Judges 3:2-12

2 This was to teach the future generations of the Israelites [how to fight in] battle, especially those who had not fought before.^[a]

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^[b] from Mount Baal-hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath.^[c]

4 The Lord left them to test Israel, to determine if they would keep the Lord's commands He had given their fathers through^[d] Moses.^[e]

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.^[f]

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^[g] Cushan-rishathaim^[h] king of Aram of the Two Rivers,^[i]^[j]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^[k] 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.

11 Then the land was peaceful^[l] 40 years, and Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Ehud

12 The Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord's sight. He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done what was evil in the Lord's sight.

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Judges 3:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 3

This chapter gives an account of the nations left in Canaan to prove Israel, and who became a snare unto them, Jud 3:1-7; and of the servitude of Israel under the king of Mesopotamia for their sins, from which they were delivered by Othniel, Jud 3:8-11; and of their subjection to the Moabites, from which they were freed by Ehud, who privately assassinated the king of Moab, and then made his escape, Jud 3:12-30; and of the destruction of a large number of Philistines by Shamgar, with an ox goad, Jud 3:31.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Footnotes 12

[a]. Lit not known it
[b]. LXX reads in Lebanon, without reference to mountains
[c]. Or as Lebo-hamath
[d]. Lit by the hand of
[e]. Jdg 3:4; 1 Kg 8:58; 2 Kg 17:13; Ps 78:5; Jr 11:4
[f]. Ex 23:33; Dt 7:16
[g]. Lit into the hand of
[h]. Lit Doubly-Evil
[i]. Or Aram-naharaim; Mesopotamia
[j]. Gn 24:10; Dt 23:4; 1 Ch 19:6; Ps 60 title
[k]. Jdg 1:13
[l]. Jdg 3:30; 5:31; 8:28; 2 Ch 14:1,5-6