Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 2 · Verses 16-17
16 Neuertheleſſe the Lord rayſed vp iudges, whiche deliuered thē out of the handes of their oppreſſors.
17 And yet for all that they would not harcken vntounto their iudges but went a whoryng after ſtraunge Gods, and bowed them ſelues vntounto them. They turned quickly out of the waye, whiche their Fathers walked in, obeying the commaundementes of the Lord, But they did not ſo.
Now is briefly declared vntounto ye readers, what conditiōs & alteratiōs ye Iſraelites had in al ye tyme, which was betwene ye paines & puniſhmētes now deſcribed, wherwith they were for their Idolatry puniſhed, & ye firſt king, whom they choſe vntounto thē ſelues, reiecting Samuel. When they were grieuouſly oppreſſed, they ſighed & groned, & repenting thē ſelues, turned vntounto god, & deſired ayde of him. And God as he is gentle & merciful, deſpiſed not their mournings & inuocations but ſent them ſome one iudge, by whoſe leadyng and conduicte they were deliuered from their oppreſſors. But they when they were deliuered, and ſet at libertie, they lyued at pleaſure & fell agayne into their olde wickedneſſe. Wherfore God accordyng to his iuſtice puniſhed them agayne, and they agayne when they were grieuouſly oppreſſed, groned, & continually prayed vntounto god, whiche yet agayne by an other iudge deliuered them from miſery and calamitie.
The whole tyme of the iudges is deuided into three differences.Wherfore the whole time of the iudges may be aptely diſtributed into thre differences. Firſt he Hebrues were iuſtly puniſhed for their ſynnes and wickedneſſe. Secondly they beyng oppreſſed, wept, prayed, and implored helpe at gods hande. Laſtly god by ſome iudge deliuered them. Moreouer this is to be marked,The people lyued better vnderunder the iudges than they dyd whē they were dead. that the Iewes, althoughe they did not wholly obey the iudges, yet for all that they lyued ſomewhat better as longe as thoſe iudges remayned on lyue.
Wherfore as touchyng outward thinges that publicque wealth had ſomewhat better ſucceſſe vnderunder iudges, and the people myght as long as they lyued, be at reſt from oppreſſions, and liue at liberty. But they were no ſoner deade, but they returned to their old faſhions. Whiche thyng euidently declareth, how they did in vayne before pretend, that they had not ſene the workes, which god had done in deliuering their elders out of Egypt. As thoughe they ſhould hauehave ſayd, if ſo be that we were ſure of thoſe ſo noble workes, we would not now hauehave forſakē the ceremonies of our fathers and choſen new rites. Theſe alterations & chaungynges (I ſay) manifeſtly teſtifye that that pretence was vayne. For eueryevery age ſawe the wonderfull workes of god, when as oftentymes he did by iudges ſet at liberty the people beyng oppreſſed. And yet thoughe they had ſene theſe thinges they could not kepe them ſelues, but that whē their iudge was deade they fell agayne into the ſame wicked crimes.
The fruicte of ye puniſhmētes whiche GOD impoſed.This is alſo to be noted, that it is here written that god vſed to be moued at the ſighyng and teares of the Iſraelites. For this was the fruite of the paynes & puniſhmentes, namely that they might repente, & beyng admoniſhed by miſeries might vnderſtand whether they ſhould flye vntounto. And god in hearing of thē when they cried, had onelyonly a reſpecte vntounto hys promiſes, goodneſſe and name. Furthermore let thoſe whiche delyghte in oppreſſyng and doyng iniury to the poore, note here that the tyme will come at the lengthe, that god will take in hand the cauſes of the afflicted. For althoughe they be euill, and hauehave worthily fallen into calamities and miſeries: yet bycauſe he hath promiſed that he will reuenge the violence and cruelty done agaynſt the poore, therfore he will one day deliuer and reuenge them, euen for this cauſe, namely, bycauſe he neyther can nor will fayle his office and promiſe.God hath alſo ſometymes cō paſſion of euill men whē they are oppreſſed. And in delyuering thoſe whiche were euill from preſent miſeryes, he graunteth vntounto them occaſion and tyme of repenting that except they truly and vnfainedly repent, they may be altogether in excuſable. Moreouer this goodneſſe of God, whiche he vſeth alſo towardes the euill, beareth moſt manifeſt witneſſe of the moſt perfect fayth and truth of god. For althoughe men do filthyly fall from that couenaunt which they hauehave made with god, yet he forgetteth not his goodneſſe and promiſes.