Judges 13:1 Meaning and Explanation
“And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Israel again turns to evil, and God hands them over to Philistine oppression for forty years.
What Does Judges 13:1 Mean?
The book of Judges has cycled through this pattern before: the people drift from the Lord, an enemy presses them, and God raises up a deliverer. Here the cycle opens once more, with Israel falling under Philistine control for forty years -- the longest oppression named in the book.
Yet the very word 'again' tells the deeper story: God's patience does not run out where human faithfulness does. Even as judgment falls, the Lord is already preparing rescue. The long night of these forty years is the dark backdrop against which the coming child will shine, a reminder that God works deliverance precisely when His people seem most lost.
Judges 13:1 in the Original Language
ra (רַע), 'evil' -- moral wrong that breaks faith with God, here covenant unfaithfulness.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 13:1
What does Judges 13:1 mean?
Israel again turns to evil, and God hands them over to Philistine oppression for forty years.