Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.

1 SAMUEL 7:4KJV
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1 Samuel 7:4 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 7:4 mean?

1 Samuel 7:4 describes how the people of Israel stopped worshipping other gods, specifically Baalim and Ashtaroth, and chose to worship only the LORD. This verse shows a turning point where the Israelites committed themselves to serving the God of Israel alone.

Samuel, acting as a leader and prophet, had called the Israelites to put away foreign gods if they truly wanted to return to the LORD. The verse records their response: the people removed the idols of Baalim (local gods often linked to fertility and storms) and Ashtaroth (goddesses associated with fertility), and began to worship only the LORD (the God of Israel). This act marked a renewal of their faith and a rejection of the surrounding nations’ religious practices.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 7:4

  • בַּעֲלִים (Baalim): This is the plural form of "Baal," referring to several local Canaanite gods. The use of the plural shows that Israel had adopted the worship of many such deities, not just one.
  • עַשְׁתָּרוֹת (Ashtaroth): This word refers to goddesses worshipped in the region, often associated with fertility and linked to the goddess Astarte. Mentioning both Baalim and Ashtaroth highlights the specific foreign influences Israel was rejecting.
  • עָבַד (avad, “served”): This word means to serve or worship. Here, it emphasizes a deliberate choice to give exclusive devotion to the LORD, not just a passive belief but active service.

Why 1 Samuel 7:4 matters

  • This verse clears up that Israel’s problem was not just neglect but active participation in the worship of other gods, which they had to consciously abandon.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of Israel’s commitment; serving the LORD “only” meant a complete break from old practices, not just adding the LORD to a list of gods.
  • This moment sets the stage for the events that follow, showing that Israel’s renewed loyalty to the LORD was a key reason for the help and victories they would soon experience.

Where else these words appear

“Ashtaroth” Hebrew H6252 · used in 12 verses

  • Deuteronomy 1:4 After he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei:
  • Joshua 13:12 All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out.
  • 1 Samuel 7:3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

“Baalim” Hebrew H1168 · used in 68 verses

  • Judges 2:11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
  • 1 Kings 22:53 For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
  • 2 Chronicles 23:17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.