But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
The beginning of this paragraph is only a repetition of what account we had before of the people's good character during the government of Joshua, and of his death and burial (Jos 24:29, Jos 24:30), which comes in here again only to make way for the following account, which this chapter gives, of their degeneracy and apostasy.
Commenting on Judges 2:6-23
And it came to pass, when the judge was dead,.... Any one of them, the first and so all succeeding ones: that they returned; to their evil ways and idolatrous practices, from which they reformed, and for which they showed outward repentance during the life of the judge; but he dying, they returned again to them: and corrupted themselves more than their fathers; in Egypt...
WICKEDNESS OF THE NEW GENERATION AFTER JOSHUA. (Jdg 2:11-19) the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord--This chapter, together with the first eight verses of the next [Jdg. 2:11-3:8], contains a brief but comprehensive summary of the principles developed in the following history.
Commenting on Judges 2:11-19