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Ray Stedman · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Stedman applies Israel's mistakes to believers today asking that as "We read this story, and we think, How foolish these Israelites were not to obey the commandment of God! But don’t we do exactly the same? Don’t we settle for less than complete victory over our sins and bad habits? Don’t we say, “Well, yes, I do have a problem with anger (or gossip, or swearing, or impure thoughts, or alcohol, or tobacco), but it’s just one little bad habit! I mean, we all need one small vice, don’t we?” No! God says that it is these little things that we accommodate ourselves to and compromise with that eventually defeat us and destroy us! We cannot afford to settle for anything less than complete victory. (Adventuring through the Bible) You shall tear down their altars - This was the second commandment Israel disobeyed and later even to the point that they actually sacrificed their own sons and their daughters to the demons. This shows how far human depravity can degenerate when unchecked by God! And so the psalmist writes... They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them, 35 But they mingled with the nations, and learned their practices, 36 And served their idols, which became a snare (moqesh; Lxx = skandalon) to them. 37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons (Ps 106:34-37) Matthew
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Stedman asks the question all believers need to consider "Have you ever had the Lord’s hand against you? Have you ever sensed that He was against you in everything you did? What you thought you were doing in dedication and sincerity was so opposite to what He had said that you discovered His hand was against you. This is what Israel discovered: Nothing seemed to work out right. They found themselves in bondage. One after another of the tribes around them was allowed to rule over them. These tribes came in and made slaves out of them, year after year after painful year. (Adventuring through the Bible) Freedom of choice is one of the privileges God has given us, but He instructs us and urges us to use that freedom wisely. The laws of God are guideposts to lead us on the path of life, and He watches the decisions we make and the roads we take. (Pr 15:3). As long as we use our freedom wisely, we will mature in Christian character, and God can trust us with more freedom. But if we abuse our freedom and deliberately disobey His Word, our freedom will gradually become bondage, the kind of bondage that can’t easily be broken. Proverbs 5:22+ could have been used as an epitaph for Samson whom we encounter later in Judges 13-16. It is impossible to sin without potentially becoming bound. One of the deceitful things about sin is that it promises freedom but only brings slavery. (cp Jn 8:34, Ro 6:16+) The cords of sin get stronger the more we sin, yet sin deceives us into thinking we’re free and can quit sinning whenever we please. As the invisible chains of habit are forged, we discover to our horror that we don’t have the strength to break them. Millions of people in our world today are in one kind of bondage or another and are seeking for deliverance, but the only One who can set them free is Jesus Christ. (Jn 8:36). Anger (nose, nostril, wrath) (0639) aph from anaph = to breathe hard, to be angry) is a masculine noun meaning nose, nostril, snout (pigs - Pr 11:22), face (2Sa 25:23) and anger. Both senses are found in Proverbs 30:22 - "For the churning of milk produces butter, and pressing the nose (aph) brings forth blood; so the churning of anger (aph) produces strife." In the first use God "breathed into (man's) nostrils the breath of life." (Ge 2:7) Aph sometimes refers to the entire e whole face (Ge 3:19), especially in the expression, to bow one’s face to the ground (Ge 19:1; 1Sa 24:8). To have length of nose is to be slow to wrath (Pr 14:29, 16:32). To have shortness of nose is to be quick tempered (Pr. 14:17; Jer. 15:14, 15). Aph is used in a phrase (goba aph) which means pride, arrogance, formally, high of nose, an improper haughtiness and self-confidence (Ps 10:4). Often speaks of divine anger or wrath (Ps 2:5, 2:12, 6:1, 30:5, 74:1, 77:9, 78:21) and thankfully is "Slow to anger." (Ps 103:8; 145:8, both Lxx = makrothumos = long-suffering) The Lxx uses orge to translate aph in Judges 2:14. Burned (02734) charah means to burn or be kindled with anger, and in the Hithpael, charah is used 4x (Ps 37:1, 7,8, Pr 24:19) always meaning "to worry" and describing the agitation, irritation or vexation resulting from active worry. Charah is used in reference to the anger of both man and God. The verb emphasizes the kindling and burning aspects of anger. Plunderers (08154)(shasah) means to spoil or plunder of both land and objects usually that which belonged to Israel and usually allowed by God as divine judgment for sins against which they had been clearly warned but from which they refused to repent. It can also refer (as in this passage) to the people who do the plundering. It is notable that if the plunderers plundered more than God allowed, they too would be plundered! Shasah - 10x - despoiled(1), pillage(1), plunder(1), plundered(3), plunderers(2), plundering(1), taken spoil(1). Jdg 2:14; Jdg. 2:16; 1Sa 14:48; 1Sa 23:1; 2Ki. 17:20; Ps. 44:10; Isa. 10:13; Isa. 42:22; Jer. 50:11; Hos. 13:15 Gilbrant - The Hebrew root shāsāh is located eleven times in the OT. Of these, all but two (Ps. 44:10; Isa. 10:13) are Qal participles. The verb is a by-form of shāsas (HED #8537), "to plunder." Psalm 44:10 relates a setback for the people of God: "Our adversaries have plundered us" (v. 10, NIV). God had seemingly sold his people for little, gaining little (v. 12). An appeal for divine help was made (v. 26). Earlier, and with good reason, disobedient Israel had been given over to "plunderers" or "spoilers" (Jdg. 2:14). The people cried out to God Who sent judges to deliver them from the "hand of those that spoiled them" (v. 16). Under Saul's leadership, the Amalekites were subdued, effectively ending their raiding forays that spoiled the people of Israel (1 Sam. 14:48). In a similar crisis, David defeated the Philistine army which was robbing the threshing floors (23:1). Isaiah reflected upon this same theme: "This is the portion of them who spoil us" (Isa. 17:14). The prophet may have had in mind the foiled attack on Jerusalem by the Assyrians under Sennacherib. After Samaria fell, Judah stood alone. In the end, the Southern Kingdom would also be given into the "hand of the spoilers" (2 Ki. 17:20). Israel had prospered and pillaged her enemies without crediting God (Isa. 10:13). Consequently, the nation itself had been spoiled (42:22). An east wind would dry Ephraim's fruitfulness: "His storehouse will be plundered" (Hos. 13:15, NIV). Yet the "destroyer" Babylon would herself be brought to shame (Jer. 50:11). (Complete Biblical Library - Incredible Resource) George Bush - Notes, Critical and Practical on the Book of Judges (Judges 2) Into the hands of spoilers. Robbers, marauders, plundering parties of the Canaanites, who committed depredations upon their cattle, flocks, crops, &c. The word may also be understood in a still fuller sense as equivalent to oppressors, those who captured not their property only, but themselves, reducing them to servitude, or at least compelling them to pay tribute. Sold them. To sell, is to alienate the possession of any thing for a valuable consideration. The term is used in the Scriptures, however, without the annexed idea of an equivalent. God is said to ‘sell’ his disobedient people, when he delivers them up into the hands of their enemies to be dealt with as they may see fit, when he puts them out of his own hand, as it were, withholds his protection, and has nothing more to do with them as the objects of his peculiar protection. It is a term, therefore, emphatically expressive of the divine displeasure, the most fearful judgment in its consequences that can befall a nation or an individual. Comp. Jdg 3:8, and Jdg 4:8; Deut. 32:30; Ps. 44:13; Is. 50:1. Judges 2:15 Wherever they went, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had spoken and as the LORD had sworn to them, so that they were severely distressed. the hand of the LORD was against them for evil: Jer 18:8 21:10 44:11,27 Mic 2:3 as the LORD had spoken: Lev 26:15-46 De 4:25-28 28:15-68 Jos 23:15,16 the LORD had sworn to them: De 32:40,41 so that they were severely distressed: Jdg 10:9 1Sa 13:6 14:24 30:6 2Co 4:8 Related Passages: Dt 7:10 (to repay) those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face. Joshua 23:15 "And it shall come about that just as all the good words which the LORD your God spoke to you have come upon you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the threats, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you. EVIL PAID BACK Wherever they went, the hand (power) of the LORD was against them for evil - Went is "went out" in KJV and the idea is accurately rendered by the ESV's "they marched out," which conveys the sense of Israel's going out to battle. Note that their adversary was God Himself! Have you ever had the Lord’s hand against you? Have you ever sensed that He was against you in everything you did? What you thought you were doing in dedication and sincerity was so opposite to what He had said that you discovered His hand was against you. This is what Israel discovered. Nothing seemed to work out right. They found themselves in bondage. One after another of the tribes around them was allowed to rule over them. These tribes came in and made slaves out of them, year after year after painful year. The shocking reality for Israel was that their real enemy was God. -- Daniel Block As the LORD had spoken: For example in Leviticus Jehovah warned Israel "If you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, 15 if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, 16 I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever that shall waste away the eyes and cause the soul to pine away; also, you shall sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies shall eat it up. 17 'And I will set My face against you so that you shall be struck down before your enemies; and those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when no one is pursuing you. (Lev 26:14-17+) And as the LORD had sworn to them: God had promised (sworn) the consequences of disobedience. For example in Deuteronomy 32:40-41+ Yahweh declared "Indeed, I lift up My hand to heaven, And say, as I live forever, If I sharpen My flashing sword, And My hand takes hold on justice, I will render vengeance on My adversaries, And I will repay those who hate Me." So that (Purpose clause) they were severely (Heb = abundance) distressed (tsarar; Lxx-ekthlibo - squeeze much) - God did not just send a minor pain! He had warned about this in the "Blessings and the Curses" declaring through Moses that "it shall come about, if you will not obey the LORD your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you…53 "Then you shall eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy shall oppress you. (Deut 28:15, 53+) Distressed (06887) tsarar means to be narrow, to be cramped, to be straitened, to be constricted, to hem or be hemmed in. Tsarar may refer to anything which is confining and in the context of Isa 8:16 it means to bind up, to tie or wrap up so as to safeguard from tampering (cf binding up in Pr 26:8, Ex 12:34, Joshua 9:4). This action refers most likely to the scribes binding the document into a sealed scroll for safekeeping. In Hos 13:12, tsarar figuratively depicts the record of Israel's sins being written down and permanently bound in a sealed scroll for safekeeping, thus assuring the that their sin would be retained. Figuratively tsarar means to oppress or harass and thus to be hostile or be an adversary or enemy, the best known use being Ps 23:5 "in the presence of my enemies (tsarar)." (Ex 23:22; Nu 10:9; 25:17-18 Esther 3:10; 8:1; 9:10, 24; Ps 6:7; 7:4, 6; 8:2; 10:5; 23:5; 31:11; 42:10; 69:19; 74:4, 23; 129:1-2; 143:12; Isa 11:13; Amos 5:12). Figuratively tsarar also means to feel hard pressed and thus to be distressed (13/36 uses), troubled, oppressed, cramped, anxious or worried. In contrast, that which is wide-open or broad gives a picture of freedom and/or deliverance. God Fights Against Us - In Joel’s book of prophecy, God declared: “I am in the midst of Israel … My people shall never be put to shame” (Joel 2:27). But earlier in the chapter God promised to fight against His people. A plague of locusts would descend like a ravenous army on the nation (Joel 2:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11). It’s hard to fathom that the Lord would fight against His chosen people. But Israel had given their affections to other gods. In fact, God had fought against them before. “Wherever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for calamity” (Judges 2:15). I have learned that if my own heart wanders away from God, I can count on Him to fight to bring me back. If I become proud and self-assured, if reading God’s Word and spending time in prayer seem like a waste of time, God will step in and deal with me. God will fight against us for our good. He permits us to experience defeat so that we will listen to Him when He says, “Rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness” (Joel 2:13). Because our Father’s heart is grieved Each time we go astray, He lifts His chastening hand in love To help us find His way. —D. De Haan God’s hand of discipline is a hand of love. George Bush - Notes, Critical and Practical on the Book of Judges (Judges 2) Whithersoever they went out. Whatsoever they undertook. Heb. ‘in everything to which they went forth.’ Not only in their military expeditions against their enemies, but in whatever undertaking they engaged at home, they were still baffled and disappointed, and every thing went against them. The doing of any kind of business is frequently expressed in Hebrew by the phrase, ‘going out,’ or ‘coming in.’ Thus, Deut. 28:6, ‘Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out;’ i. e. in all thine undertakings and employments, in the whole course and current of thine affairs. Comp. Ps. 121:8. As the Lord had said, &c. Particular reference is had to Lev. 26:15–17; Deut. 28:25; where these very judgments are expressly denounced against them in case they should thus apostatize. Judges 2:16 Then the LORD raised up judges who delivered them from the hands of those who plundered them. A.M. 2591-2909, B.C. 1413-1095 Then the LORD Jdg 3:9,10,15 4:5 6:14 1Sa 12:11 Ac 13:20 raised up judges: The {shophetim} were not judges in the usual sense of the term; but were heads or chiefs of the Israelites, raised up on extraordinary occasions, who directed and ruled the nation with sovereign power, administered justice, made peace or war, and led the armies over whom they presided. Officers with the same power, and nearly the same name, were established in New Tyre, after the termination of the regal state; and the Carthaginian Suffetes, the Athenian Archons, and the Roman Dictators, appear to have been nearly the same. who delivered them from the hands, Ne 9:27 Ps 106:43-45 Related Passages: Nehemiah 9:27 “Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their oppressors who oppressed them, But when they cried to You in the time of their distress, You heard from heaven, and according to Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who delivered them from the hand of their oppressors. Psalm 106:43-45 Many times He would deliver them; They, however, were rebellious in their counsel, And so sank down in their iniquity. 44 Nevertheless He looked upon their distress When He heard their cry; 45 And He remembered His covenant (ABRAHAMIC COVENANT - GOD REMAINED FAITHFUL TO IT!) for their sake, And relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness. Judges 3:9; 10; 15+ (NOTE REPEATED EMPHASIS ON LORD'S PROVISION) When the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer (yasha') for the sons of Israel to deliver them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged (shaphat) Israel. When he went out to war, the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, so that he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim....15 But when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. Judges 6:14 The LORD looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” 1 Samuel 12:11 “Then the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around, so that you lived in security. Acts 13:20 “After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. YAHWEH RAISES UP JUDGES TO SAE ISRAEL Then the LORD raised up judges (shaphat) - When is "then?" Jdg 2:15 says when is when "the hand of the LORD was against them for evil." It is interesting that there is no record in Jdg 2:15 that they cried out. The first record of Israel crying out to Yahweh is in Jdg 3:9 (Also in Jdg 3:15 Jdg 4:3 Jdg 6:6 Jdg 6:7 Jdg 10:10 Jdg 10:12) In Jdg 10:14 Yahweh says sarcastically "Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress.” George Bush explains how God raised up judges which was "by the secret prompting and inspiration of His Spirit, working upon the hearts of particular individuals, in view of the sufferings and calamities of the people, and inciting them, like Moses in Egypt, to aim at effecting their deliverance. This inward impulse was usually, perhaps always, accompanied by an express call and command to undertake the work, and by some outward designation which testified to the people the divine election; such for the most part as the display of some signal act of heroism, the performance of some marvellous or miraculous exploit, as in the cases of Shamgar, Gideon, Samson, &c. On the import of the word ‘judges’ in this book, see Introduction. (Notes, Critical and Practical on the Book of Judges Judges 2) John MacArthur emphasizes that "A judge or deliverer was distinct from a judge in the English world today. Such a leader guided military expeditions against foes as here and arbitrated judicial matters (cf. Judges 4:5). There was no succession or national rule. They were local deliverers, lifted up to leadership by God when the deplorable condition of Israel in the region around them prompted God to rescue the people. (See MacArthur Bible Commentary) Judges (see Bible Dictionary) equates with "saviors" because the Hebrew word yasha' for "judge” = “save, rescue.” “Judge” applied to only 8/12 people we commonly call “judges,” but all of them functioned as counselors and deliverers. The 8 judges are Othniel (Jdg 3:9+), Tola (Jdg 10:1+), Jair (Jdg 10:3+), Jephthah (Jdg 11:1+), Ibzan (Jdg 12:8+), Elon (Jdg 12:11+), Abdon (Jdg 12:13+), Samson (Jdg 15:20+, Jdg 16:31-+). Who delivered (yasha') them from the hands of those who plundered (shasah) them - God raised up the judges, and it was the LORD Who then empowered the judges to carry out deliverance from the hands of their enemies. In effect their true Deliverer was Yahweh! From the hands means from the power and authority of their adversaries, the word hand being a metaphor for power. Arthur Cundall points out that in essence the actual “Judge” in Israel was the Lord Himself; for He only is called the shopet (Ge 18:25 = "the Judge of all the earth")! The individual judges were called by divine appointment and brought to prominence in the role of a deliverer through whom God administered His justice by empowerment with His Spirit (Jdg 3:10+). Perhaps later they settled as civil leaders as well, since the years of each one’s “judgeship” are recorded after the initial deliverance of the people from oppression. (Judges & Ruth: Tyndale Old Testament Commentary - archive.org allows you to borrow for an hour at no charge and renew. ) Judges (08199)(shaphat) is a verb that means to judge or govern. While it frequently translated judge, this is somewhat misleading as shaphat is not typical of the modern concept of judge (as in a court of law), but is much more inclusive -- to function as ruler or governor - individuals (Jdg. 16:31; 1 Sa 7:16), king (1 Ki. 3:9); even God Himself (Ps. 50:6; 75:7) because He is the source of authority and will eventually conduct all judgments (Ps. 96:13). In a judicial sense shaphat could refer to the arbitration of civil, domestic, and religious disputes (Dt. 25:1), fulfilled by the congregation (Nu 35:24), by individual judges (Ex 18:16; Dt. 1:16), by the king (1 Sa 8:5, 6, 20) or by God Himself (Ge 16:5; 1 Sa 24:12, 15). The Septuagint (LXX) uses the Greek krites = Judges. Swanson divides shaphat into 5 major groups - 1. (qal) judge, decide, i.e., adjudicate a matter between two parties in a court or a less formal setting, implying both the authority to punish and finality of the decision (Ex 18:16); (nif) be judged (Ps 9:19); 2. (qal) lead, govern, judge, i.e., act. as a leader or ruler over a people with a special focus on the authority to punish and fairness of the leader, as an extension of being a courtroom judge (1Ki 3:9); 3. (qal) give legal aid, defend a cause, vindicate, i.e., give legal arguments on behalf of the accused (Isa 1:17); (nif) litigate, argue a matter, be brought to trial (1Sa 12:7; Ps 37:33; 109:7; Pr 29:9; Isa 43:26; 59:4), note: NIV translates “confront with evidence”; 4. (nif) execute justice, i.e., obtain justice and rightness to one who has been wronged (2Ch 22:8; Isa 66:16; Jer 2:35; 25:31; Eze 17:20; 20:35, 36; 38:22; Joel 3:2); 5. (poel ptcp.) a judge, i.e., pertaining to one you plead before, who makes decisions, and executes judgment (Jdg 9:15) (Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew) W E Vine on shaphat - In many contexts this root has a judicial sense. Shāpaṭ refers to the activity of a third party who sits over two parties at odds with one another. This third party hears their cases against one another and decides where the right is and what to do about it (he functions as both judge and jury). So Sarai said to Abram: "My wrong [outrage done me] be upon thee [in your lap]: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee" (Gen. 16:5, the first occurrence of the word). Sarai had given Hagar to Abram in her stead. This act was in keeping with ancient Nuzu law, which Abram apparently knew and followed. The legal rights to the child would be Sarai's. This would mean that Hagar "did all the work" and received none of the privileges. Consequently she made things miserable for Sarai. As the tribal and family head Abram's responsibility was to keep things in order. This he did not do. Thus Sarai declares that she is innocent of wrongdoing; she has done nothing to earn Hagar's mistreatment, and Abram is at fault in not getting the household in order. Her appeal is: since Abram has not done his duty (normally he would be the judge of tribal matters), "the Lord decide" between us, that is, in a judicial sense, as to who is in the right. Abram granted the legitimacy of her case and handed Hagar over to her to be brought into line (Gen. 16:6). Shāpaṭ also speaks of the accomplishing of a sentence. Both this concept and those of hearing the case and rendering a decision are seen in Gen. 18:25, where Abraham speaks of "the Judge [literally, "One who judges"] of all the earth." In 1 Sam. 3:13 the emphasis is solely on "delivering" the sentence: "For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth…."In some cases "judging" really means delivering from injustice or oppression. David says to Saul: "The Lord therefore be judge and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand" (1 Sam. 24:15). This sense (in addition to the judicial sense), "to deliver," is to be understood when one speaks of the judges of Israel (Judg. 2:16): "Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that [plundered] them." Shāpaṭ can be used not only of an act of deliverance, but of a process whereby order and law are maintained within a group. This idea also is included in the concept of the judges of Israel: "And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time" (Judg. 4:4). This activity was judicial and constituted a kind of ruling over Israel. Certainly ruling is in mind in Num. 25:5: "And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, 'Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-Peor'" (1 Sam. 8:1). The military deliverer was the head over a volunteer army summoned when danger threatened (militia). In the time of Samuel this procedure proved inadequate for Israel. They wanted a leader who would organize and lead a standing army. They asked Samuel, therefore, for a king such as the other nations had, one who was apt and trained in warfare, and whose successor (son) would be carefully trained, too. There would be more continuity in leadership as a result. Included in this idea of a king who would "judge" them like the other nations was the idea of a ruler; in order to sustain a permanent army and its training, the people had to be organized for taxation and conscription. This is what is in view in 1 Sam. 8:6-18 as Samuel explains. (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words) Gilbrant on shaphat - Of the approximately 200 times shāphat is used in the Hebrew Bible, all but about eighteen verses are in the Qal stem. Those eighteen are in the Niphal, which can be simply the passive of judging or can mean "to enter into a dispute" with someone (Prov. 29:9; Isa. 43:26). This probably would have been a public legal case in the ancient Israelite community, but in their culture not as formal as a modern law court. The closest to the modern court case and the more serious scene is presented in Jer. 25:31 and Ezek. 20:36 where the Lord brings his people to justice for their violations of the Covenant. Ultimately, He brings all nations to the valley of judgment to deal with their sins (Joel 3:2). The basic meaning of this verb in the Qal stem is "to make decisions" as a community leader, mainly in disputes between community members. Moses did this and followed his father-in-law's advice and appointed other leaders to deal with the lesser cases (Exo. 18:22). Such officials were to maintain justice in the land (Deut. 16:18). They were accountable to represent God in "righteous" (HED #6928; often shāphat is used with this word meaning "righteous") judgment (2 Chr. 19:6). God's wisdom enabled Solomon to do this (1 Ki. 3:28) and thus do mishpāt (from the root shāphat and often used with it) or justice, making good judgments or decisions. People would call on God to make a just decision between them (Judg. 11:27), especially between two groups or nations (Isa. 2:4). From the perspective of the one who considered himself innocent, this was a prayer for deliverance from an opponent and for vindication (1Sa 24:12, 15). David called on the Lord to declare him innocent (Ps. 26:1). People would also call for someone to get what they deserved, which meant judgment or punishment (Exo. 5:21; Ezek. 36:19). There was no separation of the judicial branch of government from the executive or legislative branch in the ancient Near East. Judging was a function of all kinds and levels of leadership, including the king. In fact, the verb summarizes the functions of the ruler or leader (Exo. 2:14; 1 Sam. 4:18; 2 Chr. 1:10). God rules the world or "judges" it (Pss. 9:8; 96:13). The participle is used of judges in general. These could be various rulers or leaders, but especially those elders or officials who decided cases between God's people. The Lord is called the "Judge of all the earth" by Abraham (Gen. 18:25). A special use is for the charismatic leaders who were raised up as judges. They usually led in battles to free Israel from nations who harassed them in the land given to them by God (Judg. 2:16, the "judges"). The finite verb "to judge" is also used in some contexts of the judges for carrying out their form of leadership, such as that of Samson (16:31). Beside the use referring to "the judges," other passages use the verb for "delivering from the power" of enemies (2 Sam. 18:19) and dealing with them (2 Chr. 20:12). In Isa. 51:5, God's judging of the nations is parallel to bringing them salvation. He vindicates the oppressed (Ps. 72:4) and defends the needy when He judges (Isa. 1:23). (Complete Biblical Library Hebrew-English Dictionary) Shaphat - 200x in 182v - acting like a judge(1), already he is acting(1), argue our case(1), decide(1), defend(3), deliver(1), Dispense(1), enter into judgment(6), entered into judgment(1), entering into judgment(1), execute judgment(1), executing judgment(1), freed(2), handed down(1), has a controversy(1), Judge(5), judge(93), judged(22), judges(36), judges decide(1), judges governed(1), judges...judged(1), judging(5), plead(1), pleads(1), pronounce judgment(1), rule(2), rulers(1), rulers...ruled(1), vindicate(6). Gen. 16:5; Gen. 18:25; Gen. 19:9; Gen. 31:53; Exod. 2:14; Exod. 5:21; Exod. 18:13; Exod. 18:16; Exod. 18:22; Exod. 18:26; Lev. 19:15; Num. 25:5; Num. 35:24; Deut. 1:16; Deut. 16:18; Deut. 17:9; Deut. 17:12; Deut. 19:17; Deut. 19:18; Deut. 21:2; Deut. 25:1; Deut. 25:2; Jos. 8:33; Jos. 23:2; Jos. 24:1; Jdg. 2:16; Jdg. 2:17; Jdg. 2:18; Jdg. 2:19; Jdg. 3:10; Jdg. 4:4; Jdg. 10:2; Jdg. 10:3; Jdg. 11:27; Jdg. 12:7; Jdg. 12:8; Jdg. 12:9; Jdg. 12:11; Jdg. 12:13; Jdg. 12:14; Jdg. 15:20; Jdg. 16:31; Ruth 1:1; 1 Sam. 3:13; 1 Sam. 4:18; 1 Sam. 7:6; 1 Sam. 7:15; 1 Sam. 7:16; 1 Sam. 7:17; 1 Sam. 8:1; 1 Sam. 8:2; 1 Sam. 8:5; 1 Sam. 8:6; 1 Sam. 8:20; 1 Sam. 12:7; 1 Sam. 24:12; 1 Sam. 24:15; 2 Sam. 7:11; 2 Sam. 15:4; 2 Sam. 18:19; 2 Sam. 18:31; 1 Ki. 3:9; 1 Ki. 3:28; 1 Ki. 7:7; 1 Ki. 8:32; 2 Ki. 15:5; 2 Ki. 23:22; 1 Chr. 16:33; 1 Chr. 17:6; 1 Chr. 17:10; 1 Chr. 23:4; 1 Chr. 26:29; 2 Chr. 1:2; 2 Chr. 1:10; 2 Chr. 1:11; 2 Chr. 6:23; 2 Chr. 19:5; 2 Chr. 19:6; 2 Chr. 20:12; 2 Chr. 22:8; 2 Chr. 26:21; Ezr. 10:14; Job 9:15; Job 9:24; Job 12:17; Job 21:22; Job 22:13; Job 23:7; Ps. 2:10; Ps. 7:8; Ps. 7:11; Ps. 9:4; Ps. 9:8; Ps. 9:19; Ps. 10:18; Ps. 26:1; Ps. 35:24; Ps. 37:33; Ps. 43:1; Ps. 50:6; Ps. 51:4; Ps. 58:1; Ps. 58:11; Ps. 67:4; Ps. 72:4; Ps. 75:2; Ps. 75:7; Ps. 82:1; Ps. 82:2; Ps. 82:3; Ps. 82:8; Ps. 94:2; Ps. 96:13; Ps. 98:9; Ps. 109:7; Ps. 109:31; Ps. 141:6; Ps. 148:11; Prov. 8:16; Prov. 29:9; Prov. 29:14; Prov. 31:9; Eccl. 3:17; Isa. 1:17; Isa. 1:23; Isa. 1:26; Isa. 2:4; Isa. 3:2; Isa. 5:3; Isa. 11:3; Isa. 11:4; Isa. 16:5; Isa. 33:22; Isa. 40:23; Isa. 43:26; Isa. 51:5; Isa. 59:4; Isa. 66:16; Jer. 2:35; Jer. 5:28; Jer. 11:20; Jer. 25:31; Lam. 3:59; Ezek. 7:3; Ezek. 7:8; Ezek. 7:27; Ezek. 11:10; Ezek. 11:11; Ezek. 16:38; Ezek. 17:20; Ezek. 18:30; Ezek. 20:4; Ezek. 20:35; Ezek. 20:36; Ezek. 21:30; Ezek. 22:2; Ezek. 23:24; Ezek. 23:36; Ezek. 23:45; Ezek. 24:14; Ezek. 33:20; Ezek. 34:17; Ezek. 34:20; Ezek. 34:22; Ezek. 35:11; Ezek. 36:19; Ezek. 38:22; Ezek. 44:24; Dan. 9:12; Hos. 7:7; Hos. 13:10; Joel 3:2; Joel 3:12; Amos 2:3; Obad. 1:21; Mic. 3:11; Mic. 4:3; Mic. 5:1; Mic. 7:3; Zeph. 3:3; Zech. 7:9; Zech. 8:16 God established and strengthened the "deliverers". The noun shopet ("judges") appears only in Judges 2:16-19, where it is used six times of those God raised up to “rescue” or “save” Israel from her enemies. The Hebrew word for “judge” is shopet, meaning “ruler,” rather than magistrate, and is the source of the noun mishpat, meaning “judgment” or “justice.” Its cognates are found in Akkadian, Phoenician, Aramaic, and even Punic (cf. A. Harris, A Grammar of the Phoenician Language, p. 153). The basic concept of the word has to do with a verdict given by a judge and is descriptive of every phase of the judge’s work. Therefore, the noun mishpat means the judgment given by the shopet and, thus, may indicate justice, ordinance, or codified law (torah) given by God Himself, since Yahweh is the God of mishpat (Gen 18:25). Real judgment and justice cannot be separated from Him who is the basis of all ethical righteousness (cf. N. Snaith, The Distinctive Ideas of the Old Testament, pp. 74–77). Thus, to the Hebrew mind God’s justice (mishpat) was not a mere idea, but an activated principle in time and history. It was manifested in real and observable events because the real God acted with vindicating righteousness upon His people. When Israel sought the Lord, He raised up “judges” to accomplish His act of deliverance for Israel. Thus, the English title “judge” may often be misleading since it conveys the idea of acting mainly in the legal realm of arbitrating disputes, whereas, the biblical judges were primarily “saviors” or “deliverers” from their enemies (cf. G. Vos, Biblical Theology, pp. 270–75). Actually, the noun shopet is not used to describe the men themselves, though the verb “judged” is used of the action of Othniel (note Judges 3:10), Deborah (note Judges 4:4), Tola (note Judges 10:2), Jair (note Judges 10:3), Jephthah (note Judges 12:7), Ibzan (note Judges 12:8), Elon (note Judges 12:11), Abdon (note Judges 12:13), and Samson (note Judges 15:20). Their main duty was the act of “judging” by which they delivered Israel from oppression. Delivered (saved, helped) (03467)(yasha' is translated by LXX with Greek verb "sozo which means to save NT rendering 149 times or saviour 15 times) means to save, to help, to deliver, to defend signifying primarily bringing to a place of safety or broad pasture as opposed to a narrow strait, symbolic of distress and danger - Deliverance from tribulation (Jdg. 10:13, 14); Deliverance from death (Ps. 22:21). Rescue from enemies (Dt. 28:31; Jdg. 6:14) Victory in war (1Sa 14:6). Shepherd's protection (Ezek. 34:22; cf. Jdg. 10:1); Avenging wrongs (1Sa 25:33); Aid in a time of need (2Ki. 6:26, 27; Ps. 12:1). Yasha describes the salvation that comes only from God (Isa. 33:22; Zeph. 3:17). First use in OT is of Moses who "helped" (yasha') Israel (Ex 2:17) but in truth the "LORD saved (yasha') Israel." (Ex 14:30). So judges would move the people from distress to safety which would equate with deliverance and liberation to those in bondage to evil masters. Yasha' in Judges - A Key Word - Jdg. 2:16; Jdg. 2:18; Jdg. 3:9; Jdg. 3:15; Jdg. 3:31; Jdg. 6:14; Jdg. 6:15; Jdg. 6:31; Jdg. 6:36; Jdg. 6:37; Jdg. 7:2; Jdg. 7:7; Jdg. 8:22; Jdg. 10:1; Jdg. 10:12; Jdg. 10:13; Jdg. 10:14; Jdg. 12:2; Jdg. 12:3; Jdg. 13:5 Plundered (08154)(shasah) is a verb that means to spoil, to plunder of both land and objects (Jdg 2:14; 1Sa 14:48; Hos 13:15), especially plundering Israel which was divine judgment for their sins and failure to repent. God allowed any persons to be plunderers but if they overstepped their boundaries, they too would be plundered as the punishment for their sins. Psalm 44:10 relates a setback for the people of God: "Our adversaries have plundered us" (Ps 44:10NIV). God had seemingly sold his people for little, gaining little (v. 12). An appeal for divine help was made (Ps 44:26). Disobedient Israel had been given over to "plunderers" or "spoilers" (Jdg 2:14). The people cried out to God Who sent judges to deliver them from the "hand of those that spoiled them" (Jdg 2:16). Under Saul's leadership, the Amalekites were subdued, effectively ending their raiding forays that spoiled the people of Israel (1 Sam. 14:48). In a similar crisis, David defeated the Philistine army which was robbing the threshing floors (1Sa 23:1). Isaiah reflected upon this same theme: "This is the portion of them who spoil us" (Isa 17:14). The prophet may have had in mind the foiled attack on Jerusalem by the Assyrians under Sennacherib. After Samaria fell, Judah stood alone. In the end, the Southern Kingdom would also be given into the "hand of the spoilers" (2Ki 17:20). Israel had prospered and pillaged her enemies without crediting God (Isa 10:13). Consequently, the nation itself had been spoiled (Isa 42:22). An east wind would dry Ephraim's fruitfulness: "His storehouse will be plundered" (Hos 13:15NIV). Yet the "destroyer" Babylon would herself be brought to shame (Jer 50:11). (Adapted from (Complete Biblical Library) Shasah - 10x - despoiled(1), pillage(1), plunder(1), plundered(3), plunderers(2), plundering(1), taken spoil(1).Jdg. 2:14; Jdg. 2:16; 1 Sa 14:48; 1 Sam. 23:1; 2 Ki. 17:20; Ps. 44:10; Isa. 10:13; Isa. 42:22; Jer. 50:11; Hos. 13:15 JUDGES 2:16 G Campbell Morgan "The Lord raised up judges". This brief sentence records the method of God during this period. It was a method made necessary by the repeated failure of the people. That should. be clearly understood. These men were not judges in our sense of the word. Neither were they appointed to rule in the normal way. The nation was a Theocracy, halting God as King. Its life was conditioned by His law, and His will was made known through His worship, and the teaching of the priests. The first sentences of the previous chapter reveal the nation inquiring of Jehovah on a matter of national importance. The answer was direct. It was sought and obtained by the use of Urim and Thummim by the priest (Ex 28.30). The people had no need of any other administrators in times of obedience. When through disobedience they passed into circumstances of difficulty and suffering, God raised up judges who became the instruments of Divine deliverance. The Hebrew word Shophetim is derived from a word meaning to put right, and so to rule, and this is exactly what these men did. In the earlier cases, when they had accomplished deliverance they retired again into private life. Gradually they came to retain office. Samuel judged Israel forty years. The need for them arose out of human failure: the provision was of Divine Grace. This principle runs through all the history of man. Man persistently fails, but God persistently overcomes man's failure in order to man's well-being. Priests, judges, kings, prophets, are all means by which God stoops to man's level in order to recover him. (Morgan, G. C. Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible) Before the Face of God - The Forbearance of God Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. [Judg. 2:16] Each generation must affirm its faith in God anew; the nation of Israel, when confronted with the demands of living by faith, quickly cast off its devotion to the Lord. Shortly after Joshua and his generation died, the new generation drifted into syncretistic religion. The human heart is desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9) and runs swiftly into idolatry unless deliberately and self-consciously restrained. We see this phenomenon in the New Testament, as Paul wrote to the Galatians, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel” (1:6). God is faithful, even when his children try to cast him off. It was the grace of God that raised up raiders and foreign nations to plunder Israel in order to wake them up and drive them back to him. The principle God used was simple: “If you like the gods of the heathen, then you can live under the culture produced by those gods. You like the gods of Ammon? Well then, have fun living in the culture of Ammon.” Of course, the cultures produced by these idols were cruel, and Israel suffered under their domination. Soon they cried out to the Lord and promised never to commit idolatry again. The Lord was more than ready to hear their cry. When the Israelites broke their idols, God broke the yoke of the idol-culture that enslaved them. When they returned to him, he gave them gracious liberty under the fair and equitable rule of his holy law. God did this work of deliverance by raising up judges in Israel who would, with his help, summon the army and drive the invader out of the land. Judges 3:1–4 provides another perspective regarding why God raised up these enemies. It was so that each generation should learn how to “make war.” The spiritual application is that we are to live in a state of perpetual war against sin and idolatry. We are to prosecute holy war against our own sin and in our communities against depravity and corruption. If we don’t prosecute holy war against our own sin, God will raise up external scourges, using them to teach us the difference between right and wrong and the importance of making war on evil. One way or the other, God trains his host to war against sin. Coram Deo - List besetting sins in your life, against which you need to make holy war. Now make a list of the most flagrant specimens of corruption in your community, against which your church needs to make a determined, prophetic stand. As you pray, consider how to fight on these two fronts of your holy war. This dismal record of wavering allegiance hardly seems the place to find spiritual heroes, yet four people from Judges—Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah (Jdg 4–16)—are named in the New Testament book of Hebrews (He 11:32). Along with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and other notables, they are commended for their faith. Judges, however, presents these men as flawed people who nevertheless responded to God’s call during a time of spiritual darkness in their culture. The Bible honors them for their faith, not for their perfection. They were recipients of God’s grace as surely as we are. Heaven’s heroes never carve their name On marbled columns built for earthly fame; They build instead a legacy that springs Out of a life lived for the King of kings. —Gustafson Faith in Christ can make extraordinary heroes out of ordinary people. Judges 2:17 And yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do as their fathers. And yet they did not listen to their judges: 1Sa 8:5-8 12:12,17,19 2Ch 36:15,16 Ps 106:43 for they played the harlot after other gods: Ex 34:15,16 Lev 17:7 Ps 73:27 Ps 106:39 Hos 2:2 Rev 17:1-5 They turned aside quickly: Ex 32:8 De 9:12,16 Ga 1:6 which their fathers had walked: Jdg 2:7 Jos 24:24,31 Related Passages: Leviticus 17:7+ “They shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat demons with which they play the harlot. This shall be a permanent statute to them throughout their generations.”’ Psalm 106:39 Thus they became unclean in their practices, And played the harlot (cf Israel Wife of Jehovah) in their deeds. And yet - A sad term of contrast! They did not (Lxx - ouk = absolutely did not) listen (shama; Lxx - epakouo - pay close attention with implication of being responsive) to their judges (shaphat) - This is the height of stubbornness and rebellion to not even listen to the one's who had saved them from their adversaries! Did not hearken. Did not listen with a view to obeying. We must have "ears" (willingly opened) to hear what the Spirit is saying. They heard the words but did not heed the warnings! (Been there! Done that!) This implies that the judges were giving instructions in godliness and righteous living and yet these "words of life" went in one ear and out the other so to speak as shown by Israel's rapid return to idolatry when the judge died. For - Term of explanation. Explaining the evidence to support the statement that they did not listen. They played the harlot (zanah) after other gods - The KJV is more vivid rendering it as they went "whoring after other gods." They pursued gods which were not gods! They prostituted themselves after vanity. Played the harlot (zanah; Lxx = ekporneuo - indulged in gross immorality) refers primarily to a sexual relationship outside of marriage and can thus encompass prostitution as well as adultery. In context the metaphor compares Israel to an unfaithful wife who has violated her marriage covenant and embraced other lovers (in this case the Canaanite gods/idols). Remember that one translation of "baal" is "husband" speaking to Israel Isaiah 54:5 records "your husband [baal] is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts" (See Jer 31:32+). Jehovah was Israel's Husband, helps one understand the choice of language that pictures Israel's apostasy as marital infidelity or as an unfaithful wife. See discussion of Israel The Wife of Jehovah. George Bush on played the harlot - By the covenant entered into at mount Sinai, Ex. 19:6, the people of Israel were virtually married unto God, so that every instance of idolatry was a breach of that solemn compact. The worship of idols was accounted and spoken of as spiritual adultery, and from the nature of the rites accompanying these idolatrous practices, the term was often more than metaphorically proper. (Notes)