Judges 8:33

“And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, etc.] from God, and the pure worship of him, to idolatry: and went a whoring after Baalim; the gods of the Phoenicians and Canaanites, the several Baals of other nations, the lords many which they served; these they committed spiritual whoredom with; that is, idolatry: particularly and made Baalberith their god; which was the idol of the Shechemites, as appears from a temple being built at Shechem for it, (<070904>Judges 9:4) and had its name either from Berytus, a city of Phoenicia, of which Mela f189 and Pliny f190 make mention, and where this Baal might be first worshipped; it was fifty miles from…”

“Turned again - Doubtless Gideon himself had no doubt prepared the way for this apostacy by his unauthorized ephod. The Law of Moses, with its strict unity of priesthood and altar, was the divinely-appointed and only effectual preservative from idolatry. Baal-bereth - The god of covenants or sworn treaties, corresponding to the Zeus Orkius of the Greeks. The center of this fresh apostacy was at Shechem. return to 'Top of Page' Footnotes: Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliographical Information Barnes, Albert. "Commentary on Judges 8". "Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/judges-8.html. 1870. StudyLight.org…”

“As soon as, &c. - Whereby we see the temper of this people, who did no longer cleave to God, than they were in a manner constrained to it, by the presence and authority of their judges. Baalim - This was the general name including all their idols, one of which here follows. Baal - berith - That is, the Lord of the covenant; so called, either from the covenant wherewith the worshippers of this god bound themselves to maintain his worship, or to defend one another therein; or rather, because he was reputed the god and judge of all covenants, and promises, and contracts, to whom it belonged to maintain them, and to punish the violaters of them; and such a god both the Grecians and the Romans…”

“as soon: Jdg 2:7-10, Jdg 2:17, Jdg 2:19; Jos 24:31; Kg2 12:2; Ch2 24:17, Ch2 24:18 went: Jdg 8:27, Jdg 2:17; Exo 34:15, Exo 34:16; Jer 3:9 Baalberith: Literally, "the lord of the covenant." Jdg 9:4, Jdg 9:46 Judges 8:34”

“Jdg 8:33-35 form the introduction to the history of Gideon's sons. Jdg 8:33 After Gideon's death the Israelites fell once more into the Baal-worship which Gideon had rooted out of his father's city ( Jdg 6:25.), and worshipped Baal-berith as their God. Baal-berith, the covenant Baal (equivalent to El-berith, the covenant god, Jdg 9:46), is not Baal as the god of covenants, but, according to Gen 14:13, Baal as a god in covenant, i.e., Baal with whom they had made a covenant, just as the Israelites had their faithful covenant God in Jehovah (see Movers, Phniz. i. p. 171). The worship of Baal-berith, as performed at Shechem according to Jdg 9:46, was an imitation of the worship of Jehovah, an…”