Judges 2:16 (KJV)

Passage

Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

Nearby Context

Judges 2:14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

Judges 2:15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

Judges 2:16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

Judges 2:17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.

Judges 2:18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "nevertheless", "lord", "raised", "judges", "delivered", "hand", and "spoiled". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "nevertheless" and "lord", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Whithersoever they went out the hand of..." into verse 17's "And yet they would not hearken unto...", so "nevertheless" and "lord" belong inside that flow. In Judges context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "nevertheless" and "lord" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.