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.
But even then, they wouldn't listen to their judges. Instead, they chased after other gods like unfaithful lovers and worshiped them. They quickly abandoned the path their ancestors had walked, who had obeyed the LORD's commands. But this generation did not follow their example.
This verse shows how the Israelites repeatedly turned away from God to worship idols, ignoring even the leaders God had raised up to guide them back to faithfulness.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the period of the Judges (roughly 1200-1050 BC), after Israel had settled in the Promised Land but before they had kings. God would raise up judges to deliver Israel from their enemies, but the people kept falling back into idol worship. The metaphor of 'whoring after other gods' reflects how the Israelites' covenant with God was like a marriage relationship that they were breaking through spiritual adultery.
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