Judges 2:22 (WEB)

Passage

that by them I may test Israel, to see if they will keep Yahweh’s way to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.”

Nearby Context

Judges 2:20 Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel; and he said, “Because this nation transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to my voice,

Judges 2:21 I also will no longer drive out any of the nations that Joshua left when he died from before them;

Judges 2:22 that by them I may test Israel, to see if they will keep Yahweh’s way to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.”

Judges 2:23 So Yahweh left those nations, without driving them out hastily. He didn’t deliver them into Joshua’s hand.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "test", "israel", "keep", "yahweh", "walk", "therein", "fathers", and "kept". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "test" and "israel", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "I also will no longer drive out..." into verse 23's "So Yahweh left those nations without driving...", so "test" and "israel" 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 "test" and "israel" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.