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Bochim

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

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• בֹּכִים

("the weepers".) A place W. of Jordan, above Gilgal (Judges 2:1; Judges 2:5). "The (Hebrew) angel of the Lord (the Second Person in the Trinity, "the Lord," Exodus 23:20) came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you go up out of Egypt," etc. He identifies Himself with Jehovah, as no created angel would do. Their sacrificing to the Lord at Bochim, where there was no sanctuary, implies that the angel was Jehovah Himself, whose appearing at any place justified the offering of sacrifices there (Judges 6:20; Judges 6:26; Judges 6:28; 2 Samuel 24:25). The mention of His coming up "from Gilgal to Bochim" is not so much a geographical as a spiritual intimation. The Angel Prince of Jehovah's host announced to Joshua at Gilgal the fall of Jericho, directly after their rolling away the reproach of Egypt by circumcision, whence the place got its name (Gilgal "rolling") (Joshua 5:2-15).

As there they entered into covenant with the Lord with the ritual act of self consecration, and so were assured of victory from the Lord, so here at Bochim (unknown geographically) the divine Angel makes known to them that by their making peace with the Canaanites, instead of rooting them out, they have broken the covenant and so must pay the penalty. It is implied that the same Angel who was Israel's champion at Gilgal is now manifesting Himself as Israel's punisher, by means of those very Canaanites whose residence permitted among them was their sin. Shiloh, not Gilgal, was the place of meeting for the nation at the tabernacle set up there (Joshua 18:1-10). Compare the phrase, "O My people, remember now from Shittim unto Gilgal" (Micah 6:5): not so much a geographical notice as a reference to the people's spiritual and national obligations to God in connection with those places.