What's striking here is that the text doesn't just say they did evil; it says they "went a whoring after other gods." This isn't just a neutral description of idolatry; it's a powerful metaphor for spiritual adultery, highlighting the intimacy and betrayal involved when Israel turned from their covenant relationship with God to chase after foreign deities.
Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Joshua and the generation who knew him died, the Israelites quickly abandoned their covenant with God. Despite having spiritual leaders who admonished them, they turned to worship foreign gods, a profound act of spiritual infidelity often described as "whoredom" in Scripture. This verse highlights their immediate and rapid departure from the faithful path their fathers had followed.
The Bible doesn't shy away from strong language to describe Israel's unfaithfulness. Discover why 'going a whoring' is used for worshipping other gods.
The verse uses the powerful metaphor of "whoredom" to describe Israel's turn to idolatry. This isn't just casual borrowing of religious practices; it's a profound betrayal.
A Broken Covenant
In the Old Testament, Israel's relationship with God was often described as a marriage covenant. God was the husband, and Israel was the wife. "Going a whoring after other gods" signifies a breach of this sacred covenant, an act of spiritual infidelity.
More Than Metaphor
This language is particularly striking because many ancient Near Eastern fertility cults, which Israel was dabbling in, involved literal sexual rituals and prostitution as part of their worship. So, the "whoredom" wasn't just a metaphor; it often had a very real, physical dimension that corrupted their worship and morality.
Generations can change quickly. See how swiftly Israel abandoned the path of obedience laid out by their faithful predecessors.
The verse emphasizes a stark contrast between the generation that followed Joshua and the new generation rising up. It's a pattern of rapid decline.
Forgetting the Past
Joshua and the elders who outlived him had led Israel into the Promised Land and had personally witnessed God's mighty acts. They had obeyed the LORD's commands. However, the new generation, as the verse states, 'soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked.' They didn't reject their fathers' ways, but they quickly abandoned them.
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The Danger of Tradition Without Experience
This highlights a critical spiritual principle: faithfulness isn't just inherited; it must be embraced by each generation. When the direct experience of God's faithfulness fades, and obedience becomes mere tradition, it's easily discarded. The 'way' their fathers walked was characterized by obedience to God's commandments, a path this new generation failed to follow.
Understand the original words
zanah · Hebrew Verb
A figurative term representing idolatry, depicting the worship of false gods as a violation of the covenant relationship between Israel and Yahweh, comparable to marital unfaithfulness.
elohim acherim · Hebrew Noun
Divinities other than the one true God. These idols were man-made representations of created things or forces, forbidden by the first commandment.
mitsvah · Hebrew Noun
The revealed laws, instructions, and ethical requirements given by God for the regulation of Israel’s life, reflecting His holy character and moral standard.
This verse marks a critical turning point, highlighting the tragic reality that spiritual faithfulness is not automatically passed down. Each generation must actively choose to know and obey God, lest they fall into the same patterns of straying that plagued Israel.
c. 1406 BC
Death of Joshua
Joshua, who led Israel into the Promised Land and oversaw its initial division, dies. His leadership had ensured a generation of faithfulness to God.
c. 1406-1390 BC
Era of the Elders
The generation that had witnessed Joshua's leadership and God's mighty acts remained faithful. They served the LORD and followed His commands.
c. 1390 BC onwards
The next generation arises
A new generation emerges that did not personally experience the Exodus or the conquest of Canaan. They lacked the deep, lived connection to God's faithfulness.
c. 1390 BC onwards— this verse
Israel begins to worship local deities
This new generation turned from the LORD, adopting the practices and worshipping the gods of the surrounding Canaanite peoples, like the Baals and Asherahs.
c. 1390 BC onwards
Cycles of apostasy and deliverance begin
Israel's unfaithfulness led to oppression by neighboring nations. God would then raise up judges to deliver them, but the cycle of sin would repeat.
This passage warns against making covenants with the inhabitants of the land and going after their gods, framing such actions as spiritual adultery, which directly parallels the 'whoring after other gods' in Judges 2:17.
Deuteronomy 11:28This verse outlines the consequence of disobedience to God's commands: a curse will come upon them. This connects to Judges 2:17 where the Israelites turned from the way of obedience and subsequently faced hardship.
Hosea 2:5The prophet Hosea uses the strong metaphor of a mother going 'a whoring' after lovers to describe Israel's unfaithfulness to God, mirroring the language and theme of spiritual infidelity found in Judges 2:17.
Jeremiah 3:8Jeremiah speaks of God putting Israel away because of her adultery and idolatry. This reinforces the biblical concept of idolatry as a betrayal of the covenant relationship with God, as seen in Judges 2:17.
Psalm 106:34-37This psalm recounts Israel's failure to drive out the nations and their subsequent intermingling and worship of their gods, describing how they 'served their idols, which became a snare to them.' This mirrors the turning aside from God's way described in Judges 2:17.
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…
wesleyJudges 2:17: "And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so."
2:17 Their judges - Who admonished them of their sin and folly, and of the danger and misery which would certainly befall them.
What's striking here is that the text doesn't just say they did evil; it says they "went a whoring after other gods." This isn't just a neutral description of idolatry; it's a powerful metaphor for spiritual adultery, highlighting the intimacy and betrayal involved when Israel turned from their covenant relationship with God to chase after foreign deities.
After Joshua and the generation who knew him died, the Israelites quickly abandoned their covenant with God. Despite having spiritual leaders who admonished them, they turned to worship foreign gods, a profound act of spiritual infidelity often described as "whoredom" in Scripture. This verse highlights their immediate and rapid departure from the faithful path their fathers had followed.
After Joshua and the generation who knew him died, the Israelites quickly abandoned their covenant with God. Despite having spiritual leaders who admonished them, they turned to worship foreign gods, a profound act of spiritual infidelity often described as "whoredom" in Scripture. This verse highlights their immediate and rapid departure from the faithful path their fathers had followed.
"Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so." — What's striking here is that the text doesn't just say they did evil; it says they "went a whoring after other gods." This isn't just a neutral description of idolatry; it's a powerful metaphor for…
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Last reviewed October 2026
