Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 2:17
And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; [but] they did not so.
17. they went a whoring after other gods ] As notoriously after the death of Gideon Jdg 8:33 (cf. Jdg 8:27). This figurative expression occurs in the Pent., and especially in the prophets Hos. and Ezek., to denote forcibly Israel’s unfaithfulness to Jehovah. As prostitution was a common feature of Semitic cults, the words may have been used originally in a literal sense, and afterwards metaphorically.
their fathers ] i.e. Joshua and his contemporaries, Jdg 2:7.
This verse interrupts the connexion between Jdg 2:16 ; Jdg 2:18, and the phraseology and thought are not so distinctly Deuteronomic as the rest of the passage. The verse “seems to be the exclamation of a reader rather than the reflexion of a compiler” (Lagrange).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 17. Went a whoring after other gods] Idolatry, or the worship of strange gods, is frequently termed adultery, fornication, and whoredom, in the sacred writings. As many of their idolatrous practices were accompanied with impure rites, the term was not only metaphorically but literally proper.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Their judges admonished them of their sin and folly, and of the danger and misery which would certainly befall them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11-19. the children of Israel didevil in the sight of the LordThis chapter, together with thefirst eight verses of the next [Jud2:11-3:8], contains a brief but comprehensive summary of theprinciples developed in the following history. An attentiveconsideration of them, therefore, is of the greatest importance to aright understanding of the strange and varying phases of Israelitishhistory, from the death of Joshua till the establishment of themonarchy.
served BaalimTheplural is used to include all the gods of the country.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And yet they would not hearken unto their judges,…. Afterwards, or not always; but when they admonished them of their sins, and advised them to walk in the good ways of God, and serve him only; they turned a deaf ear to them, and went on in their own ways, which is a sad aggravation of their iniquities:
but they went a whoring after their gods, and bowed themselves unto them; committing spiritual adultery, for such idolatry is, and is often so represented in Scripture; for by it they broke the covenant God made with them, which had the nature of a matrimonial contract, and in which God was an husband to them; and therefore serving other gods was rejecting him as such, and committing whoredom with others; than which nothing was more provoking to God, jealous of his honour and glory:
they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in; as soon as ever Joshua and the elders were dead, they departed from the God of their fathers, and the way in which they worshipped him; and so likewise quickly after they had been delivered by the judges, or however as soon as they were dead:
obeying the commandments of the Lord; serving him at his tabernacle, according to the laws, commands, and ordinances he gave to Moses, which is to be understood of their fathers:
[but] they did not so; did not walk in the same way, nor serve the Lord, and obey his commands, as their fathers did; but all the reverse.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(17) Went a whoring.Idolatry throughout the Bible is regarded as a spiritual adultery. (Exo. 34:15; Isa. 54:5; Jer. 3:8; Eze. 23:37; Hos. 2:7; 2Co. 11:2, &c.)
The way which their fathers walked in.As described in Jdg. 2:7.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. And yet they would not hearken unto their judges It is natural that they who have redeemed a nation should be its first rulers. Against the commands of these, the ungrateful people ran headlong into those idolatries for which they had just been suffering punishment.
Went a whoring after other gods The covenant of God is regarded as sacred as the marriage tie. To break that covenant, and worship another god, corresponds to an act of infidelity on the part of a wife. Hence idolatry is spiritual adultery.
They turned quickly out of the way The leaven of idolatry, with its moral abominations, was brought into contact with the people at so many points that the whole commonwealth was quickly pervaded with the dreadful abomination. Worship is a powerful assimilator. Men become like their gods.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And yet they did not listen to their judges, for they went a whoring after other gods and bowed themselves down to them. They turned quickly out of the way in which their fathers walked in obeying the commandments of Yahweh. They did not do so.’
From now on there was an up-down situation. Having been delivered from their enemies and having begun again to walk in the commandments of Yahweh, they repaired the breaches in the covenant, and began to obey God.
But ‘they did not listen to their judges’, that is, in the long run. For the next generation again turned to other gods, the gods of the land. Again they ‘went a-whoring’ after them. The description is vivid and later taken up by the prophets. They sought and trusted in these gods and indulged in all the sexual uncleanness which was involved in their worship. They committed both spiritual and physical adultery. This was the result of not having driven them out.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
All these verses fold up in their contents the two great leading points of the gospel doctrine, namely, human depravity, and divine benignity. In the forbearance of God, and the continued provocations of man, the language of the prophet meets us in all directions, and cries aloud, in all that is going on in life, Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? But Reader! do not overlook the cause. The Prophet that thus speaks had it in commission from the Holy Ghost to assign the reason; for he adds, that it was to perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham. Yes, blessed Jesus! thou art the mercy promised. And it was in thee, and thy promised salvation, Jehovah manifested his pardoning love and mercy to Israel. Reader! I charge it upon you to read that most precious and interesting account of this love, which the Prophet gives. Isa 63:7 , to the end.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jdg 2:17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; [but] they did not so.
Ver. 17. But they went a whoring. ] Carried on by a spirit of fornication, a strong inclination, a vehement impetus to whoredom; so that they care not how they waste all upon it, and will not be reclaimed: so idolaters.
They turned quickly out of the way.
Which their fathers walked in.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
they would: 1Sa 8:5-8, 1Sa 12:12, 1Sa 12:17, 1Sa 12:19, 2Ch 36:15, 2Ch 36:16, Psa 106:43
whoring: Exo 34:15, Exo 34:16, Lev 17:7, Psa 73:27, Psa 106:39, Hos 2:2, Rev 17:1-5
quickly: Exo 32:8, Deu 9:12, Deu 9:16, Gal 1:6
which their: Jdg 2:7, Jos 24:24, Jos 24:31
Reciprocal: Deu 31:16 – and go a Jdg 5:8 – new gods Jdg 8:33 – as soon 1Ch 5:25 – and went Psa 78:58 – with Psa 106:36 – And Jer 11:10 – iniquities Amo 2:4 – because Heb 5:2 – them
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2:17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the {i} way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; [but] they did not so.
(i) Meaning, from the true religion.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Each cycle of apostasy was worse than the former one.
"The Israelites were stiff-necked in the wilderness, but they were even more obstinate in the Promised Land. A new environment, alas, did not mean a new attitude." [Note: Wolf, p. 395. Cf. Genesis 6:12; Exodus 32:9; 33:3, 5; 34:9.]
". . . God cannot help but be gracious to a people who apparently cannot help but be unfaithful. This, indeed, is the portrayal of God throughout the biblical canon, including the prophetic books, which both demand obedience and yet promise forgiveness, and including the New Testament, where the ’resolution’ of God’s dilemma takes the form of a cross, the ultimate act of God’s grace toward an incurably sinful humankind." [Note: McCann, p. 37.]