Judges 3:6-7
And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse reveals a chilling exchange: the Israelites didn't just marry into these foreign nations; they gave their own daughters away too. This wasn't just about alliances, but a complete cultural fusion where serving foreign gods became the natural consequence, blurring the lines of their distinct calling.
This verse describes a dangerous compromise: the Israelites began intermarrying with the remaining Canaanite nations, a practice expressly forbidden by God. This intermarriage wasn't just social; it led directly to them adopting the religious practices of their new relatives, serving foreign gods and forgetting the Lord. This sets the stage for the cycle of sin, oppression, and deliverance that characterizes the entire book of Judges.
Why was intermarriage with surrounding nations such a big deal for Israel? It wasn't just about politics; it was a spiritual disaster waiting to happen.
The book of Judges opens with Israel failing to drive out the Canaanite nations, a command given multiple times in the Torah.
The Command:
God explicitly warned Israel against intermarrying with these peoples (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). The danger wasn't just cultural contamination, but spiritual.
The Consequence:
Judges 3:6 shows the immediate result: 'they took their daughters... and gave their daughters... and they served their gods.' Marriage alliances became the gateway for idolatry. The intimate bond of family meant religious beliefs and practices inevitably mixed, leading Israel away from the Lord.
When Israel 'served their gods,' it was more than just a casual nod. What did this treason truly look like?
The phrase 'served their gods' in this context points to a deep and systemic betrayal of their covenant with the Lord.
More Than Just Idols:
This wasn't just about bowing to statues of Baal or Asherah. It meant adopting their entire worldview, their practices, and their allegiance.
Forgetting the Lord:
As the commentary suggests, this alliance meant Israel 'forgot the Lord their God.' Their worship became divided, and ultimately, the worship of the true God was abandoned. This 'service' was an active rejection of the One who had saved them.
Understand the original words
elohim · Hebrew Noun
A general term for spiritual beings or deities worshipped by nations other than the one true God, often associated with idols and demonic influence. In the Bible, these are frequently set in direct opposition to the worship of Yahweh.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The covenant name of the God of Israel, revealing His nature as the self-existent, eternal, and faithful Redeemer who enters into a personal relationship with His people.
Baal · Hebrew Noun
A general term for male Canaanite fertility deities associated with weather, rain, and agricultural success. Their worship involved moral degradation and was strictly forbidden by God's covenant with Israel.
Asherah · Hebrew Noun
This verse marks a pivotal moment where the Israelites, a generation after the conquest, actively choose to blend their worship with the native Canaanite religions through intermarriage, a direct contravention of God's commands and a foreshadowing of the cycle of judgment and deliverance detailed in the book.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan under Joshua
Joshua leads the Israelites in conquering the Promised Land, dedicating its inhabitants and their idols to destruction. The command was to utterly drive out the Canaanites and destroy their religious artifacts.
c. 1400 BC
Death of Joshua
After the conquest, Joshua dies, and the generation that experienced God's mighty acts begins to pass away. This marks the end of centralized leadership and continued obedience.
c. 1400 BC - 1390 BC
First Generation After Joshua
A new generation arises who 'did not know the LORD or the works he had done for Israel.' They begin to intermarry with the remaining Canaanite peoples.
c. 1390 BC— this verse
Intermarriage and Idolatry
The Israelites form marital alliances with the surrounding nations and begin to worship their gods, forsaking the LORD. This direct violation of God's commands leads to spiritual compromise.
This passage explicitly warns against intermarriage with the surrounding nations, highlighting that their daughters would lead Israelite sons astray to serve other gods, directly mirroring the situation in Judges 3:6.
Deuteronomy 7:3-4These verses reinforce the prohibition against intermarriage, stating the danger that these unions would turn sons away from following the Lord and serving other gods, which is precisely what happened to the Israelites.
Joshua 23:12-13Joshua warned Israel that if they intermarried with the remaining nations, they would become a snare and a trap, causing them to serve other gods. This verse shows the long-term consequence that Joshua foresaw and that came to pass.
1 Kings 11:1-4Solomon's story illustrates the destructive power of foreign marriages, as his many foreign wives turned his heart away from the Lord. This shows a recurring pattern of how alliances through marriage led to spiritual compromise.
Romans 12:2While not a historical parallel, this verse calls believers not to be conformed to the world, which echoes the underlying spiritual danger the Israelites faced: being drawn into the practices and beliefs of the surrounding pagan cultures through their social entanglements.
bensonJudges 3:6: "And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods."
Jdg 3:6-7 . They took their daughters, and served their gods — Were drawn to idolatry by the persuasions and examples of their yoke-fellows. And served Baalim and the groves — Or, Baalim in groves; that is, false gods, or rather their images, set up under shady trees, contrary to the command given Exodus 34:13 . Some expositors, however, think the meaning is, Baalim and…
clarkeJudges 3:6: "And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods."
And they took their daughters - They formed matrimonial alliances with those proscribed nations, served their idols, and thus became one with them in politics and religion.
This verse reveals a chilling exchange: the Israelites didn't just marry into these foreign nations; they gave their own daughters away too. This wasn't just about alliances, but a complete cultural fusion where serving foreign gods became the natural consequence, blurring the lines of their distinct calling.
This verse describes a dangerous compromise: the Israelites began intermarrying with the remaining Canaanite nations, a practice expressly forbidden by God. This intermarriage wasn't just social; it led directly to them adopting the religious practices of their new relatives, serving foreign gods and forgetting the Lord. This sets the stage for the cycle of sin, oppression, and deliverance that characterizes the entire book of Judges.
This verse describes a dangerous compromise: the Israelites began intermarrying with the remaining Canaanite nations, a practice expressly forbidden by God. This intermarriage wasn't just social; it led directly to them adopting the religious practices of their new relatives, serving foreign gods and forgetting the Lord. This sets the stage for the cycle of sin, oppression, and deliverance that characterizes the entire book of Judges.
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Cultic objects or symbols, often wooden poles, representing the Canaanite mother goddess Asherah, associated with fertility rites and forbidden idolatrous worship in Israel.
c. 1390 BC
Introduction of Othniel's Judge Period
Following this apostasy, the land experiences oppression under Cushan-Rishathaim, initiating the cycle of sin, judgment, and deliverance characteristic of the Book of Judges.
"And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and ser…" — This verse reveals a chilling exchange: the Israelites didn't just marry into these foreign nations; they gave their own daughters away too. This wasn't just about alliances, but a complete cultura…
