The Lord Tests Israel
1 These are the nations the Lord left in order to test Israel, since none of these Israelites had fought in any of the wars with Canaan.
2
This was to teach the future generations of the Israelites [how to fight in] battle, especially those who had not fought before.
3
[These nations included:] the five rulers of the Philistines and all of the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the Lebanese mountains from Mount Baal-hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath.
4
The Lord left them to test Israel, to determine if they would keep the Lord's commands He had given their fathers through Moses.
5
But they settled among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
6
The Israelites took their daughters as wives for themselves, gave their own daughters to their sons, and worshiped their gods.
Othniel, the First Judge
7 The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight; they forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.
8
The Lord's anger burned against Israel, and He sold them to Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram of the Two Rivers,and the Israelites served him eight years.
9
The Israelites cried out to the Lord. So the Lord raised up Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's youngest brother as a deliverer to save the Israelites.
10
The Spirit of the Lord was on him, and he judged Israel. Othniel went out to battle, and the Lord handed over Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram to him, so that Othniel overpowered him.