6 After Joshua had dismissed them, the People of Israel went off to claim their allotted territories and take possession of the land. 7 The people worshiped God throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the time of the leaders who survived him, leaders who had been in on all of God's great work that he had done for Israel. 8 Then Joshua son of Nun, the servant of God, died. He was 110 years old. 9 They buried him in his allotted inheritance at Timnath Heres in the hills of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash. 10 Eventually that entire generation died and was buried. Then another generation grew up that didn't know anything of God or the work he had done for Israel.
11 The People of Israel did evil in God's sight: 12 they served Baal-gods; they deserted God, the God of their parents who had led them out of Egypt; they took up with other gods, gods of the peoples around them. They actually worshiped them! And oh, how they angered God 13 as they worshiped god Baal and goddess Astarte! 14 God's anger was hot against Israel: He handed them off to plunderers who stripped them; he sold them cheap to enemies on all sides. They were helpless before their enemies. 15 Every time they walked out the door God was with them - but for evil, just as God had said, just as he had sworn he would do. They were in a bad way. 16 But then God raised up judges who saved them from their plunderers. 17 But they wouldn't listen to their judges; they prostituted themselves to other gods - worshiped them! They lost no time leaving the road walked by their parents, the road of obedience to God's commands. They refused to have anything to do with it. 18 When God was setting up judges for them, he would be right there with the judge: He would save them from their enemies' oppression as long as the judge was alive, for God was moved to compassion when he heard their groaning because of those who afflicted and beat them. 19 But when the judge died, the people went right back to their old ways - but even worse than their parents! - running after other gods, serving and worshiping them. Stubborn as mules, they didn't drop a single evil practice. 20 And God's anger blazed against Israel. He said, "Because these people have thrown out my covenant that I commanded their parents and haven't listened to me, 21 I'm not driving out one more person from the nations that Joshua left behind when he died. 22 I'll use them to test Israel and see whether they stay on God's road and walk down it as their parents did." 23 That's why God let those nations remain. He didn't drive them out or let Joshua get rid of them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Judges 2:6-23
Commentary on Judges 2:6-23
(Read Judges 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.