣ה׀Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
אֲבוֹתָ֗םancestors their
ʾavotamH1 →1212 times
הַמּוֹצִ֣יאwho brought out
hamotzi'H3318 →1067 times
אוֹתָם֮<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
מֵאֶ֣רֶץfrom [the] land of
meeretzH776 →2504 times
מִצְרַיִם֒Egypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
וַיֵּלְכ֞וּand they went
vaiyelekhuH1980 →1546 times
אַחֲרֵ֣י׀after
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
אֱלֹהִ֣יםgods
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֲחֵרִ֗יםother
ʾacherimH312 →166 times
מֵאֱלֹהֵ֤יsome of [the] gods of
meeloheiH430 →2601 times
הָֽעַמִּים֙the peoples
haamimH5971 →1873 times
אֲשֶׁר֙which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
סְבִיב֣וֹתֵיהֶ֔ם[were] around them
sevivoteihemH5439 →336 times
וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּand they bowed down
vaiyishtachavuH7812 →172 times
לָהֶ֑םto <the> them
lahem
וַיַּכְעִ֖סוּand they provoked to anger
vaiyakhisuH3707 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 20:5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 5:9
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth…
- Numbers 14:18
‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon…
- Deuteronomy 4:24
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
- Exodus 34:14
For you must not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
- Joshua 24:19
But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your rebellion or your sins.
- Deuteronomy 5:9
Through
Deuteronomy 29:18Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Make sure…
it leads to
- Hebrews 12:15
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.
- Deuteronomy 11:16–17
But be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside to worship and bow down to other gods,
- Deuteronomy 13:1–15
If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you,
- Hebrews 12:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JUDGES 2.5 and Tertullian, SCORPIACE 3.