And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While the text focuses on Israel's sin leading to oppression, notice that the Philistines, described as a relatively small group, became God's instrument for discipline. This highlights how God can use even unexpected or seemingly minor powers to bring about His purposes against His unfaithful people.
And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The narrative picks up after the Israelites have repeatedly fallen back into sin, now specifically incurring God's judgment by again doing what was evil in His sight. This recurring pattern of disobedience has led to oppression by the powerful Philistines, a foreign people who will become Israel's primary adversaries for the next forty years, setting the stage for the story of Samson.
Israel keeps messing up. What does "again" really reveal about their spiritual state and God's response?
The phrase "did evil again" isn't just a simple statement of repeated sin; it highlights a deep-seated pattern of rebellion.
The Gravity of Repetition
Who were these Philistines, and why were they such a persistent threat to Israel?
The Philistines weren't just a minor nuisance; they were a significant foreign power that deeply impacted Israel for centuries.
A Formidable Foe
Ask a follow-up
Why forty years? What does this specific duration tell us about God's justice and mercy?
The stated period of forty years isn't arbitrary; it represents a significant span of time for God's corrective discipline.
The Purpose of the Sentence
Understand the original words
ra'ah · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
Refers to moral wickedness, rebellion, or disobedience against God's law. In the context of Israel's history, it describes their habitual turning away from the covenant relationship with Yahweh.
Yahweh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God revealed to Israel. It signifies His eternal existence, faithfulness, and self-revelation.
Pĕlishtiy · Hebrew Proper Noun
A powerful maritime people who occupied the coastal plain of Canaan. They were constant enemies and oppressors of Israel during the period of the Judges.
The forty-year Philistine oppression described here wasn't a sudden event but the peak of a growing regional power's dominance, deeply intertwined with Israel's recurring spiritual unfaithfulness.
c. 12th century BC
Sea Peoples settle in Canaan
The Philistines, believed to be part of the 'Sea Peoples' originating from the Aegean region, settled along the coast of Canaan after conflicts with Egypt.
c. 11th century BC
Philistines rise to prominence
Having established themselves, the Philistines began to exert significant influence and control over the region, becoming a dominant force.
Unknown (prior to Samson)— this verse
Philistine oppression begins
The people of Israel fall back into idolatry, leading God to allow the Philistines to oppress them for a period of forty years.
During Samson's life
Samson's judgeship
Samson, a Nazirite judge, undertakes his legendary exploits against the Philistines, though these provide only temporary relief rather than full liberation.
c. 1070 BC
Battle of Ebenezer and Ark capture
A climactic battle where Israel suffers a devastating defeat, losing the Ark of the Covenant to the Philistines. This marks a significant low point in the oppression.
c. 1050 BC
Samson's death
Samson's final act of vengeance brings down the Philistine temple, killing himself and many of their leaders, but the Philistine dominance largely continues.
c. 1050 BC - 1010 BC
Samuel's ministry and deliverance
The prophet Samuel leads Israel in repentance and military action, culminating in a significant victory at Ebenezer that breaks Philistine power.
This passage describes a similar cycle of Israelite sin and subsequent oppression by foreign nations, establishing the recurring theme of disobedience leading to God's discipline that's present in Judges 13:1.
Judges 10:6-7Here, the Israelites again do evil and are oppressed, specifically mentioning the Philistines and Ammonites, directly paralleling the sin and the identity of the oppressors in Judges 13:1.
1 Samuel 7:13This verse marks the end of the Philistine oppression mentioned in Judges 13:1, showing the eventual deliverance that occurred after the forty-year period of suffering.
Deuteronomy 28:48This prophetic curse directly foretells the kind of subjugation described in Judges 13:1, where God would use Israel's enemies to oppress them for their disobedience.
bensonJudges 13:1: "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years."
Jdg 13:1 . The children of Israel did evil again — That is, fell into idolatry, not, it seems, after the death of Abdon, the last judge, but in the days of the former judges. The Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines — These were a very inconsiderable people. They had but five cities of any note. And yet, when God used them a…
ellicottJudges 13:1: "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years."
(1) Did evil again. — Judges 3:7 ; Judges 4:1 ; Judges 6:1-11 ; Judges 10:6 . Of the Philistines.—Hitherto the nation has only been cursorily mentioned (Judges 3:31; Judges 10:7-11); from this time to the reign of David they play an important part. They were not Canaanites, but foreign conquerors. The district which they held, and from whic…
While the text focuses on Israel's sin leading to oppression, notice that the Philistines, described as a relatively small group, became God's instrument for discipline. This highlights how God can use even unexpected or seemingly minor powers to bring about His purposes against His unfaithful people.
The narrative picks up after the Israelites have repeatedly fallen back into sin, now specifically incurring God's judgment by again doing what was evil in His sight. This recurring pattern of disobedience has led to oppression by the powerful Philistines, a foreign people who will become Israel's primary adversaries for the next forty years, setting the stage for the story of Samson.
The narrative picks up after the Israelites have repeatedly fallen back into sin, now specifically incurring God's judgment by again doing what was evil in His sight. This recurring pattern of disobedience has led to oppression by the powerful Philistines, a foreign people who will become Israel's primary adversaries for the next forty years, setting the stage for the story of Samson.
"And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years." — While the text focuses on Israel's sin leading to oppression, notice that the Philistines, described as a relatively small group, became God's instrument for discipline. This highlights how God can u…
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Last reviewed October 2026