Judges 4:1

1 And the children of Israel continued to do evil against the Lord; and Aod was dead.

Judges 4:1 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 4:1

And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the
Lord
Which was the fruit and effect of the long rest and peace they enjoyed; and which is often the case of a people favoured with peace, plenty, and prosperity, who are apt to abuse their mercies, and forget God, the author and giver of them; and the principal evil, though not expressed, was idolatry, worshipping Baalim, the gods of the nations about them; though it is highly probable they were guilty of other sins, which they indulged in the times of their peace and prosperity:

when Ehud was dead;
Shamgar is not mentioned, because his time of judging Israel was short, and the people were not reformed in his time, but fell into sin as soon as Ehud was dead, and continued. Some choose to render the words, "for Ehud was dead" ^F20, who had been, the instrument of reforming them, and of preserving them from idolatry, but he being dead, they fell into it again; and the particle "vau" is often to be taken in this sense, of which Noldius ^F21 gives many instances.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 (dwhaw) "enim, vel quia Ehud", Bonfrerius; so Patrick.
F21 Concord. Ebr. part. p. 285, 295.

Judges 4:1 In-Context

1 And the children of Israel continued to do evil against the Lord; and Aod was dead.

2 And the Lord sold the children of Israel into the hand of Jabin king of Chanaan, who ruled in Asor; and the chief of his host was Sisara, and he dwelt in Arisoth of the Gentiles.

3 And the children of Israel cried to the Lord, because he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and he mightily oppressed Israel twenty years.

4 And Debbora, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, —she judged Israel at that time.

5 And she sat under the palm-tree of Debbora between Rama and Baethel in mount Ephraim; and the children of Israel went up to her for judgment.