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Bochim (2)

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Bochinger, Johann Jakob

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(Heb. Bokim', בֹּכַים , weepers, in the first occurrence with the art., הִבֹּכַים, hab-Bokim, where the Sept. translates ὁ Κλαυθμών, in the other passages Κλαυθμῶνες or Κλανθμών ), the name given to a place (apparently the site of an altar) where an " angel of the Lord" reproved the assembled Israelites for their disobedience in making leagues with the inhabitants of the land, and for their remissness in taking possession of their heritage. This caused a bitter weeping among the people, from which the place took its name (Judges 2:1; Judges 2:5). " Angel" is here usually taken in the ordinary sense of "messenger," and he is supposed to have been a prophet, which is strengthened by his being said to have come from Gilgal; for it was not usual to say that an angel came from another place, and Gilgal (q.v.) was a noted station and resort of holy men. Most of the Jewish commentators regard this personage as Phinehas, who was at that time the high-priest. There are many, however, who deny that any man or created angel is here meant, and affirm that no other than the Great Angel of the Covenant is to be understood-the same who appeared to Moses in the bush, and to Joshua as the captain of Jehovah's host. This notion is grounded on the fact that "the angel," without using the usual formula of delegation, " Thus saith the Lord," says at once, "I made you to go up out of Egypt," etc. As the Gilgal near the Jordan is doubtless meant, and as the place in question lay on higher ground (" came up"), probably near Shiloh, where the tabernacle then was, we may conjecturally locate Bochim at the head of one of the valleys running up between them, possibly at the present ruins of Khurbet Jeradeh, a little south-east of Seilun (Van de Velde, Map).