Judges 2 7

Judges 2:7 kjv

And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.

Judges 2:7 nkjv

So the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD which He had done for Israel.

Judges 2:7 niv

The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel.

Judges 2:7 esv

And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the LORD had done for Israel.

Judges 2:7 nlt

And the Israelites served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the leaders who outlived him ? those who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel.

Judges 2 verses

Judges 2 7 Meaning

The people of Israel remained faithful to the Lord and worshiped Him throughout the lifetime of Joshua, the nation's spiritual and military leader, and also during the time of the elders who survived him. Their devotion was deeply rooted in their firsthand experience and clear memory of the awe-inspiring works and mighty deeds that the Lord had performed specifically for the benefit and salvation of Israel, particularly during the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan.

Judges 2 7 Context

Judges 2:7 acts as a pivotal transitional verse between the Book of Joshua, which describes the conquest and settlement of the land, and the recurring cycle of apostasy and deliverance detailed in the Book of Judges. Following the triumphant entry into Canaan and the distribution of land, this verse asserts a period of faithfulness. The immediate context of Judges chapter 2 begins with an Angel of the Lord rebuking Israel for failing to fully drive out the inhabitants of the land and for making covenants with them, thus violating God's command. This rebuke sets the stage for the reason for Israel's future struggles. Verse 7, however, serves as a retrospective on a time before the deep decline. It highlights that as long as Joshua, a faithful leader who witnessed God's mighty acts, and the elders who shared those eyewitness experiences, were alive, the people remained true to the covenant. This verse establishes the "high point" from which the narrative of descent and divine discipline in the rest of Judges will begin, providing a crucial contrast to the forgetfulness of the succeeding generation depicted in Judges 2:10. Historically, this describes the period immediately following Joshua's death, emphasizing the power of living memory and strong leadership in sustaining corporate faith.

Judges 2 7 Word analysis

• And the people served: The Hebrew word וַיַּעַבְדוּ (vayya'avdu) from the root עָבַד (avad) means "to work, to labor, to serve, to worship." It signifies active, dedicated service, not merely passive acknowledgment. It implies a commitment of will and deed to Yahweh, distinguishing this service from mere religious observance.
• the Lord: Represented by יְהוָה (YHWH), the sacred covenant name of God. This specifies that their service was directed toward the one true God of Israel, setting it apart from the service of idols. This emphasis is significant given the impending introduction of Baal and Ashtaroth worship later in Judges.
• all the days of Joshua: כָּל יְמֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (kol y'mei Yehoshua). Joshua (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ - Yehoshua, meaning "YHWH is salvation") served as Moses' faithful successor and embodied committed leadership. His presence and direction were instrumental in guiding the nation's spiritual devotion and covenant adherence, ensuring their remembrance of God's commands and deeds.
• and all the days of the elders: וְכֹל יְמֵי הַזְקֵנִים (v'khol y'mei haz'qenim). הַזְקֵנִים (haz'qenim) refers to the venerable leaders or heads of families and tribes. These were individuals held in high esteem, whose counsel and influence helped shape the community's spiritual life and collective memory, thereby extending the period of faithfulness.
• that outlived Joshua: אֲשֶׁר הֶאֱרִיכוּ יָמִים אֲחֲרֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (asher he'erichu yamim acharei Yehoshua). This phrase specifies that the faithful period continued even beyond Joshua's direct leadership due to these surviving elders. Their longevity ensured that the firsthand experience and understanding of God's acts persisted within the community, serving as a spiritual anchor.
• who had seen: The Hebrew רָאוּ (ra'u), meaning "they saw" or "they experienced," underscores direct, personal observation. Their faith was not based on hearsay but on a profound, undeniable encounter with God's power and faithfulness, leading to unwavering conviction and service.
• all the great works of the Lord: אֵת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה יְהוָה הַגָּדוֹל (et kol ma'aseh YHWH ha'gadol). מַעֲשֵׂה (ma'aseh) means "work" or "deed," and הַגָּדוֹל (ha'gadol) means "the great." This phrase refers to the series of extraordinary, miraculous interventions of God in Israel's history, most notably the Exodus from Egypt, the giving of the Law, the sustenance in the wilderness, and the victories during the conquest of Canaan. These acts demonstrated God's unmatched power, covenant faithfulness, and providential care.
• that he did for Israel: אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל (asher asah l'Yisra'el). This emphasizes that God's actions were specifically undertaken on behalf of His people, for their salvation, liberation, and establishment in the land. This direct beneficiary relationship fostered a strong sense of gratitude and loyalty.

Word-group/Phrase Analysis:

• And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua: This segment highlights the critical influence of righteous leadership. Joshua, mirroring Moses, was instrumental in fostering and maintaining Israel's loyalty to the covenant through his guidance and example. His lifetime marked a period of strong national devotion.
• and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua: This extends the period of national faithfulness beyond Joshua's death, emphasizing the continuing influence of the surviving eyewitness generation. These elders served as living conduits of historical and spiritual memory, ensuring the direct experience of God's mighty acts continued to shape communal identity and practice. They prolonged the period where firsthand witnesses could recount and validate the stories of divine intervention.
• who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel: This entire clause provides the theological rationale for Israel's service during this period. Their direct, vivid memory and personal experience of God's unparalleled power and covenant loyalty (the "great works") were the foundation for their sustained obedience and worship. The emphasis on God's acts for Israel underscores His covenantal love and their privileged position, compelling their devoted response. It signifies that faith flourished where personal and collective memory of God's profound intervention was strong and preserved.

Judges 2 7 Bonus section

This verse vividly illustrates the profound impact of eyewitness testimony and collective memory on a community's spiritual health. The generation that "saw" God's great deeds experienced an undiluted conviction that powered their service. This highlights the concept often referred to as "intergenerational discipleship" – the essential process of passing down not just theological concepts, but living, vivid accounts of God's work from one generation to the next. The failure to do so, hinted at by the limited lifespan of these elders and directly addressed in Judges 2:10, becomes the root cause of Israel's spiritual decline and the subsequent cycles of apostasy throughout the book of Judges. It underscores the critical importance of a continued remembrance of the Lord's redemptive history in maintaining corporate faithfulness, a theme echoed repeatedly throughout Scripture, emphasizing that spiritual amnesia inevitably leads to spiritual decline.

Judges 2 7 Commentary

Judges 2:7 serves as a crucial theological bridge, encapsulating a period of rare faithfulness in Israel's tumultuous history. It asserts that genuine obedience (served the Lord) flowed directly from a generation that possessed an intimate, personal seen understanding of God's power and benevolence, manifest in His great works on their behalf. This verse articulates a profound principle: experiential knowledge of God, passed down through faithful witnesses and leadership, is vital for sustained corporate devotion. The direct link between "seeing" God's works and "serving" Him implies that awareness of divine intervention fuels spiritual commitment. However, this verse also implicitly sets the stage for the dramatic spiritual decline detailed immediately after in Judges 2:10, where a new generation "knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel." It underlines the fragility of faith when experiential memory fades and is not actively cultivated and transmitted across generations. The strength of their faith was proportional to the vividness of their collective memory of God's interventions.