EGW → Biblical Foundation
Select an Ellen White book from the sidebar to see each passage mapped to the Bible verses it amplifies, cites, or echoes.
Scripture Index
Ellen White & Bible Cross-Reference
Judges 2:2
"And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?"
"Had the Israelites been ready to unite with Samson and follow up the victory, they might at this time have freed themselves from the power of their oppressors. But they had become dispirited and cowardly. They had neglected the work which God commanded them to perform, in dispossessing the heathen, and had united with them in their degrading practices, tolerating their cruelty, and, so long as it was not directed against themselves, even countenancing their injustice. When themselves brought under the power of the oppressor, they tamely submitted to the degradation which they might have escaped, had they only obeyed God. Even when the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, they would, not infrequently, desert him and unite with their enemies. PP 564.2"
Both passages discuss the Israelites' failure to obey God's commands regarding the inhabitants of the land, leading to their oppression. EGW elaborates on the consequences of this disobedience, aligning with the principle established in Judges 2:2.
Judges 2:4
"And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept."
"Dumb with horror and amazement, David and his men for a little time gazed in silence upon the blackened and smoldering ruins. Then as a sense of their terrible desolation burst upon them, those battle-scarred warriors “lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.” PP 692.2"
Both passages describe people weeping loudly in response to a devastating event. While not a direct quote, the thematic similarity is strong enough to warrant confirmation.
Judges 2:7
"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 works of the Lord, that he did for Israel."
When the Israelites first settled in Canaan they acknowledged the principles of the theocracy, and the nation prospered under the rule of Joshua. But increase of population and intercourse with other nations brought a change. The people adopted many of the customs of their heathen neighbors and thus sacrificed to a great degree their own peculiar, holy character. Gradually they lost their reverence for God and ceased to prize the honor of being His chosen people. Attracted by the pomp and display of heathen monarchs, they tired of their own simplicity. Jealousy and envy sprang up between the tribes. Internal dissensions made them weak; they were continually exposed to the invasion of their heathen foes, and the people were coming to believe that in order to maintain their standing among the nations, the tribes must be united under a strong central government. As they departed from obedience to God's law, they desired to be freed from the rule of their divine Sovereign; and thus the dem…
Both passages discuss the period after Joshua's leadership. Judges 2:7 mentions the people serving the Lord during Joshua's time and the elders who outlived him, while EGW elaborates on the subsequent decline in faithfulness after Joshua's era.
"Until the generation that had received instruction from Joshua became extinct, idolatry made little headway; but the parents had prepared the way for the apostasy of their children. The disregard of the Lord's restrictions on the part of those who came in possession of Canaan sowed seeds of evil that continued to bring forth bitter fruit for many generations. The simple habits of the Hebrews had secured them physical health; but association with the heathen led to the indulgence of appetite and passion, which gradually lessened physical strength and enfeebled the mental and moral powers. By their sins the Israelites were separated from God; His strength was removed from them, and they could no longer prevail against their enemies. Thus they were brought into subjection to the very nations that through God they might have subdued. PP 544.4"
EGW's statement about the generation after Joshua and the elders falling into apostasy directly parallels the narrative in Judges 2:7, which describes the people serving the Lord during the time of Joshua and the elders who outlived him. The EGW passage expands on the reasons for the subsequent apostasy.
Judges 2:11
"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:"
"generations away from God and lead them into idolatry. PP 119.1"
Both passages describe a falling away from God and a descent into idolatry. Judges 2:11 specifically mentions the Israelites serving Baalim, while the EGW passage speaks more generally of leading generations into idolatry. The connection is thematic, focusing on the danger of turning away from God and embracing false gods.
Judges 2:11-13
"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim: And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth."
When the Israelites first settled in Canaan they acknowledged the principles of the theocracy, and the nation prospered under the rule of Joshua. But increase of population and intercourse with other nations brought a change. The people adopted many of the customs of their heathen neighbors and thus sacrificed to a great degree their own peculiar, holy character. Gradually they lost their reverence for God and ceased to prize the honor of being His chosen people. Attracted by the pomp and display of heathen monarchs, they tired of their own simplicity. Jealousy and envy sprang up between the tribes. Internal dissensions made them weak; they were continually exposed to the invasion of their heathen foes, and the people were coming to believe that in order to maintain their standing among the nations, the tribes must be united under a strong central government. As they departed from obedience to God's law, they desired to be freed from the rule of their divine Sovereign; and thus the dem…
Both passages describe Israel's departure from God and adoption of pagan practices. The EGW passage provides a broader historical context, while Judges 2:11-13 gives a specific example of idolatry. The themes of apostasy and the consequences thereof are clearly parallel.
Judges 2:11-15
"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim: And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. 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. 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."
"The Israelites as a nation still continued in a state of irreligion and idolatry, and as a punishment they remained in subjection to the Philistines. During this time Samuel visited the cities and villages throughout the land, seeking to turn the hearts of the people to the God of their fathers; and his efforts were not without good results. After suffering the oppression of their enemies for twenty years, the Israelites “mourned after the Lord.” Samuel counseled them, “If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve Him only.” Here we see that practical piety, heart religion, was taught in the days of Samuel as taught by Christ when He was upon the earth. Without the grace of Christ the outward forms of religion were valueless to ancient Israel. They are the same to modern Israel. PP 590.1"
Both passages describe Israel's idolatry, subsequent oppression, and eventual repentance. EGW draws a parallel between the Israelites' turning to false gods and the consequences they faced, which aligns with the narrative in Judges 2:11-15.
Judges 2:12
"And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger."
"In the rejection of the ways of God for the ways of men, the downfall of Israel began. Thus also it continued, until the Jewish people became a prey to the very nations whose practices they had chosen to follow. Ed 50.1"
Both passages discuss Israel's downfall due to rejecting God and following the ways of other nations. The EGW passage amplifies the principle found in Judges 2:12.
"As His people returned to their evil ways, the Lord permitted them to be still oppressed by their powerful enemies, the Philistines. For many years they were constantly harassed, and at times completely subjugated, by this cruel and warlike nation. They had mingled with these idolaters, uniting with them in pleasure and in worship, until they seemed to be one with them in spirit and interest. Then these professed friends of Israel became their bitterest enemies and sought by every means to accomplish their destruction. PP 558.4"
Both passages describe Israel's apostasy through mingling with idolaters, leading to oppression by those same groups. Judges 2:12 describes the initial act of forsaking God for other gods, while the EGW passage details the consequences of this mingling and the resulting oppression by the Philistines. The connection is strong and relevant.
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."
"This prophecy, fulfilled in part in the time of the judges, met a more complete and literal fulfillment in the captivity of Israel in Assyria and of Judah in Babylon. PK 296.1"
Both passages discuss Israel being delivered into the hands of their enemies as a consequence of their actions. While not a direct quote, the thematic connection is clear and supports the interpretation of Judges 2:14 as a partial fulfillment of a prophecy that was later fully realized in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities.
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."
"But the Israelites fixed their hopes upon worldly greatness. From the time of their entrance to the land of Canaan, they departed from the commandments of God, and followed the ways of the heathen. It was in vain that God sent them warning by His prophets. In vain they suffered the chastisement of heathen oppression. Every reformation was followed by deeper apostasy. DA 28.1"
Both passages describe the Israelites' repeated cycles of apostasy and turning away from God's commandments, despite warnings and chastisements. The EGW passage summarizes this pattern, reflecting the narrative found in Judges.
Judges 2:19
"And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way."
"his authority, they would gradually return to their idols. And thus the story of backsliding and chastisement, of confession and deliverance, was repeated again and again. PP 545.1"
The EGW passage directly reflects the cyclical pattern of apostasy, punishment, repentance, and deliverance described in Judges, particularly Judges 2:19. The phrase "repeated again and again" strongly echoes the recurring narrative in Judges.
"A deliverer was raised up in the person of Jephthah, a Gileadite, who made war upon the Ammonites and effectually destroyed their power. For eighteen years at this time Israel had suffered under the oppression of her foes, yet again the lesson taught by suffering was forgotten. PP 558.3"
Both passages highlight the cyclical pattern of Israel's apostasy, oppression, deliverance, and subsequent return to sin. Judges 2:19 describes this cycle in general terms, while the EGW passage illustrates it with the example of Jephthah and the period of oppression before his rise. The connection is clear and relevant.