And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights a crucial, often missed, point: "knowing the Lord" isn't just about recalling facts; it's about experiential knowledge. This new generation lacked the deep, practical understanding that comes from seeing God's power firsthand and the subsequent impact it had on their parents' lives.
And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following Joshua's death and the passing of the generation that conquered Canaan, a new generation arose who lacked any real knowledge or experience of the Lord's power. Unlike their parents and grandparents who witnessed God's mighty deeds firsthand, this new generation had no personal connection to the history of Israel's deliverance and covenant, leaving them susceptible to the surrounding pagan influences. This spiritual amnesia set the stage for the nation's downward spiral into idolatry and disobedience, which would characterize the era of the Judges.
Have you ever told a story so many times that it starts to feel less real, even to you? This verse describes a similar fading, but with much higher stakes.
The book of Judges opens with a stark observation: a generation dies off, and with them, a vital connection to God's past actions fades.
The End of an Era
The verse states, 'all that generation also were gathered to their fathers.' This isn't just about people dying; it signifies the end of an era where direct experience of God's powerful interventions in Israel's history was common knowledge. These were the people who saw the Jordan River stop flowing, Jericho's walls crumble, and miraculous victories. Their lived experiences were powerful testaments to God's faithfulness.
A New Generation's Ignorance
But then, 'there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.' They hadn't witnessed these events firsthand. The stories were likely told, but without the impact of personal experience, they became mere tales, not foundational truths. This lack of experiential knowledge created a spiritual vacuum, leaving them vulnerable to forgetting God entirely.
What does it truly mean to 'not know the LORD'? It's more than just ignorance; it's a dangerous disconnection that this verse warns us about.
The phrase 'did not know the LORD' in this context goes deeper than a simple lack of information. It implies a lack of relational intimacy, a failure to recognize His character, and a disregard for His authority.
Ask a follow-up
Beyond Intellectual Ascent
Scholars note that this 'knowing' wasn't just about acknowledging God's existence. It was about an 'experimental, or serious and affectionate knowledge' – a knowledge that impacts the heart and leads to love, fear, and service. Without this, God remains a distant figure, His past deeds mere historical footnotes.
The Slippery Slope to Disobedience
This ignorance is the breeding ground for apostasy. When a generation forgets the 'works that he had done for Israel' – the acts of deliverance, provision, and judgment – they lose the basis for their covenant relationship with Him. They cease to understand why obedience is important or why idolatry is so destructive. This leads directly to the cycle of sin and oppression that characterizes the rest of Judges.
Understand the original words
asaph · Hebrew Verb
A euphemism for death, reflecting the ancient Israelite belief in ancestral fellowship beyond the grave and the communal nature of God’s people through history.
yada · Hebrew Verb
Biblically, this goes beyond mere intellectual awareness to imply a relational, experiential knowledge—a deep, intimate acquaintance that results in covenantal loyalty and trust.
The verse highlights a critical cycle in Israel's history: the fading of spiritual momentum as direct witnesses to God's mighty acts die off, leaving subsequent generations vulnerable to forgetting their heritage and turning away from the LORD.
c. 1406 BC
Israel Conquers Canaan Under Joshua
Led by Joshua, the Israelites successfully invaded and conquered the Promised Land of Canaan after decades in the wilderness. This period marks a significant military and spiritual high point.
c. 1386 BC
Death of Joshua
Joshua, the successor to Moses, dies. He was a pivotal leader who had personally witnessed and participated in God's mighty acts for Israel, like the parting of the Jordan River and the fall of Jericho.
c. 1386 BC - 1346 BC
The First Generation Judges
A generation that remembered Joshua and God's powerful deeds in conquering Canaan continued to serve the LORD. However, their faithfulness was largely dependent on the leadership of elders who had personally experienced these events.
c. 1346 BC— this verse
Death of the Generation of Conquerors
The generation that had directly experienced the conquest of Canaan and lived under Joshua's leadership passed away. This marks a significant turning point as direct memory of these events fades.
c. 1346 BC onwards
Rise of a New Generation
A new generation emerges that lacks personal experience of God's miracles during the Exodus and conquest. Without this lived memory, their knowledge of the LORD and His works becomes superficial, paving the way for spiritual decline.
This passage commands parents to diligently teach their children about God's commands and works, directly addressing the core issue in Judges 2:10 where the next generation lacked this knowledge.
Psalm 78:1-7This psalm laments a similar generational forgetting of God's mighty deeds and instructs that future generations must be taught these truths, echoing the cycle of remembrance and forgetting seen in Judges.
Jeremiah 9:3The prophet Jeremiah expresses sorrow over a generation that has 'turned back from me' and 'knows me not,' mirroring the spiritual ignorance and apostasy described in Judges 2:10.
Hosea 4:6Hosea powerfully states, 'my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,' directly linking spiritual decline and destruction to a failure to know the Lord, which is the central problem in the verse from Judges.
wesleyJudges 2:10: "And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel."
2:10 Knew not - Which had no experimental, nor serious and affectionate knowledge of God, or of his works.
bensonJudges 2:10: "And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel."
Jdg 2:10 . And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers — Not only those who had beheld the wonderful works of God in Egypt, and in the wilderness, but those also who had seen Jordan dried up, the walls of Jericho fall down, the sun stand still at the word of Joshua, and their enemie…
The verse highlights a crucial, often missed, point: "knowing the Lord" isn't just about recalling facts; it's about experiential knowledge. This new generation lacked the deep, practical understanding that comes from seeing God's power firsthand and the subsequent impact it had on their parents' lives.
Following Joshua's death and the passing of the generation that conquered Canaan, a new generation arose who lacked any real knowledge or experience of the Lord's power. Unlike their parents and grandparents who witnessed God's mighty deeds firsthand, this new generation had no personal connection to the history of Israel's deliverance and covenant, leaving them susceptible to the surrounding pagan influences. This spiritual amnesia set the stage for the nation's downward spiral into idolatry and disobedience, which would characterize the era of the Judges.
Following Joshua's death and the passing of the generation that conquered Canaan, a new generation arose who lacked any real knowledge or experience of the Lord's power. Unlike their parents and grandparents who witnessed God's mighty deeds firsthand, this new generation had no personal connection to the history of Israel's deliverance and covenant, leaving them susceptible to the surrounding pagan influences. This spiritual amnesia set the stage for the nation's downward spiral into idolatry and disobedience, which would characterize the era of the Judges.
"And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel." — The verse highlights a crucial, often missed, point: "knowing the Lord" isn't just about recalling facts; it's about experiential knowledge. This new generation lacked the deep, practical understandi…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026