The Meaning of Judges 10:6 Explained

Judges 10:6

KJV: And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.

YLT: And the sons of Israel add to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and serve the Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the Bene-Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsake Jehovah, and have not served Him;

Darby: And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Ba'als and the Ash'taroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the LORD, and did not serve him.

ASV: And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served the Baalim, and the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook Jehovah, and served him not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the children  of Israel  did  evil  again  in the sight  of the LORD,  and served  Baalim,  and Ashtaroth,  and the gods  of Syria,  and the gods  of Zidon,  and the gods  of Moab,  and the gods  of the children  of Ammon,  and the gods  of the Philistines,  and forsook  the LORD,  and served  not him. 

What does Judges 10:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Jdg 10:1-16 - Inveterate Idolatry
The scene is now removed to the tribes across the Jordan, especially those settled, in Gilead and its vicinity. The children of Ammon were the aggressors, and acquired such boldness as even to cross the Jordan and fight against Judah and Ephraim. "Israel was sore distressed." Almost spontaneously we say, "Surely it served them right." It seems incredible that, after all they had suffered on account of their idolatry, they should again relapse to Baal, and add further the gods of Zidon, of Moab, of Ammon and of Philistia. If Jehovah had finally cast them off, could they have complained? But as the psalmist puts it in his touching words, "God regarded their distress and heard their cry." See Psalms 106:3, etc.
All these things were written for our example and instruction. Israel did not forsake God more often than we have done. Life has been full of fits and starts, of backsliding and recommencement, of sin and repentance. We have nothing to say against Israel; let us look at home, and search our hearts, and thank the Lord that His mercy endureth forever, Psalms 136:1-26. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jdg 10

1  Tola judges Israel in Shamir
3  Jair, whose thirty sons had thirty cities
6  The Philistines and Ammonites oppress Israel
10  In their misery God sends them to their false gods
15  Upon their repentance he pities them

What do the individual words in Judges 10:6 mean?

And again the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of Yahweh and served - the Baals and the Ashtoreths the gods of Syria of Sidon and of Moab and of the sons of Ammon and of the Philistines and they forsook Yahweh and not did serve Him
וַיֹּסִ֣פוּ ׀ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת הָרַע֮ בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָה֒ וַיַּעַבְד֣וּ אֶת־ הַבְּעָלִ֣ים וְאֶת־ הָעַשְׁתָּר֡וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲרָם֩ צִיד֜וֹן וְאֵ֣ת ׀ מוֹאָ֗ב וְאֵת֙ בְנֵי־ עַמּ֔וֹן וְאֵ֖ת פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַיַּעַזְב֥וּ יְהוָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א עֲבָדֽוּהוּ

וַיֹּסִ֣פוּ ׀  And  again 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָסַף 
Sense: to add, increase, do again.
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
הָרַע֮  evil 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
בְּעֵינֵ֣י  in  the  sight 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
יְהוָה֒  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיַּעַבְד֣וּ  and  served 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַבְּעָלִ֣ים  the  Baals 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בַּעַל  
Sense: supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites.
הָעַשְׁתָּר֡וֹת  the  Ashtoreths 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עַשְׁתָּרֹת  
Sense: false goddesses in the Canaanite religion, usually related to fertility cult.
אֱלֹהֵ֣י  the  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲרָם֩  of  Syria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.
צִיד֜וֹן  of  Sidon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִידֹון  
Sense: ancient Phoenician city, on Mediterranean coast north of Tyre.
מוֹאָ֗ב  of  Moab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
בְנֵי־  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּ֔וֹן  of  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.
פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים  of  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
וַיַּעַזְב֥וּ  and  they  forsook 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְלֹ֥א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עֲבָדֽוּהוּ  did  serve  Him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.