What does Judges 2:21 mean?
"I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:" - Judges 2:21
The verse Judges 2:21 from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible states, "I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died." This verse is a part of a larger passage in the Book of Judges, which tells the story of the Israelites after they entered the Promised Land. The verse comes at a point in the story when the Israelites have turned away from God and have started worshipping idols and following the practices of the surrounding nations.
The theme of this verse is the consequences of disobedience and the faithfulness of God. The Israelites had been given strict commands by God to drive out the Canaanite nations from the land, but they failed to do so due to their disobedience. As a result, they faced the ongoing presence of these pagan nations in the land, which ultimately led to their spiritual and moral downfall. This verse serves as a reminder that disobedience to God's commands can have serious and long-lasting consequences.
The context of this verse is important to understand its significance. The Israelites had just entered the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua, who had led them in conquering many of the Canaanite nations. However, after Joshua's death, the Israelites failed to fully carry out God's command to drive out the remaining nations from the land. Instead, they intermarried with them and adopted their pagan practices, which ultimately led to a cycle of sin, oppression, and deliverance that is repeated throughout the Book of Judges.
The symbolism in this verse is multi-layered. On one level, it represents the failure of the Israelites to fully obey God's commands and the consequences of that disobedience. The ongoing presence of the Canaanite nations in the land serves as a physical reminder of the spiritual and moral compromise of the Israelites. It also symbolizes the ongoing struggle between the Israelites and the pagan nations, which becomes a central theme throughout the Book of Judges.
Additionally, the verse also symbolizes the faithfulness of God. Despite the disobedience of the Israelites, God does not completely abandon them. He continues to work in their midst, raising up judges to deliver them from their oppressors and calling them to repentance. This serves as a symbol of God's enduring love and mercy towards His people, even in the face of their repeated disobedience.
In conclusion, Judges 2:21 from the King James Version of the Bible carries a powerful and timeless message about the consequences of disobedience and the faithfulness of God. It serves as a warning to all believers about the dangers of compromising with the world and failing to fully obey God's commands. It also offers hope and encouragement, reminding us of God's enduring love and mercy, even in the face of our failings. This verse is a powerful reminder of the enduring relevance of the Old Testament and the timeless truths it contains.
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Judges 2:21 - "I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:"
"I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:" - Judges 2:21
Judges 21:2 - "And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;"
Deuteronomy 21:2 - "Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:"
Judges 21:20 - "Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;"
Judges 21:9 - "For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there."
Judges 18:21 - "So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them."
Judges 21:17 - "And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel."
Judges 2:1 - "And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you."
"And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;" - Judges 21:2
Judges 9:21 - "And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother."
Judges 21:15 - "And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel."
Judges 21:25 - "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes."
Judges 21:21 - "And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin."
Judges 7:21 - "And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled."
Judges 21:4 - "And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings."
Judges 13:21 - "But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD."
Judges 21:6 - "And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day."
Judges 21:13 - "And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them."
"Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:" - Deuteronomy 21:2
2 Chronicles 26:21 - "And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land."
Judges 2:16 - "¶ Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them."
Judges 19:21 - "So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink."
Judges 21:16 - "Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?"
Judges 21:3 - "And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?"
Judges 1:21 - "And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day."
Judges 20:21 - "And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men."
Judges 2:31
Judges 21:1 - "Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife."
Judges 21:8 - "¶ And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly."