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. (Judges 2:1)
The following five verses of Judges properly belong to the first chapter. They are a fitting close to the account of the conquest and settlement recorded in ch. 1. In them the author explains why the chosen people were unable to make a complete conquest of the land. The main theme of these verses is a rebuke to the Israelites for mingling the heathen religious practices of the people among whom they settled, with their own God-given religious forms. Instead of destroying the heathen altars, the Israelites worshiped before them.
It is difficult to ascertain of whom the writer is speaking when he refers to “an angel of the Lord.” The word “angel” literally means “messenger.” The term “messenger of the Lord” may refer to a prophet whom God used to give His message to Israel (Haggai 1:13), but it may also refer to the Lord Himself, who is sometimes referred to by this title (see Ex. 23:20, 23; 33:2). The fact that the message is not introduced with a “Thus saith the Lord,” which was the custom of later prophets, suggests that the speaker was the Lord Himself. The use of the first person also supports the latter view.
From Gilgal.
The city that had served as the temporary headquarters of the tribes (Joshua 4:19; 9:6; 10:6; etc.). It was at this camp, on the western bank of the Jordan between Jericho and the river, that the mysterious “captain of the host” had appeared to Joshua (Joshua 5:13-15). That captain was Christ (PP 488). It is possible, but by no means certain, that the same visitant is here presented.
Bochim.
Literally, “weepers.” This name was given to the place following the experience that is now being recorded (see vs. 4, 5). No place by this name is known today, nor is it mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. The LXX, after the word “Bochim” adds the explanation, “and to Bethel.” The event may have happened at Bethel, but the fact that they offered sacrifice there (v. 5) suggests that most likely the place was Shiloh, where the tabernacle was pitched at that time. The context indicates a great assembly, and it is possible that these events occurred in connection with one of the great religious assemblies such as the Passover or ingathering festival. In this event the place would have been either Shiloh or a small village near it.