They abandoned the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text doesn't just say they served "Baal," but "the Baals" and "the Ashtaroth." This isn't one god, but a whole pantheon of local deities, indicating Israel adopted not just a foreign god, but the entire religious landscape of Canaan to appease all the "owners" and "ladies" of the land. This reveals a syncretism so deep it blurred the lines between God's unique claim and the pervasive influence of local, often licentious, idol worship.
They abandoned the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just after Joshua's death, a new generation arose who didn't know God's faithfulness firsthand. They quickly forgot the blessings of conquering the land and instead turned away from the LORD, embracing the local gods of Canaan, known as the Baals and Ashtaroth, who were associated with fertility and prosperity. This verse marks a pivotal moment of religious defection, setting the stage for the cycles of oppression and deliverance that characterize the rest of the book.
Why did the Israelites turn away from the God who had delivered them? It wasn't an accident, but a conscious decision.
The verse states plainly, "They forsook the LORD." This wasn't a passive drifting away; it was an active abandonment. Imagine a deep, personal betrayal – that's the essence of this sin. They turned their backs on the One who had rescued them from Egypt, guided them through the wilderness, and promised them a land flowing with milk and honey.
This turning away highlights a crucial truth: faith is a choice. It requires a daily commitment, not just a historical acknowledgment. When we stop actively pursuing God, we risk 'forsaking' Him, even if we don't intend to.
Who were these 'Baals' and 'Ashtaroth' that captivated Israel? They represented tempting promises of prosperity and control.
Baal and Ashtaroth weren't just random idols; they were the primary deities of Canaanite religion, associated with fertility, storms, and the overall prosperity of the land. Baal was often seen as the god who brought rain and ensured successful harvests and abundant flocks. Ashtaroth, his consort, was the goddess of fertility and love, linked to sexual rituals meant to promote the land's fruitfulness.
For the Israelites, settling in Canaan meant facing the temptation to adopt the local gods who seemed to offer immediate, tangible benefits – good crops, healthy livestock, and general prosperity. This offered a seductive alternative to trusting in the unseen God of Israel, especially when immediate blessings weren't apparent.
Ask a follow-up
Did the Israelites stop worshipping God entirely? The situation was often more complex and insidious than a simple switch.
The problem wasn't always a complete rejection of God, but a dangerous blending – a practice called syncretism. The commentaries suggest that many Israelites didn't necessarily see themselves as replacing the LORD, but as adding the local deities to their worship. They thought they could serve the God of their fathers and the gods of the land, believing that acknowledging the 'local lords' (Baals) and 'blessed ones' (Ashtaroth) would ensure their safety and prosperity in Canaan.
This 'worshipping both' mentality is deeply deceptive. It blurs the lines of exclusive devotion that God demanded. It's like trying to serve two masters, which Jesus said is impossible (Matthew 6:24). This compromise led to a degradation of true faith and ultimately, as the book of Judges shows, to disaster.
Understand the original words
Ashtoreth · Hebrew Noun
The primary female deity in the Canaanite pantheon, often associated with war, love, and fertility, whose worship was strictly forbidden in Israel.
This verse marks the beginning of a downward spiral for Israel. The allure of Canaanite fertility gods, Baal and Ashtoreth, symbolized a desire for the land's prosperity and security, but it came at the cost of their unique covenant relationship with the LORD.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Following the death of Joshua, the Israelites, instead of fully expelling the native Canaanites, began to intermarry and adopt their customs and religious practices.
c. 1375 BC— this verse
Cycle of Apostasy Begins
The generation after Joshua's death fails to uphold the covenant, leading to a recurring cycle of forsaking God, falling into oppression, crying out to God, and being delivered.
c. 1350 BC
Midianite Oppression
The Israelites suffer under the Midianites for seven years, a consequence of their idolatry and disobedience.
c. 1290 BC
Philistine Oppression
Later in the period of the Judges, the Israelites fall under the control of the Philistines for forty years, again due to their continued unfaithfulness.
This passage prophesies Israel's future unfaithfulness, stating they will turn to 'other gods' and 'forsake the LORD' once they enter the promised land, directly foreshadowing the events in Judges.
1 Samuel 12:10This verse explicitly recounts Israel's sin of 'forsaking the LORD' and 'serving Baalim and Ashtoreth,' showing this was a recurring pattern of sin long after the period of the Judges.
Jeremiah 2:13The prophet Jeremiah accuses Israel of committing 'two evils,' having 'forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters,' and hewing out 'cisterns' for themselves, a powerful metaphor for abandoning God for false idols.
Romans 1:25Paul describes humanity exchanging 'the truth about God for a lie' and 'worshiping and serving the creature rather than the Creator,' which mirrors Israel's act of forsaking the Creator for created things like Baals and Ashtaroth.
jfbJudges 2:13: "And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth."
- Ashtaroth—Also a plural word, denoting all the female divinities, whose rites were celebrated by the most gross and revolting impurities.
jfbJudges 2:11-19: "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:"
Jud 2:11-19. Wickedness of the New Generation after Joshua.11-19. the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord—This chapter, together with the first eight verses of the next [Jud 2:11-3:8], contains a brief but comprehensive summary of the principles developed in the following history. An attentive consideration of them, therefore, is of the greatest importance to a right understanding…
The text doesn't just say they served "Baal," but "the Baals" and "the Ashtaroth." This isn't one god, but a whole pantheon of local deities, indicating Israel adopted not just a foreign god, but the entire religious landscape of Canaan to appease all the "owners" and "ladies" of the land. This reveals a syncretism so deep it blurred the lines between God's unique claim and the pervasive influence of local, often licentious, idol worship.
Just after Joshua's death, a new generation arose who didn't know God's faithfulness firsthand. They quickly forgot the blessings of conquering the land and instead turned away from the LORD, embracing the local gods of Canaan, known as the Baals and Ashtaroth, who were associated with fertility and prosperity. This verse marks a pivotal moment of religious defection, setting the stage for the cycles of oppression and deliverance that characterize the rest of the book.
Just after Joshua's death, a new generation arose who didn't know God's faithfulness firsthand. They quickly forgot the blessings of conquering the land and instead turned away from the LORD, embracing the local gods of Canaan, known as the Baals and Ashtaroth, who were associated with fertility and prosperity. This verse marks a pivotal moment of religious defection, setting the stage for the cycles of oppression and deliverance that characterize the rest of the book.
"They abandoned the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth." — The text doesn't just say they served "Baal," but "the Baals" and "the Ashtaroth." This isn't one god, but a whole pantheon of local deities, indicating Israel adopted not just a foreign god, but t…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026