The Meaning of Judges 2:3 Explained

Judges 2:3

KJV: Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

YLT: And I also have said, I do not cast them out from your presence, and they have been to you for adversaries, and their gods are to you for a snare.'

Darby: So now I say, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall become adversaries to you, and their gods shall be a snare to you."

ASV: Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wherefore I also said,  I will not drive them out  from before  you; but they shall be [as thorns] in your sides,  and their gods  shall be a snare  unto you. 

What does Judges 2:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 2:1-5 - Flagging In Their Great Task
The conquest of Canaan was very partial. Israel dwelled among the ancient inhabitants of the land, much as the Normans did among the Anglo-Saxons, whom they found in England; and the mixture of the two peoples was the beginning of moral degeneracy and decline in the chosen race. Wherever there was the old-time faith in God, as in the case of Caleb, the land was cleared of the Canaanite; but where God was out, the Canaanite was in.
So it is in the life of the soul. It is intended that the whole should be yielded to Christ, that no evil passion should reign, that no besetting sin should enthrall. But how often Christian people give up the fight! They say that the old Adam is too strong for them, and settle down to a joint-occupation. Let us not yield to reasoning like this! The Lion of Judah can break every chain. By faith in Him we can be more than conquerors! The Holy Spirit strives with the flesh, so that we may not do as otherwise we would. Only give Him the right of way! Sin shall not reign in your mortal body! [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 2

1  An angel rebukes the people at Bochim
6  The wickedness of the new generation after Joshua
14  God's anger and pity toward them
20  The Canaanites left to prove Israel

What do the individual words in Judges 2:3 mean?

therefore also I said not I will drive them out - before you but they shall be [thorns] your in side and their gods shall be to you a snare
וְגַ֣ם אָמַ֔רְתִּי לֹֽא־ אֲגָרֵ֥שׁ אוֹתָ֖ם מִפְּנֵיכֶ֑ם וְהָי֤וּ לָכֶם֙ לְצִדִּ֔ים וֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם יִהְי֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם לְמוֹקֵֽשׁ

וְגַ֣ם  therefore  also 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
אָמַ֔רְתִּי  I  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲגָרֵ֥שׁ  I  will  drive  them  out 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: גָּרַשׁ 
Sense: to drive out, expel, cast out, drive away, divorce, put away, thrust away, trouble, cast up.
אוֹתָ֖ם  - 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מִפְּנֵיכֶ֑ם  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְהָי֤וּ  but  they  shall  be  [thorns] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָכֶם֙  your 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
לְצִדִּ֔ים  in  side 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: צַד 
Sense: side.
וֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם  and  their  gods 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יִהְי֥וּ  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָכֶ֖ם  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
לְמוֹקֵֽשׁ  a  snare 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹוקֵשׁ  
Sense: bait, lure, snare.