It's easy to read this as just a list of nations and their gods. But notice how it starts with "Baalim and Ashtaroth," the familiar idols from previous chapters, and then adds "the gods of Syria, Sidon, Moab, Ammonites, and Philistines." This isn't just repeating old sins; it shows Israel actively embracing every pagan practice around them, a full-blown, comprehensive rejection of the Lord.
The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the LORD and did not serve him. So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following a period of relative peace under the judges Tola and Jair, Israel once again turns away from God, this time embracing the idolatrous practices of all their surrounding neighbors. They didn't just revert to old sins; they actively added the worship of Syrian, Sidonian, Moabite, Ammonite, and Philistine deities to their existing reverence for Baals and Ashtaroth. This comprehensive abandonment of the LORD marks a deep spiritual decline, setting the stage for the severe oppression that will follow.
Israel didn't just go back to their old bad habits; they 'added to' their evil. What does this mean for our own spiritual lives?
The verse states Israel "did evil again," but the Hebrew here is more like "added to do evil." This isn't just repeating past sins; it's compounding them.
The Bible lists specific nations and their gods. Why the detail? What did these deities represent to Israel?
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The extensive list of gods isn't just flavor text; it paints a vivid picture of Israel's spiritual compromise.
Understand the original words
ra'ah · Hebrew Adjective
Refers to conduct or attitudes that are morally wrong, wicked, or displeasing to God; in this context, it specifically denotes idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
A title for the God of Israel, representing His covenant name, YHWH, revealed to Moses; it signifies His eternal self-existence and His personal relationship with His people.
Ba'al · Hebrew Noun
The plural form of Baal, a Canaanite storm and fertility god; historically, it refers to the various local manifestations of this deity that tempted Israel away from the worship of the one true God.
Ashtoreth · Hebrew Noun
A Canaanite fertility goddess often associated with Baal; the term is used in the Bible to represent the seductive power of idolatry and the corruption of Israel’s religious purity.
azab · Hebrew Verb
To abandon, desert, or turn away from a person or a relationship; in the biblical context, it describes the willful rejection of God and His covenant, often resulting in spiritual apostasy.
aph · Hebrew Noun
A divine reaction to human sin and rebellion; it is the holy, settled, and just indignation of God against evil, which maintains His holiness and calls His people to repentance.
makar · Hebrew Verb
A term describing the consequence of covenant unfaithfulness, where God delivers His people over to their enemies, allowing them to fall under foreign oppression as a form of divine discipline.
c. 11th-11th century BC
Israel experiences cycles of apostasy and oppression
Following Joshua's death, the Israelites repeatedly turned from God to worship local deities, leading to periods of oppression by surrounding nations.
c. 11th century BC
Tola and Jair judge Israel
Tola and Jair served as judges, likely maintaining a degree of faithfulness during their leadership, but their deaths paved the way for renewed idolatry.
c. 11th-11th century BC— this verse
Widespread adoption of foreign gods
Israelites not only returned to worshipping the established Baals and Ashtaroth but also adopted the gods of all their neighboring peoples, forsaking the LORD completely.
c. 11th century BC
Ammonite and Philistine oppression begins
As a consequence of their widespread idolatry and forsaking of God, the Israelites faced severe oppression, particularly from the Ammonites in the Transjordan and the Philistines in the west.
This passage describes a similar pattern of Israelite sin: doing evil in the Lord's sight, serving Baals, and forsaking the Lord, highlighting this as a recurring cycle of disobedience.
1 Kings 11:4-8This passage details Solomon's own descent into idolatry, mirroring Israel's actions by worshiping the gods of the surrounding nations, demonstrating how even the wise can fall prey to foreign worship.
Jeremiah 2:11-13The prophet Jeremiah confronts Israel for a similar, profound betrayal: forsaking the living God, the fountain of living waters, for broken cisterns of idols from surrounding nations.
Romans 1:21-23This New Testament passage describes a similar spiritual trajectory where people, having known God, did not honor Him or give thanks, becoming futile in their thoughts and exchanging the glory of God for images.
Deuteronomy 28:64This verse in Deuteronomy prophesies the scattering and worship of other gods among the nations as a consequence of disobedience, directly foreshadowing the fate described in Judges 10:6.
bensonJudges 10:6: "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him."
Jdg 10:6 . Israel served the gods of Syria — They added to their former idolatries the worship of new gods, particularly those of Syria, which were Bel, or Baal, Astarte, Dagon, Moloch, Thammuz. And t…
pulpitJudges 10:6: "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him."
Verse 6. - Did evil again. We may conclude that Tola and Jair had used their influence to maintain the worship of Jehovah; but at their death idolatry broke out with more virulence than ever. Not only…
It's easy to read this as just a list of nations and their gods. But notice how it starts with "Baalim and Ashtaroth," the familiar idols from previous chapters, and then adds "the gods of Syria, Sidon, Moab, Ammonites, and Philistines." This isn't just repeating old sins; it shows Israel actively embracing every pagan practice around them, a full-blown, comprehensive rejection of the Lord.
Following a period of relative peace under the judges Tola and Jair, Israel once again turns away from God, this time embracing the idolatrous practices of all their surrounding neighbors. They didn't just revert to old sins; they actively added the worship of Syrian, Sidonian, Moabite, Ammonite, and Philistine deities to their existing reverence for Baals and Ashtaroth. This comprehensive abandonment of the LORD marks a deep spiritual decline, setting the stage for the severe oppression that will follow.
Following a period of relative peace under the judges Tola and Jair, Israel once again turns away from God, this time embracing the idolatrous practices of all their surrounding neighbors. They didn't just revert to old sins; they actively added the worship of Syrian, Sidonian, Moabite, Ammonite, and Philistine deities to their existing reverence for Baals and Ashtaroth. This comprehensive abandonment of the LORD marks a deep spiritual decline, setting the stage for the severe oppression that will follow.
"The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they fors…" — It's easy to read this as just a list of nations and their gods. But notice how it starts with "Baalim and Ashtaroth," the familiar idols from previous chapters, and then adds "the gods of Syria, S…
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Last reviewed October 2026
