Judges 2:17
in Judges 2Israel, however, did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the LORD’s commandments; they did not do as their fathers had done.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And yet they hearkened not unto their judges; for they played the harlot after other gods, and bowed themselves down unto them: they turned aside quickly out of the way wherein their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of Jehovah; but they did not so.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Judges 2
Commentary
8 notes on this verseWent a whoring after other gods - Idolatry, or the worship of strange gods, is frequently termed adultery, fornication, and whoredom, in the sacred writings. As many of their idolatrous practices were accompanied with impure rites, the term was not only metaphorically but literally proper.
This site's exposition
Then the LORD raised up judges
on Judges 2:16-17
The LORD raises up judges before anyone has repented, and that turn runs through the whole book. These judges are deliverers who "saved them from the hands of those who plundered them", raised up by God. Verse 17 makes the pattern worse than a simple cycle, since "Israel, however, did not listen to their judges", so the rescue is refused while it is happening.
This site's exposition
they prostituted themselves with other gods
Adam Clarke notes that Scripture often calls idolatry adultery. Since many idol rites were themselves impure, he holds that the term here is literal as well as figurative. The verse adds that the turning came quickly, in the generation after fathers who obeyed the LORD.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The inducement of their deliverance. It came purely from God's pity and tender compassion; the reason was fetched from within himself. It is not said, It repented them because of their iniquities (for it appears,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
, that many of them continued unreformed), but, It repented the Lord because of their groanings; though it is not so much the burden of sin as the burden of affliction that they are said to groan under. It is true they deserved to perish for ever under his curse, yet, this being the day of his patience and our probation, he does not stir up all his wrath.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And yet they would not hearken unto their judges,....
They had been espoused to God, but broke the marriage-covenant, and went a whoring after these gods. Idolatry is spiritual adultery, so vile, and base, and perfidious a thing is it, and so hardly are those reclaimed that are addicted to it.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
An attentive consideration of them, therefore, is of the greatest importance to a right understanding of the strange and varying phases of Israelitish history, from the death of Joshua till the establishment of the monarchy. served Baalim--The plural is used to include all the gods of the country.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Adonoy established judges. Continuously, in successive generations, as enumerated in this book, judge succeeding judge.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְגַ֤ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שֹֽׁפְטֵיהֶם֙ | shofeteihem | judges their | H8199 → | 202 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁמֵ֔עוּ | shameu | they listened | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| זָנ֗וּ | zanu | they acted as prostitutes | H2181 → | 94 times |
| אַֽחֲרֵי֙ | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֣ים | ʾelohim | gods | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲחֵרִ֔ים | ʾacherim | other | H312 → | 166 times |
| וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ | vaiyishtachavu | and they bowed down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| לָהֶ֑ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| סָ֣רוּ | saru | they turned aside | H5493 → | 299 times |
| מַהֵ֗ר | maher | quickly | H4118 → | |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַדֶּ֜רֶךְ | haderekh | the way | H1870 → | 707 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָלְכ֧וּ | halekhu | they had walked | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אֲבוֹתָ֛ם | ʾavotam | fathers their | H1 → | 1212 times |
| לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ | lishmoa' | to obey | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| מִצְוֹת־ | mitzvot- | [the] commandments of | H4687 → | |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| עָ֥שׂוּ | ʾasu | they did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כֵֽן׃ | khen | so | H3651 → | 771 times |
וְגַ֤םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שֹֽׁפְטֵיהֶם֙judges their
shofeteihemH8199 →202 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
שָׁמֵ֔עוּthey listened
shameuH8085 →1159 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
זָנ֗וּthey acted as prostitutes
zanuH2181 →94 times
אַֽחֲרֵי֙after
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
אֱלֹהִ֣יםgods
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֲחֵרִ֔יםother
ʾacherimH312 →166 times
וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּand they bowed down
vaiyishtachavuH7812 →172 times
לָהֶ֑םto <the> them
lahem
סָ֣רוּthey turned aside
saruH5493 →299 times
מַהֵ֗רquickly
maherH4118 →
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַדֶּ֜רֶךְthe way
haderekhH1870 →707 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הָלְכ֧וּthey had walked
halekhuH1980 →1546 times
אֲבוֹתָ֛םfathers their
ʾavotamH1 →1212 times
לִשְׁמֹ֥עַto obey
lishmoa'H8085 →1159 times
מִצְוֹת־[the] commandments of
mitzvot-H4687 →
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
עָ֥שׂוּthey did
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
כֵֽן׃so
khenH3651 →771 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Galatians 1:6I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 11:4
For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you…
- Galatians 5:7–8
You were running so well. Who has obstructed you from obeying the truth?
- Isaiah 29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught…
- Psalms 106:13
Yet they soon forgot His works and failed to wait for His counsel.
- Galatians 3:1–5
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.
- 2 Corinthians 11:4
Through
Deuteronomy 9:12And the LORD said to me, “Get up and go down from here at once, for your people, whom you brought out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned aside from…
it leads to
- Exodus 32:7–8
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
- Exodus 32:7–8
Through
Hosea 2:2Rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not My wife, and I am not her husband. Let her remove the adultery from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts.
it leads to
- Isaiah 50:1
This is what the LORD says: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of My creditors did I sell you? Look, you were sold for…
- Ezekiel 23:45
But righteous men will sentence them to the punishment of those who commit adultery and bloodshed, because they are adulteresses with blood on their hands.
- Isaiah 50:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Judges
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.