Judges 2:1
And an angel of the Lord went up from Galgal to the place of weepers, and said: I made you go out of Egypt, and have brought you into the land for which I swore to your fathers: and I promised that I would not make void my covenant with you for ever:
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Ascenditque angelus Domini de Galgalis ad Locum flentium, et ait : Eduxi vos de Ægypto, et introduxi in terram, pro qua juravi patribus vestris : et pollicitus sum ut non facerem irritum pactum meum vobiscum in sempiternum,
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Καὶ ἀνέβη ἄγγελος Κυρίου ἀπὸ Γαλγὰλ ἐπὶ τὸν Κλαυθμῶνα καὶ ἐπὶ Βαιθὴλ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰσραήλ, καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς Τάδε λέγει Κύριος Ἀνεβίβασα ὑμᾶς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, καὶ εἰσήγαγον ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν γῆν ἣν ὤμοσα τοῖς πατράσιν ὑμῶν, καὶ εἶπα Οὐ διασκεδάσω τὴν διαθήκην μου τὴν μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיַּ֧עַל מַלְאַךְ יְהוָ֛ה מִן הַגִּלְגָּ֖ל אֶל הַבֹּכִ֑ים וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אַעֲלֶ֨ה אֶתְכֶ֜ם מִמִּצְרַ֗יִם וָאָבִ֤יא אֶתְכֶם֙ אֶל הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי֙ לַאֲבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וָאֹמַ֕ר לֹֽא אָפֵ֧ר בְּרִיתִ֛י אִתְּכֶ֖ם לְעוֹלָֽם
Haydock's commentary
An angel. Taking the shape of a man, (Challoner) such as had appeared to Josue, (chap. v. 13.; Menochius) the guardian angel of Israel. (Haydock)
The Jews commonly suppose that it was Phinees, the high priest, Malachias ii. 8. (Drusius) But he might be dead with the rest of the ancients when this took place, as the Israelites seem to have experienced many difficulties in consequence of their repeated prevarications, before this messenger was sent to them. He might very probably be some prophet, who speaks in the name of God, (Aggeus i. 13,) as he is said to come not from heaven, but from Galgal to the place of weepers. Hebrew, at Habbocim, "the mulberry trees." Septuagint, Klauthmon. This place, the valley of tears, (Psalm lxxxiii. 7,) perhaps received his name afterwards, from what happened, ver. 4. Some suppose it designates Silo, where the people might be assembled on some great festival, and where sacrifice was offered, ver. 5. Bonfrere collects from the Septuagint and Josephus, ([Antiquities?] vii. 4,) that it lay beyond the vale of the Raphaim, on the south side of Jerusalem, (Menochius) where this messenger might summon the people together, and authorize them to offer sacrifice, as was frequently done (Calmet) by dispensation (Haydock) at a distance from the tabernacle, chap. vi. 20., and xiii. 19.
I made. If he was an angel, his authority could not be called in question; and if he was the high priest, or a prophet known to the people, they would hear him with attention and respect. (Calmet)
He appeared at least in human form, and spoke in the name of God. (Worthington) (Josue v.)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews, Hebrews 1.6-8
“For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast.” What is “was steadfast”? True, as one may say; and faithful in its proper season; and all the things which had been spoken came to pass. Either this is his meaning, or that they prevailed, and the threatenings were coming to be accomplished. Or by “the word” he means injunctions. For apart from the Law, Angels sent from God enjoined many things: for instance at Bochim, in the Judges, in [the history of] Samson. ( Judg. ii. 1; xiii. 3 .) For this is the cause why he said not “the Law” but “the word.” And he seems to me haply rather to mean this, viz., those things which are committed to the management of angels. What shall we say then? The angels who were entrusted with the charge of the nation were then present, and they themselves made the trumpets, and the other things, the fire, the thick darkness. ( Ex. xix. 16 .)