New Living Translation
Judges 2:18
18Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge’s lifetime. For the Lord took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering.
Judges 2:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
- New International Version (NIV)Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And when the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them.
Context of Judges 2:18
16Then the Lord raised up judges to rescue the Israelites from their attackers. 17Yet Israel did not listen to the judges but prostituted themselves by worshiping other gods. How quickly they turned away from the path of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands. Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge’s lifetime. For the Lord took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering. 19But when the judge died, the people returned to their corrupt ways, behaving worse than those who had lived before them. They went after other gods, serving and worshiping them. And they refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways. 20So the Lord burned with anger against Israel. He said, “Because these people have violated my covenant, which I made with their ancestors, and have ignored my commands,
Read all of Judges 2Judges 2:18 word by word
וְכִֽי־הֵקִ֨ים יְהוָ֥ה׀ לָהֶם֮ שֹֽׁפְטִים֒ וְהָיָ֤ה יְהוָה֙ עִם־הַשֹּׁפֵ֔ט וְהֽוֹשִׁיעָם֙ מִיַּ֣ד אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י הַשּׁוֹפֵ֑ט כִּֽי־יִנָּחֵ֤ם יְהוָה֙ מִנַּֽאֲקָתָ֔ם מִפְּנֵ֥י לֹחֲצֵיהֶ֖ם וְדֹחֲקֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And when the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- raisedקוּםqûm · to arise: raiseH6965
- them up judgesשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- and deliveredיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467
- them out of the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- of their enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
- all the daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- for it repentedנָחַםnâcham · to be sorry: comfortH5162
- becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face: becauseH6440
- of their groaningsנְאָקָהne'âqâh · groanH5009
- by reason of them that oppressedלָחַץlâchats · to oppressH3905
- them and vexedדָּחַקdâchaq · to crowdH1766
Cross-references for Judges 2:18
- Exodus 3:12God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”
- Joshua 1:5No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.
- Acts 18:9One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent!
- Judges 10:16Then the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the Lord. And he was grieved by their misery.
- Genesis 6:6So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.
- Deuteronomy 32:36“Indeed, the Lord will give justice to his people, and he will change his mind about his servants, when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free.
- Psalms 90:13O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants!
- Psalms 106:44Even so, he pitied them in their distress and listened to their cries.
- Jeremiah 18:7If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed,
- Hosea 11:8“Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go? How can I destroy you like Admah or demolish you like Zeboiim? My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows.
- Jonah 3:10When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.
- Exodus 2:24God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- 2 Kings 13:4Then Jehoahaz prayed for the Lord’s help, and the Lord heard his prayer, for he could see how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel.
- Psalms 12:5The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.”
Commentaries on Judges 2:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18The Lord was with the judge - God himself was king, and the judge was his representative. It repented the Lord - He changed his purpose towards them: he purposed to destroy them because of their sin; they repented and turned to him, and he changed this purpose. The purpose was to destroy them if they did not repent; when they did repent, his not destroying them was quite consistent with his purpose.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18It repented the Lord - Rather, “the Lord was moved with compassion,” or “was grieved,” “because of their groanings.” (Compare Judges 21:15.)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 2:18
In the dictionaries
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries