But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.
But they mixed in with the people around them who didn't know God, and started copying what those people did.
This verse describes how God's people abandoned their distinct identity by blending in with non-believers and adopting their practices.
📚 Historical Context
In the context of ancient Israel, after entering the Promised Land, the people were commanded by God to avoid intermingling with the surrounding pagan nations to prevent adopting their idolatrous practices. However, as described in the historical books like Judges, the Israelites disobeyed and began to live among these groups, learning and imitating their customs, which led to spiritual unfaithfulness and cycles of judgment. This reflects a recurring theme in Israel's history of straying from God's covenant due to cultural assimilation.
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