Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, August 3rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

JPS Old Testament

Judges 2:22

that by them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Baal;   Israel;   The Topic Concordance - Covenant;   Disobedience;   Proof;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Canaanites, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Angel of the Lord;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gentile;   Judges, book of;   Testing;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - God;   Nations, the;   Time;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Pentateuch;   Zion;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Judges, Book of;   Persecution in the Bible;   Temptation;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Judges (1);   Temptation;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I did this to test Israel and to see whether or not they would keep the Lord’s way by walking in it, as their fathers had.”
Hebrew Names Version
that by them I may prove Yisra'el, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
King James Version
That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
Lexham English Bible
in order to test Israel whether or not they would observe the way of Yahweh, to walk in it just as their ancestors did."
English Standard Version
in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers did, or not."
New Century Version
I will use them to test Israel, to see if Israel will keep the Lord 's commands as their ancestors did."
New English Translation
Joshua left those nations to test Israel. I wanted to see whether or not the people would carefully walk in the path marked out by the Lord , as their ancestors were careful to do."
Amplified Bible
in order to test [the loyalty of] Israel by them, whether Israel will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it, as their fathers did, or not."
New American Standard Bible
in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it as their fathers did, or not."
Geneva Bible (1587)
That through them I may proue Israel, whether they wil keepe the way of the Lorde, to walke therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.
Legacy Standard Bible
And on some, who are doubting, have mercy;
Contemporary English Version
and I'm going to let those enemies stay. I'll use them to test Israel, because then I can find out if Israel will worship and obey me as their ancestors did.
Complete Jewish Bible
This is how I will test Isra'el, to see whether or not they will keep the way of Adonai , living according to it, as their ancestors did."
Darby Translation
that through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of Jehovah to walk therein, as their fathers did keep [it], or not.
Easy-to-Read Version
I will use them to test the Israelites. I will see if the Israelites can keep the Lord 's commands as their ancestors did."
George Lamsa Translation
That through them I may prove Israel whether they will keep the way of the LORD, and whether they will walk in it, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
Good News Translation
I will use them to find out whether or not these Israelites will follow my ways, as their ancestors did."
Literal Translation
so that by them I may test Israel, whether they are keeping the way of Jehovah, to go in it, as their fathers kept it, or not.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
that by them I maye proue Israel, whether they wil kepe the waye of the LORDE, to walke therin, as their fathers dyd, or not.
American Standard Version
that by them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of Jehovah to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
Bible in Basic English
In order to put Israel to the test, and see if they will keep the way of the Lord, walking in it as their fathers did, or not.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
That through them I may proue Israel, whether they wil kepe the way of the Lorde, and walke therin as their fathers dyd, or not.
King James Version (1611)
That through them I may proue Israel, whether they will keepe the way of the Lord, to walke therein, as their fathers did keepe it, or not.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
to prove Israel with them, whether they would keep the way of the Lord, to walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or no.
English Revised Version
that by them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
Berean Standard Bible
In this way I will test whether Israel will keep the way of the LORD by walking in it as their fathers did."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
that in hem Y asaie Israel, whether thei kepen the weie of the Lord, and goen ther ynne, as her fadris kepten, ether nay.
Young's Literal Translation
in order to try Israel by them, whether they are keeping the way of Jehovah, to go in it, as their fathers kept [it] or not.'
Update Bible Version
that by them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of Yahweh to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.
Webster's Bible Translation
That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it, as their fathers kept [it], or not.
World English Bible
that by them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of Yahweh to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
New King James Version
so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not."
New Living Translation
I did this to test Israel—to see whether or not they would follow the ways of the Lord as their ancestors did."
New Life Bible
I will use them to test Israel. I will see if Israel will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it like their fathers did, or not."
New Revised Standard
In order to test Israel, whether or not they would take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their ancestors did,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
that I may, by them, put Israel to the proof, - whether they are going to be observant of the way of Yahweh, to walk therein as their fathers observed it, or not.
Douay-Rheims Bible
That through them I may try Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord, and walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or not.
Revised Standard Version
that by them I may test Israel, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the LORD as their fathers did, or not."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it as their fathers did, or not."

Contextual Overview

6 Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. 7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the LORD, that He had wrought for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old. 9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers; and there arose another generation after them, that knew not the LORD, nor yet the work which He had wrought for Israel. 11 And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baalim. 12 And they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples that were round about them, and worshipped them; and they provoked the LORD. 13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. 14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and He gave them over into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. 15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had spoken, and as the LORD had sworn unto them; and they were sore distressed.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

through: Judges 3:1-4

prove: Genesis 22:1, Deuteronomy 8:2, Deuteronomy 8:16, Deuteronomy 13:3, 2 Chronicles 32:31, Job 23:10, Psalms 66:10, Proverbs 17:3, Malachi 3:2, Malachi 3:3

Reciprocal: Exodus 15:25 - proved Judges 3:4 - to prove Acts 18:25 - instructed

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
And the LORD God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed.
Genesis 2:9
And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:19
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them; and whatsoever the man would call every living creature, that was to be the name thereof.
Psalms 127:1
A Song of Ascents; of Solomon. {N}except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
Proverbs 18:22
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a great good, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.
Proverbs 19:14
House and riches are the inheritance of fathers; but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

That through them I may prove Israel,.... Afflict them by them, and so prove or try them, their faith and patience, which are tried by afflictions; and such were the Canaanites to them, as afflictions and temptations are to the spiritual Israel of God; or rather, whether they would keep in the ways of God, or walk in those the Canaanites did, as follows:

whether they will keep the way of the Lord, as their fathers did keep [it], or not; whether they would worship the true God their fathers did, or the gods of the Canaanites; not that the Lord was ignorant of what they would do, and so made the experiment; but that the sincerity and faithfulness, or insincerity and unfaithfulness of their hearts, might appear to themselves and others.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 2:22. That through them I may prove Israel — There appeared to be no other way to induce this people to acknowledge the true God, but by permitting them to fall into straits from which they could not be delivered but by his especial providence. These words are spoken after the manner of men; and the metaphor is taken from the case of a master or father, who distrusts the fidelity or obedience of his servant or son, and places him in such circumstances that, by his good or evil conduct, he may justify his suspicions, or give him proofs of his fidelity.


 
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