שופטים, פרק ב׳, פסוק י״א

The era following the death of Joshua marked a profound and tragic turning point for the Israelites. While Joshua lived, the nation maintained a faithful covenant with God and experienced great military victories. However, his passing triggered a severe spiritual shift. This change was not a random twist of fate, but a direct consequence of the nation's own choices, which ultimately stripped them of God's protection and led to their defeat at the hands of their enemies [אברבנאל].

Rather than recording a single historical event, this introduction serves as a broad summary and a headline for the long process of the nation's moral decline, the details of which unfold throughout the rest of the era [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. The abandonment of God did not happen overnight. It was a gradual deterioration that occurred in distinct stages. The downfall began with general wrongdoings and a failure to keep the commandments of the Torah. Only after this initial moral decay did the nation reach the height of its rebellion by engaging in actual idol worship. At first, they attempted to combine these pagan practices with their belief in God, but this eventually led to a complete and total abandonment of their faith [מלבי״ם].

The specific idols they embraced were widespread in the region at the time. The people who worshipped these statues treated them as their literal masters and owners, submitting completely to their control [רד״ק]. Adopting the local idol worship was a direct betrayal of the covenant they held with God, who had brought their ancestors out of Egypt. It was this ultimate betrayal that ignited His anger [אברבנאל].