Wesley Corpus

Chapter II An angel reproves Israel, who bewail their sins, ver. 1 - 5. They served God during the life of Joshua and his contemporaries, ver. 4 - 9. Their frequent revolts to idolatry, ver. 10 - 19. God stops their success, ver. 20 - 23. The angel - Christ the angel of the covenant, often called the angel of the Lord, to whom the conduct of Israel out of Egypt into Canaan, is frequently ascribed. He alone could speak the following words in his own name and person; whereas created angels and prophets universally usher in their message with, Thus saith the Lord, or some equivalent expression. And this angel having assumed the shape of a man, it is not strange that he imitates the motion of a man, and comes as it were from Gilgal to the place where now they were: by which motion he signified, that he was the person that brought them to Gilgal, the first place where they rested in Canaan, and there protected them so long, and from thence went with them to battle, and gave them success. Bochim - A place so called by anticipation; it seems to be no other than Shiloh, where it is probable, the people were met together upon some solemn festival. I said - That is, I promised upon condition of your keeping covenant with me. Done this - That is, disobeyed these express commands. I said - With myself, I have now taken up this peremptory resolution. Wept - Some of them from a true sense of their sins; others from a just apprehension of their approaching misery. Bochim - That is, Weepers. They sacrificed - For the expiation of their sins, by which they had provoked God to this resolution. Let the people go - When he had distributed their inheritances, and dismissed them severally to take possession of them. This was done before this time, whilst Joshua lived; but is now repeated to discover the time, and occasion of the peoples defection from God, and of God's desertion of them. Knew not - Which had no experimental, nor serious and affectionate knowledge of God, or of his works.