What does Judges 2:5 mean?

The Lord has just appeared to Israel in some visible, human form (Judges 2:1). He has rebuked Israel for disobeying His voice by not driving the Canaanites from the land as He commanded them to. Instead, the Israelites have allowed many of the Canaanites to live among them (Judges 2:2–3). They have allowed the Canaanites to continue to worship their false gods instead of Israel tearing down their altars and utterly destroying the depraved people (Deuteronomy 9:4–5; 20:16–18).

The result will be exactly as God warned them it would be. He would no longer participate in driving their Canaanite enemies from the land. The inhabitants of the land and their false gods would become bitter enemies, oppressors, and spiritual poison to the Israelites for years to come.

The people assembled here are likely leaders of Israel's tribes. They have responded to the Lord with tears, lifting their voices in great mourning. In fact, the crying is so loud and pervasive that the place is called Bochim, which means "place of weeping." In addition, the people perform animal sacrifices. These are a sign of humble repentance and desire for God's forgiveness and restitution. However, their repentance before God seems to have been short-lived. This is the last time the book of Judges notes tears and sacrifices in response to the Lord's rebuke.

Most of the book of Judges is taken up describing a centuries-long cycle of sin, rescue, and disobedience. Despite repeated reminders of God's power and the danger of sin, Israel will persistently disobey and suffer as a result (Judges 2:11–15).