And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

JUDGES 2:4KJV
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Judges 2:4 (KJV)

What does Judges 2:4 mean?

Judges 2:4 describes how, after the angel of the LORD spoke to all the Israelites, the people responded by raising their voices and weeping. This shows the deep emotional impact the angel’s message had on the entire community.

The setting is early in the book of Judges, where the "angel of the LORD" delivers a message from God to the Israelites about their disobedience. The people’s reaction—lifting up their voices and weeping—shows a collective sense of sorrow and regret. This moment marks a turning point, as the people realize the seriousness of what has been spoken to them.

The Hebrew behind Judges 2:4

  • "angel" (מַלְאָךְ, mal’akh): This word means "messenger" and is often used for a supernatural messenger from God. Here, it emphasizes that the message comes with divine authority.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible, underscoring that the message is not just from any messenger, but directly from Israel’s covenant God.
  • "wept" (בָּכָה, bakhah): This verb means to weep or cry loudly, highlighting the intensity of the people’s emotional response.

Why Judges 2:4 matters

  • Judges 2:4 clarifies that the entire community, not just a few individuals, was deeply moved by the angel’s words, showing a shared sense of responsibility and sorrow.
  • The verse connects to the larger theme in Judges of Israel’s repeated cycle of disobedience, repentance, and deliverance, setting the stage for what follows.
  • The strong emotional reaction helps the reader sense the weight of God’s message and the seriousness with which the people received it.

Where else these words appear

“wept” Hebrew H1058 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 21:16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
  • 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;
  • Esther 8:3 And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.