Judges 2:17

Judges 2:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so.
• New International Version (NIV)Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do so.

Context of Judges 2:17

15Whenever the Israelites went to war, the power of the Lord brought disaster on them. This was what the Lord said he would do in an oath. So he made them suffer a great deal. 16Then the Lord would send judges to rescue them from those who robbed them. But the people wouldn’t listen to the judges. The Israelites chased after other gods as though they were prostitutes and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors who had obeyed the Lord’s commands. They refused to be like their ancestors. 18But when the Lord appointed judges for the Israelites, he was with each judge. The Lord rescued them from their enemies as long as that judge was alive. The Lord was moved by the groaning of those who were tormented and oppressed. 19But after each judge died, the people went back to their old ways and acted more corruptly than their parents. They followed, served, and worshiped other gods. They never gave up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

Judges 2:17 word by word

וְגַ֤ם אֶל־שֹֽׁפְטֵיהֶם֙ לֹ֣א שָׁמֵ֔עוּ כִּ֣י זָנ֗וּ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם סָ֣רוּ מַהֵ֗ר מִן־הַדֶּ֜רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָלְכ֧וּ אֲבוֹתָ֛ם לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ מִצְוֹת־יְהוָ֖ה לֹא־עָ֥שׂוּ כֵֽן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And yet they would not hearkenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: obeyH8085
• unto their judgesשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• but they went a whoringזָנָהzânâh · to fornicateH2181
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• otherאַחֵר'achêr · anotherH312
• godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• and bowedשָׁחָהshâchâh · to bowH7812
• themselves unto them: they turnedסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: turn asideH5493
• quicklyמַהֵרmahêr · quicklyH4118
• out of the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• which their fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
• walked inהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
• the commandmentsמִצְוָהmitsvâh · commandmentH4687
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• they didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213

Cross-references for Judges 2:17

• 1 Samuel 8:5They told him, “You’re old, and your sons aren’t following your example. Now appoint a king to judge us so that we will be like all the other nations.”
• 1 Samuel 12:12But when you saw King Nahash of Ammon coming to attack you, you told me, ‘No, a king should rule over us,’ though the Lord your God was your king.
• 2 Chronicles 36:15The Lord God of their ancestors repeatedly sent messages through his messengers because he wanted to spare his people and his dwelling place.
• Psalms 106:43He rescued them many times, but they continued to plot rebellion against him and to sink deeper because of their sin.
• Exodus 34:15Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in that land. When they chase after their gods as though they were prostitutes and sacrifice to them, they may invite you to eat the meat from their sacrifices with them.
• Leviticus 17:7The people must stop sacrificing to goat idols and chasing after them as though they were prostitutes. This is a permanent law for the people and for future generations.
• Psalms 73:27Without a doubt, those who are far from you will die. You destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
• Psalms 106:39They became filthy because of what they did. They behaved like prostitutes.
• Hosea 2:2“Plead with your mother; plead with her. She no longer acts like my wife. She no longer treats me like her husband. Tell her to stop acting like a prostitute. Tell her to remove the lovers from between her breasts.
• Revelation 17:1One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of that notorious prostitute who sits on raging waters.
• Exodus 32:8They’ve already turned from the way I commanded them to live. They’ve made a statue of a calf for themselves. They’ve bowed down to it and offered sacrifices to it. They’ve said, ‘Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.’ ”
• Deuteronomy 9:12He told me, “Leave right away. Your people whom you brought out of Egypt have ruined ⌞everything⌟. They’ve quickly turned from the way I commanded them to live. They’ve made an idol for themselves.”
• Galatians 1:6I’m surprised that you’re so quickly deserting Christ, who called you in his kindness, to follow a different kind of good news.
• Judges 2:7The people served the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and throughout the lifetimes of the leaders who had outlived him and who had seen all the spectacular works the Lord had done for Israel.
• Joshua 24:24The people replied to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”

Commentaries on Judges 2:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Went a whoring after other gods - Idolatry, or the worship of strange gods, is frequently termed adultery, fornication, and whoredom, in the sacred writings. As many of their idolatrous practices were accompanied with impure rites, the term was not only metaphorically but literally proper.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-23Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-19The Lord appointed judges who led to some temporary recovery. People later described them as "judging" Israel (for example, Judges 3:10; 4:4; 10:2–3), but they were mainly famous for their military successes.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-1911-19. the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord--This chapter, together with the first eight verses of the next [Jud 2:11-3:8], contains a brief but comprehensive summary of the principles developed in the following history. An attentive consideration of them, therefore, is of the greatest importance to a right understanding of the strange and varying phases of Israelitish history, from the death of Joshua till the establishment of the…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 2:17

• Baal
• Character
• Instability
• Israel
• Judge
• Whoredom

In the dictionaries

• Raise
• Sell
• Abdon (1)
• Judges, Book of
• faithful, faithfulness, trustworthy

Commentaries on Judges 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings