Judges 2:13 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

They abandoned the LORD and worshiped Baal and Ashtaroth instead.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

The Israelites turned away from God and chose to worship the false gods of the surrounding nations.

📚 Historical Context

This occurred during the period of the Judges (around 1200-1000 BC) when Israel had settled in the Promised Land but lacked strong central leadership. Baal was the Canaanite god of storms and fertility, while Ashtaroth (or Astarte) was a goddess of love and war. The Israelites were constantly tempted to adopt the religious practices of their neighbors rather than remain faithful to the covenant God who had delivered them from Egypt.

Explore Similar Verses

Judges 10:6

The people of Israel did what was wrong in God's eyes again. They worshiped Baal and Ashtaroth, along with the gods of Syria, Sidon, Moab, the Ammonites, and the Philistines. They abandoned the LORD and stopped serving him.

1 Samuel 7:4

Then the people of Israel got rid of their idols of Baal and Ashtaroth, and they worshiped only the LORD.

1 Samuel 7:3

Samuel spoke to all the people of Israel, saying, 'If you truly want to return to the LORD with your whole hearts, then get rid of the foreign gods and idols of Ashtaroth from among you. Prepare your hearts for the LORD and serve only him, and he will rescue you from the power of the Philistines.'

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