וַיַּעַל מַלְאַךְ ה'מִן הַגִּלְגָּל אֶל הַבֹּכִים וַיֹּאמֶר אַעֲלֶה אֶתְכֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם וָאָבִיא אֶתְכֶם אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם וָאֹמַר לֹא אָפֵר בְּרִיתִי אִתְּכֶם לְעוֹלָם

The messenger of the Lord, who was likely a prophet, went up from Gilgal to Bokhim. The place is named Bokhim, weeping, due to the incident described here (see verses 4–5). He said to a large gathering of Israelites: I took you up from Egypt, and I brought you to the land with regard to which I took an oath to your forefathers, and I said: I will never breach My covenant with you,

וְאַתֶּם לֹא תִכְרְתוּ בְרִית לְיוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת מִזְבְּחוֹתֵיהֶם תִּתֹּצוּן וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם בְּקֹלִי מַה זֹּאת עֲשִׂיתֶם!

and as for you, you shall not establish a covenant with the inhabitants of this land. You were commanded not to establish ties with the Canaanites, and even not to live peacefully alongside them. Rather, you shall smash their altars. Unlike polytheistic nations, which accepted different religions operating alongside one another, you were commanded not to allow the altars of idolaters to remain in your land. But you did not heed My voice, as you failed to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan and their altars. What is this that you have done?

וְגַם אָמַרְתִּי לֹא אֲגָרֵשׁ אוֹתָם מִפְּנֵיכֶם וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְצִדִּים וֵאלֹהֵיהֶם יִהְיוּ לָכֶם לְמוֹקֵשׁ

I also warned you in advance and said that if you make a covenant with them, I will not expel them any more from before you, but they shall be as traps for you, or irritants, who will ambush you from the side, and their gods shall be a snare for you. You may not and cannot successfully intermingle with the gentile nations. If you do not eradicate them, their hatred for you will persist, and you will forfeit your grace and favor in the eyes of God as well.

וַיְהִי כְּדַבֵּר מַלְאַךְ ה' אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֶל כָּל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּשְׂאוּ הָעָם אֶת קוֹלָם וַיִּבְכּוּ

The very fact that a messenger spoke to the people in God’s name was an entirely new experience for them. It was, as the messenger of the Lord spoke these matters to all the children of Israel, the large group that had gathered there, that the people raised their voice and they wept [vayivku], as they knew that they had not fulfilled their responsibilities, and they felt guilty and helpless.

וַיִּקְרְאוּ שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא בֹּכִים וַיִּזְבְּחוּ שָׁם לַה'

They called the name of that place Bokhim, due to the great weeping [bekhiya], and they slaughtered there to the Lord. The halakhic status of this offering and the manner of its sacrifice are unclear. In any case, this spiritual awakening did not lead to any practical changes.

וַיְשַׁלַּח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת הָעָם וַיֵּלְכוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ לְנַחֲלָתוֹ לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת הָאָרֶץ

The book now returns to its starting point, the end of the previous book. Joshua had sent the people away after they had operated as a unified army for many years, and the children of Israel had gone, each man to his inheritance, to take possession of the land.

וַיַּעַבְדוּ הָעָם אֶת ה' כֹּל יְמֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְכֹל יְמֵי הַזְּקֵנִים אֲשֶׁר הֶאֱרִיכוּ יָמִים אַחֲרֵי יְהוֹשׁוּעַ אֲשֶׁר רָאוּ אֵת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה ה' הַגָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל

The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders whose days extended after Joshua, those individuals who had seen all the great deeds of the Lord that He performed for Israel in the wilderness and during the conquest of the land.

וַיָּמָת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן עֶבֶד ה' בֶּן מֵאָה וָעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים

Joshua son of Nun, servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten years.

וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אוֹתוֹ בִּגְבוּל נַחֲלָתוֹ בְּתִמְנַת חֶרֶס בְּהַר אֶפְרָיִם מִצְּפוֹן לְהַר גָּעַשׁ

They buried him within the border of his inheritance in Timnat Heres, which was in the highlands of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

וְגַם כָּל הַדּוֹר הַהוּא נֶאֶסְפוּ אֶל אֲבוֹתָיו וַיָּקָם דּוֹר אַחֵר אַחֲרֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדְעוּ אֶת ה' וְגַם אֶת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל

That entire generation was likewise gathered to its fathers, and another generation arose after them that did not know the Lord or the deeds that He had performed for Israel. For the generation that was born in the Land of Israel and lived their routine lives there, these deeds were nothing more than stories. Consequently, the wonders of the past were gradually forgotten.

וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה' וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֶת הַבְּעָלִים

The children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and they served the Be’alim.

וַיַּעַזְבוּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתָם הַמּוֹצִיא אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וַיֵּלְכוּ אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים מֵאֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבוֹתֵיהֶם וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָהֶם וַיַּכְעִסוּ אֶת ה'

They forsook the Lord, God of their fathers, who took them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed other gods, from the gods of the peoples that surrounded them, and they prostrated themselves before them, and they angered the Lord with their deeds.

וַיַּעַזְבוּ אֶת ה' וַיַּעַבְדוּ לַבַּעַל וְלָעַשְׁתָּרוֹת

They forsook the Lord, and they served the Baal and the Ashtarot, gods of fertility and love.

וַיִּחַר אַף ה' בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתְּנֵם בְּיַד שֹׁסִים וַיָּשֹׁסּוּ אוֹתָם וַיִּמְכְּרֵם בְּיַד אוֹיְבֵיהֶם מִסָּבִיב וְלֹא יָכְלוּ עוֹד לַעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי אוֹיְבֵיהֶם

Consequently the wrath of the Lord was enflamed against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of marauders, who pillaged them; He sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, and they, the Israelites, could no longer stand before their enemies.

בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר יָצְאוּ יַד ה' הָיְתָה בָּם לְרָעָה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע ה' לָהֶם וַיֵּצֶר לָהֶם מְאֹד

Wherever they went out, whether to attack or defend themselves, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had spoken, and as the Lord had taken an oath to them, and they were very distressed. God brought suffering and distress upon them.

וַיָּקֶם ה' שֹׁפְטִים וַיּוֹשִׁיעוּם מִיַּד שֹׁסֵיהֶם

However, from time to time the Lord established judges, leaders. These inspired individuals were not chosen by the people and were not necessarily prophets either. Rather, they felt the spirit of God within them, and they spoke or acted in His name. It was these judges who saved them from the hand of those who marauded against them. They successfully organized the people, triumphed in wars, and restored matters to their original state for a limited time.

וְגַם אֶל שֹׁפְטֵיהֶם לֹא שָׁמֵעוּ כִּי זָנוּ אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָהֶם סָרוּ מַהֵר מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ אֲבוֹתָם לִשְׁמֹעַ מִצְוֹת ה'לֹא עָשׂוּ כֵן

Also they did not heed their judges, for they strayed after other gods and prostrated themselves before them; they turned quickly from the way on which their fathers went, to heed the commandments of the Lord; they themselves did not do so.

וְכִי הֵקִים ה' לָהֶם שֹׁפְטִים וְהָיָה ה' עִם הַשֹּׁפֵט וְהוֹשִׁיעָם מִיַּד אֹיְבֵיהֶם כֹּל יְמֵי הַשּׁוֹפֵט כִּי יִנָּחֵם ה'מִנַּאֲקָתָם מִפְּנֵי לֹחֲצֵיהֶם וְדֹחֲקֵיהֶם

When on occasion the Lord would establish judges for them, the Lord would be with the judge, and He would save them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge, because the Lord would relent and remove the source of their oppression in response to their tormented groans due to their oppressors and their persecutors. In addition to his military campaigns, the judge would imbue a spirit of unity among the people.

וְהָיָה בְּמוֹת הַשּׁוֹפֵט יָשֻׁבוּ וְהִשְׁחִיתוּ מֵאֲבוֹתָם לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לְעָבְדָם וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לָהֶם לֹא הִפִּילוּ מִמַּעַלְלֵיהֶם וּמִדַּרְכָּם הַקָּשָׁה

It would be that when the judge would die, they would revert and be more corrupt than their fathers, to follow other gods, to serve them, and to prostrate themselves before them. They would not detract from any of their misdeeds or their troublesome way. Although the judge would act in the name of God, after his death everything would regress to the previous state of affairs. The judges were unable to bring about decisive transformations in the people.

וַיִּחַר אַף ה' בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר יַעַן אֲשֶׁר עָבְרוּ הַגּוֹי הַזֶּה אֶת בְּרִיתִי אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי אֶת אֲבוֹתָם וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ לְקוֹלִי

The wrath of the Lord was enflamed against Israel, and He said: Because this nation violated My covenant that I had commanded their fathers and did not heed My voice to drive out the inhabitants of the land (see verse 2),

גַּם אֲנִי לֹא אוֹסִיף לְהוֹרִישׁ אִישׁ מִפְּנֵיהֶם מִן הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר עָזַב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיָּמֹת

I too will not continue to dispossess anyone from before them of the nations that Joshua left when he died. Apparently, Israel could have continued the wave of conquests and destroyed the surrounding nations as well, but they lacked the will to do so. Since they did not choose to be God’s people, God was not with them either.

לְמַעַן נַסּוֹת בָּם אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲשֹׁמְרִים הֵם אֶת דֶּרֶךְ ה' לָלֶכֶת בָּם כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמְרוּ אֲבוֹתָם אִם לֹא

God further stated: I will preserve the surrounding nations in order to test Israel with them: Are they keeping the way of the Lord to follow it, just as their fathers kept it, or not?

וַיַּנַּח ה' אֶת הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה לְבִלְתִּי הוֹרִישָׁם מַהֵר וְלֹא נְתָנָם בְּיַד יְהוֹשֻׁעַ

The Lord gave respite to those nations, not dispossessing them quickly, and He did not deliver them into the hand of Joshua.