The impact of his actions affects not only himself and his household, but all Israel,
who whored after
the ephod there in Ophrah, Gideon’s hometown. “Thus an anti-Yawhist cult is created by Gideon in the very spot where another anti-Yahwist cult had been destroyed by him (Judges 6:25–32). This closing state of the saga of Gideon is grotesque and grievous."1
27 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.