Judges 2 13

Judges 2:13 kjv

And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

Judges 2:13 nkjv

They forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

Judges 2:13 niv

because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

Judges 2:13 esv

They abandoned the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth.

Judges 2:13 nlt

They abandoned the LORD to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth.

Judges 2 verses

Judges 2 13 Meaning

This verse encapsulates the spiritual declension of the generation following Joshua and the elders, serving as a diagnostic statement for the recurring cycle of sin and apostasy throughout the book of Judges. It explicitly states that the Israelites, after receiving God's promises and deliverance, willfully abandoned their covenant relationship with Yahweh, the one true God who brought them out of Egypt. Instead, they turned to and engaged in the worship of the Canaanite deities, specifically Baal and the various Ashtaroth, embodying a profound betrayal and disloyalty to the Lord. This act of forsaking Yahweh for false gods constituted a direct violation of the foundational commands of their covenant.

Judges 2 13 Context

Judges 2:13 comes at a pivotal point in the book of Judges, immediately following the death of Joshua and the elders of his generation. Judges chapter 2 specifically outlines the tragic pattern of apostasy that characterizes the period of the judges. After a generation "who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel" (Jdg 2:10) arose, they began to abandon their covenant loyalty. The "Angel of the LORD" (Jdg 2:1-5) had confronted the Israelites for failing to drive out the Canaanites, warning of the consequences, which included the snare of their gods. Verse 11 introduces Israel's direct turning to idol worship, followed by their rejection of God in verse 12. Verse 13 provides specific detail of this rejection, naming the deities to whom they turned. This act of forsaking the Lord directly sets the stage for the cyclical pattern of disobedience, divine judgment (oppression by enemies), Israel's cries for help, and God raising up a deliverer, only for the cycle to repeat upon the deliverer's death. Historically, the Israelites settled among indigenous Canaanite populations who practiced a pantheistic, syncretistic religion centered on fertility and nature worship, offering a constant temptation to the agrarian Israelite society.

Judges 2 13 Word analysis

• They: Refers to "that generation" (Jdg 2:10) that arose after Joshua and his contemporaries had passed away, a generation described as not knowing the Lord or His works. This signifies a profound failure in the intergenerational transfer of faith and covenant instruction.
• forsook: (Hebrew: עָזַב, `ʿazav`) This word means to abandon, leave, or utterly forsake. It implies a deliberate and active turning away, a breach of fidelity, rather than mere neglect or forgetting. It describes an act of divorcing oneself from a relationship, specifically the sacred covenant with Yahweh established at Sinai, signifying profound rebellion and betrayal.
• the LORD: (Hebrew: יְהֹוָה, `YHWH`) This is the divine Tetragrammaton, God's personal covenant name, revealing Him as the self-existent, faithful God who made and keeps His promises. By forsaking `YHWH`, they were rejecting not just a deity, but the specific, covenantal relationship with the God who redeemed them from Egypt, miraculously provided for them, and led them into the Promised Land. This rejection of `YHWH` highlights the severity of their apostasy.
• and served: (Hebrew: עָבַד, `ʿavad`) This verb means to serve, worship, work for, or be enslaved to. It denotes active submission and devotion. In context, it shows a willful choice to dedicate their lives, rituals, and loyalty to foreign gods. The very act of 'serving' indicates a transfer of allegiance from one master (`YHWH`) to another (idols).
• Baal: (Hebrew: בַּעַל, `Baʿal`) Literally meaning "master" or "owner." Baal was the chief male Canaanite storm and fertility god, worshipped widely in the ancient Near East. Canaanites believed he controlled rain, crops, and even victory in war. Worshipping Baal directly challenged Yahweh's sovereignty as the provider, sustainer, and true Lord over creation. His worship often involved cultic prostitution and sometimes even child sacrifice, signifying severe moral corruption linked to their spiritual deviation.
• and the Ashtaroth: (Hebrew: עַשְׁתָּרוֹת, `Ashtaroth`) This is the plural form of Ashtoreth (or Astarte), the principal female Canaanite goddess, often considered the consort of Baal. She was a goddess of fertility, love, war, and hunting. Her worship was particularly sensuous, often involving cultic prostitution. The plural "Ashtaroth" indicates devotion to multiple manifestations or local cults associated with this goddess, reflecting a comprehensive embrace of pagan fertility rites.
• Words-group: "They forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtaroth." This phrase graphically illustrates a complete theological reversal. It moves from active abandonment of the true God to active service of false gods. This statement defines the fundamental problem plaguing Israel in Judges—their inability to maintain exclusive loyalty to Yahweh, preferring instead to assimilate into the idolatrous practices of the surrounding cultures. It highlights the direct contravention of the first two commandments and the very essence of their covenant with Yahweh, which demanded monotheism and rejection of all other gods. This spiritual "whoredom" was the root cause of the cycle of divine discipline that marked their history.

Judges 2 13 Bonus section

The description "Baal and the Ashtaroth" becomes a generic term throughout Judges and beyond (e.g., Jdg 10:6, 1 Sam 7:4), encapsulating the collective pagan worship systems that plagued Israel. This phrase doesn't just represent specific deities but a whole worldview and set of religious practices contrary to Yahweh's holiness and covenant demands. The sin described in Judges 2:13 indicates a profound lack of fear of the Lord among this new generation. Having not experienced the exodus or conquest firsthand as their predecessors, they failed to grasp the magnitude of Yahweh's power and holiness, leading to their cavalier disregard for His commands. The act of forsaking YHWH also points to Israel's failure to distinguish themselves from the pagan nations, demonstrating an absorption of pagan culture rather than fulfilling their calling as a holy nation set apart to display God's glory to the world. Their choice highlights a spiritual blindness and a failure to pass on spiritual heritage effectively.

Judges 2 13 Commentary

Judges 2:13 is more than a historical record; it is a profound theological indictment. It captures Israel's most tragic spiritual failing: the willful abandonment of the Living God, Yahweh, for the dead gods of the Canaanites. This wasn't merely neglect, but a deliberate "forsaking"—a betrayal of their covenant relationship. This shift wasn't accidental but a chosen "service" (worship and devotion) to Baal, the god falsely believed to bring agricultural prosperity, and Ashtaroth, goddesses of fertility. By turning to these deities, Israel directly challenged Yahweh's exclusive sovereignty as Creator and Provider, demonstrating a fundamental distrust in His ability to sustain them in the land He gave. This idolatry wasn't a minor offense; it was the ultimate act of treason against their Divine King, triggering His righteous jealousy and the subsequent cycles of oppression described throughout the book of Judges. This verse powerfully conveys that deviation from true worship leads to spiritual, moral, and national decay.