שופטים, פרק ד׳, פסוק א׳

The spiritual decline of the Israelites is marked by a specific and somewhat puzzling timestamp. The narrative highlights the passing of Ehud, even though another judge, Shamgar, led the people after him and directly preceded this new period of oppression.

The primary approach among commentators is that this timeline reveals a tragic reality: the people's return to sin began immediately after Ehud died and continued uninterrupted throughout Shamgar's leadership. During Shamgar's days, the Israelites never experienced a complete salvation. They continued to do evil, and the land lacked true peace. This severe lack of security is echoed later in the Song of Deborah, which recalls that during Shamgar's time, the main highways were entirely abandoned out of fear. Because Shamgar only brought a partial rescue, the root cause of the people's harsh new reality is traced directly back to the loss of Ehud.

A slightly different perspective [מלבי״ם] focuses on the precise order of events. The narrative states that the Israelites committed evil before actually mentioning Ehud's death. This breaks the usual pattern in the Book of Judges, where a leader's death is typically recorded before the people's descent into sin. This subtle shift suggests that the Israelites actually returned to their corrupt ways while Ehud was still alive. However, as long as he lived, his personal merit shielded the nation from punishment. The moment he passed away, that spiritual protection vanished, and disaster struck.

Without Ehud's positive, protective influence, the ongoing sin of the tribes brought about a devastating consequence. A new enemy rose up from within the land itself—a Canaanite king who brutally oppressed the Israelites using iron chariots. This crushing subjugation ultimately forced the people to cry out to God for rescue.