Angel of the Lord or God?
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| English: Jacob Wrestling with the Angel. Česky: Jákob zápasící s andělem. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
As with other passages of Scripture, Yahweh and his angel/messenger are interchangeable: “Now the angel of the Lord … said, ‘I brought you up from Egypt.’ ” Compare, for example, the story of the angel/messenger finding Hagar in the wilderness (Gen. 16:7), the conversation that follows between the two (Gen. 16:8–12), and Hagar’s words, “So she named the Lord who spoke to her” (Gen. 16:13). Here is a case where God himself appeared in the form of a human being, one who could be seen by a mortal.
One instance of oscillation between Yahweh and his angel/intermediary that includes an actual observable appearance in Judges is found in ch. 6. The angel “came and sat” near Gideon (6:11). The two then converse (6:12–13). Then the text says, “Then the Lord turned to him and said …” (6:14). Another Judges text with the same crossover is Judges 13, where the incident moves back and forth among “man,” “angel of the Lord,” “man of God,” and “God.”
There are, however, other texts in which the angel and God are interchangeable, but with no mention of an actual appearance (e.g., Gen. 22:11–12, 15–18). Whether or not one perceives a (human) appearance in 2:1 is dependent on what one makes of the statement “Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim” (2:1). One other thing about the angel’s presence in 2:1–5 is that it is one of the very few places where the angel appears to the community. Usually, the angel appears to individuals (e.g., Abraham, Hagar, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, the wife of Manoah).
The purpose of the angel’s mission is underscored by v. 1 saying that the angel went up (ʿalah) from Gilgal to Bochim. It is a verb used frequently in ch. 1 (vv. 1, 2, 3, 4, 16, 22), and, most importantly, every time it is used there it is referring to military assault, to “go up” in the sense of “move out against, invade.” Presumably, the verb carries that same martial sense in 2:1. But in a shocking reversal, Israel, in ch. 1 the subject of going up, becomes in 2:1 the object of a going up. Those who earlier laid siege are now under siege, but from no normal, mortal opponent.
There is one basic difference between the two times that Yahweh or his representative speaks to Israel. The first (2:1–3) is a proclamation: the angel speaks to Israel. The second (2:21–22) is a monologue: Yahweh speaks about Israel. The difference between a divine proclamation and a divine monologue explains why there is some kind of a response by Israel after 2:1–3 and none after 2:21–22.
The angel, speaking on Yahweh’s behalf, begins by talking about himself and Yahweh’s previous acts of benefaction—the exodus from Egypt in fulfillment of his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and his commitment never to be a covenant-terminating, covenant-violating God. He continues by talking about Israel’s acts of malfeasance, which contrast blatantly with his acts of benefaction. Israel, against his orders, has made a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and has not torn down their altars (2:2). All of the “not” phrases in Judg. 1:19–33 (“could/did not drive out”) connect with the one “not” sentence of the angel’s indictment, “You have not obeyed [listened to] my command.” Israel’s sin, whatever its final manifestation, is a sin of not listening. Whenever God’s voice and word are muted or ignored, the repercussions become almost unfathomable.
One of those repercussions is that Yahweh will not drive out the nations (v. 3). If Israel does not “drive out” the nations, neither will Yahweh. If Israel does not yarash the inhabitants (the verb used throughout ch. 1), Yahweh will not garash them (the verb used in 2:3). No yarash? Then no garash. Thus, the leaving of the nations as “adversaries” and “a snare” is a penalty, a consequence, for Israel’s faithlessness. Israel’s “lifting up their voices and weeping” (v. 4) appears a little vacuous, occasioned more by what the angel said in v. 3 rather than by what the angel said in vv. 1–2. It is the leaving of the nations in adversarial roles and not their own sin that they find disquieting. There are a lot of tears, but no repentance.
In essence, the angel tells Israel that if they had done what they did not do (1:19–33), then they would not have done what they did do (2:2). Israel may be sheep without a shepherd—there is no Joshua around—but that does not let Israel off the hook.
Hamilton, V. P. (2001). Handbook on the Historical Books (pp. 107–108). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
