Charles Ellicott Commentary Judges 8:33

"And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and played the harlot after the Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god." — Judges 8:33 (ASV)

Turned again.— Ad vomitum redierunt (Serarius) (Psalms 106:13, 21).

Went a whoring after Baalim. —It was shown again afterwards, in the reign of Ahab, how rapidly unauthorised symbols degenerate into positive idolatry. After all that had occurred, it would have been impossible for a Jerubbaal to be a Baal-worshipper, but his little deflection from the appointed ritual soon became a wide divergence from the national faith.

Made Baal-berith their god. —Baal-berith means “Lord of the covenant.” The Hebrew text can also support the meaning given by some versions: “They made a covenant with Baal that he should be their god” (Compare Joshua 24:25, Hebrew text), but the English Version is probably correct. Bochart vainly tries to represent Baal-berith as some female deity of Berytus.