Judges 2:13-14

2:13 They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtars. ¹ 

2:14 The Lord was furious with Israel ²  and handed them over to robbers who plundered them. ³  He turned them over to ⁴  their enemies who lived around them. They could not withstand their enemies’ attacks. ⁵ 

Judges 2:19-20

2:19 When a leader died, the next generation ⁶  would again ⁷  act more wickedly than the previous one. ⁸  They would follow after other gods, worshiping them ⁹  and bowing down to them. They did not give up ¹⁰  their practices or their stubborn ways.

A Divine Decision

2:20 The Lord was furious with Israel. ¹¹  He said, “This nation ¹²  has violated the terms of the agreement I made with their ancestors ¹³  by disobeying me. ¹⁴ 

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¹ tn Some English translations simply transliterate the plural Hebrew term (“Ashtaroth,” cf. NAB, NASB), pluralize the transliterated Hebrew singular form (“Ashtoreths,” cf. NIV), or use a variation of the name (“Astartes,” cf. NRSV).

sn The Ashtars were local manifestations of the goddess Astarte.

² tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”

³ tn Heb “robbers who robbed them.” (The verb שָׁסָה [shasah] appears twice in the verse.)

sn The expression robbers who plundered them is a derogatory reference to the enemy nations, as the next line indicates.

⁴ tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”

⁵ tn The word “attacks” is supplied in the translation both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

⁶ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the next generation) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷ tn The verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to turn”) is sometimes translated “turn back” here, but it is probably used in an adverbial sense, indicating that the main action (“act wickedly”) is being repeated.

⁸ tn Heb “their fathers.”

sn The statement the next generation would again act more wickedly than the previous one must refer to the successive sinful generations after Joshua, not Joshua’s godly generation (cf. vv. 7, 17).

⁹ tn Or “serving [them]”; or “following [them].”

¹⁰ tn Or “drop.”

¹¹ tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”

¹² tn Heb “Because this nation.”

¹³ tn Heb “my covenant which I commanded their fathers.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “and has not listened to my voice.” The expression “to not listen to [God’s] voice” is idiomatic here for disobeying him.