And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

JUDGES 3:7KJV
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Judges 3:7 (KJV)

What does Judges 3:7 mean?

Judges 3:7 describes how the Israelites turned away from God by forgetting Him and worshiping other gods, specifically Baalim and the groves, which were associated with pagan religious practices. The verse highlights a period when the Israelites did what was considered evil in God's eyes because they abandoned their commitment to the LORD.

In the context of the book of Judges, this verse sets the stage for a recurring pattern: the Israelites fall into idolatry, leading to trouble, and then cry out to God for help. The writer is describing a time after the Israelites had settled in the land, but before they had kings, when they repeatedly drifted away from their faith and adopted the religious customs of the surrounding peoples.

The Hebrew behind Judges 3:7

  • "forgat" — שָׁכַח (shakach): This word means to forget or to lose memory of something. Here, it emphasizes that the Israelites not only neglected God but also let their relationship with Him fade from their minds and actions.
  • "Baalim" — בַּעֲלִים (baalim): This is the plural form of "Baal," referring to various local Canaanite gods. The use of the plural shows that the Israelites were not just worshiping one false god, but many.
  • "groves" — אֲשֵׁרָה (asherah): This word refers to wooden symbols or poles associated with the worship of the goddess Asherah, a common pagan practice in the region. Mentioning "groves" highlights that the Israelites adopted specific Canaanite religious rituals, not just general idolatry.

Why Judges 3:7 matters

  • Judges 3:7 clarifies that the Israelites’ wrongdoing was not just moral failure but specifically involved turning to the religious practices of neighboring peoples, which the LORD had warned them against.
  • The verse helps explain why hardship and cycles of oppression follow in the book of Judges: the people’s forgetfulness and idolatry are shown as the root cause.
  • By naming both "Baalim" and "groves," the verse shows the depth and variety of the Israelites’ departure from their faith, making clear that their actions were not a minor slip but a widespread turning away.

Where else these words appear

“groves” Hebrew H842 · used in 40 verses

  • Exodus 34:13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
  • 2 Kings 13:6 Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.)
  • 2 Chronicles 17:6 And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah.

“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.

“forgat” Hebrew H7911 · used in 95 verses

  • Genesis 27:45 Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
  • Psalms 31:12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.
  • Proverbs 31:7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.