Judges 2:15 kjv
Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
Judges 2:15 nkjv
Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for calamity, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were greatly distressed.
Judges 2:15 niv
Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the LORD was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.
Judges 2:15 esv
Whenever they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them for harm, as the LORD had warned, and as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.
Judges 2:15 nlt
Every time Israel went out to battle, the LORD fought against them, causing them to be defeated, just as he had warned. And the people were in great distress.
Judges 2 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 26:17 | I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down... | God's declared opposition to disobedient Israel |
| Lev 26:25 | And I will bring a sword upon you... | Covenant consequence of persistent sin |
| Deut 28:20 | The LORD will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration... | Fulfillment of covenant curses |
| Deut 28:25 | The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies... | Enemy victories as divine judgment |
| Deut 28:49-50 | The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away... | Foreign oppression as punishment |
| Josh 23:15 | But just as all the good things that the LORD your God promised you have come upon you... so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things... | God's faithfulness in both blessing and curse |
| 1 Sam 5:6 | The hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod... | God's hand bringing judgment |
| 1 Sam 7:13 | The hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. | God's active opposition |
| Ezra 7:9 | for the good hand of his God was on him. | "Hand of God" can be for blessing or judgment |
| Neh 9:26-27 | Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled... So you gave them into the hand of their enemies... | Rebellion leading to enemy subjugation |
| Ps 32:4 | For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up... | Personal experience of God's heavy hand |
| Ps 39:10 | Remove your stroke from me; I am spent by the hostility of your hand. | Distress caused by divine hand |
| Ps 78:40-42 | How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness... They did not remember his power... | Israel's repeated rebellion and consequences |
| Ps 106:40-41 | Then the anger of the LORD was kindled... and he gave them into the hand of the nations... | God's wrath leads to enemies oppressing |
| Ps 107:17-18 | Some were fools through their sinful ways... they drew near to the gates of death. | Folly of sin leads to deep distress |
| Is 1:20 | But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword... | Rebellion brings destruction |
| Jer 4:18 | Your way and your deeds have brought this upon you. This is your doom... | Sin causes personal calamity |
| Lam 1:3 | Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude... | Consequences of apostasy and judgment |
| Hos 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge... | Rejection of God's ways brings ruin |
| Rom 1:24-32 | Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts... | Divine abandonment as consequence of idolatry |
| Heb 10:31 | It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. | God's formidable judgment |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Spiritual law of cause and effect |
| Rev 3:19 | Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. | God's discipline aims at repentance |
Judges 2 verses
Judges 2 15 Meaning
Wherever the Israelites went, the power and active involvement of the LORD were against them, bringing calamity and misfortune. This judgment was a direct fulfillment of the solemn oath and warnings God had given them for their disobedience. As a result of this divine opposition, they found themselves in profound and oppressive distress.
Judges 2 15 Context
Judges chapter 2 opens with the Angel of the LORD confronting Israel for failing to drive out the Canaanites and making covenants with them, thus breaking their covenant with God. Following this rebuke, the people weep, and the narrative shifts to summarize Israel's recurring sin-punishment cycle after the generation that knew the LORD died. Verse 15 is a concise theological summary of the initial "servitude" phase of this cycle, explaining why they faced adversity. It establishes the principle that their misfortunes were not arbitrary but divinely ordained consequences of their apostasy and idolatry, directly linking their current suffering to God's previously declared covenant curses. This verse sets the stage for the rest of the book of Judges, which vividly illustrates this pattern of divine judgment, oppression, cries for help, and temporary deliverance by judges.
Judges 2 15 Word analysis
- Wherever: Signifies universality and inescapable nature. God's judgment was not limited to one place but followed them in all their endeavors.
- they went: Refers to the Israelites in their daily lives and movements throughout the land. Their activities were continuously met with divine opposition.
- the hand of the LORD: (Hebrew: yad Yahweh) - This is an anthropomorphism denoting God's active power, agency, and involvement. In this context, yad signifies the exercise of God's sovereign authority and strength, but for hostile purposes. It communicates God's direct, personal, and decisive action, leaving no doubt that their troubles were divinely initiated, not coincidental. This concept highlights His omnipresence and omnipotence in their experience.
- was against them: (Hebrew: bām) - Explicitly indicates divine opposition, antagonism, and hostile intent towards them due to their disobedience. It shows that God was directly opposing their progress and well-being.
- for harm: (Hebrew: lºrāʿâ) - Raʿâ means evil, trouble, calamity, disaster, misfortune, or distress. It signifies detrimental consequences, emphasizing that God's actions brought genuine suffering and adversity upon them, not mere inconvenience. It highlights that the outcome was deliberately harmful.
- as the LORD had sworn: (Hebrew: kaʾăšer nishbāʿ Yahweh) - Nishbaʿ means "to swear, to take an oath." This powerful verb points directly to God's covenant with Israel, particularly the curses pronounced in passages like Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26. It underscores God's faithfulness to His own declared word, even when that word includes warnings of judgment. It demonstrates that the suffering was not arbitrary or an act of capricious anger, but the just fulfillment of a previously established covenantal agreement.
- to them: Emphasizes that the oath was directly and personally given to the Israelites.
- and they were in terrible distress: (Hebrew: maʾōd ṣar lāhem) - Maʾōd means "very much, exceedingly," acting as an intensifier. Ṣar (from ṣārar) signifies "distress, trouble, narrowness, anguish, tight place." The combined phrase indicates profound, intense, and oppressive anguish and hardship. It describes the palpable experience of suffering that was a direct result of God's active opposition. This suffering often prompted their eventual cries for deliverance.
- Wherever they went, the hand of the LORD was against them: This phrase captures the pervasive and inescapable nature of God's judgment. It implies a total siege on their well-being, suggesting that no aspect of their lives or no corner of the land offered respite from the divine hand. This contrasts sharply with God's hand being "with them" for blessing, illustrating the dramatic reversal caused by their sin.
- the hand of the LORD was against them for harm, as the LORD had sworn to them: This juxtaposition provides the theological backbone for the entire Book of Judges. It explicitly connects their current plight directly to their covenant disobedience and God's consistent word. It functions as a powerful polemic against any notion that their suffering was due to the superior power of foreign gods or random fate; rather, it was the sovereign LORD fulfilling His pre-stated judgment.
- as the LORD had sworn to them, and they were in terrible distress: This connection emphasizes divine fidelity in judgment. The distress they experienced was not accidental but the direct, predicted outcome of their unfaithfulness, demonstrating God’s righteousness and justice in upholding His covenant.
Judges 2 15 Bonus section
This verse functions as a key hermeneutical statement for the Book of Judges, revealing the theological reason for the repeating "cycle of Judges." The repetition of "the hand of the LORD" being "against them" underscores its intentionality and divine source. The distress (or "affliction," ṣar) was not only punitive but also pedagogical; it was designed by God to prompt Israel's cries for help and to remind them of their dependence on Him. This is God's 'tough love' for His rebellious children, aiming for their eventual return and restoration. It establishes the LORD, not the Canaanites, as the true agent shaping Israel's history during this period.
Judges 2 15 Commentary
Judges 2:15 serves as a crucial interpretative lens for the chaotic narrative that follows. It unveils the underlying divine mechanism behind Israel's repeated cycles of oppression and temporary deliverance. Far from being a series of unfortunate events or the triumph of stronger enemies, their suffering was a direct and intentional work of the LORD’s hand. This was not a capricious act but the just and consistent execution of the covenant curses God had sworn upon them for their idolatry and disobedience. The pervasive and intense distress was meant to lead them back to repentance and acknowledgment of the LORD’s sole sovereignty. It shows God's commitment to His word, His justice in dealing with sin, and His use of adverse circumstances to chasten His people, aiming to restore their relationship with Him. Their very distress was a painful reminder of their rebellion and the fidelity of God’s covenant promises, even the promises of judgment.