Judges 3:3-13

3 These are the nations: ¹the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.

4 They were for ²the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

5 So the people of Israel lived ³among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

6 ⁴And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.

Othniel

7 ⁵And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and ⁶the Asheroth.

8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, ⁷and he sold them into the hand of ⁸Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.

9 But when the people of Israel ⁹cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a ¹⁰deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, ¹¹Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

10 ¹²The Spirit of the LORD was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.

11 ¹³So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

Ehud

12 ¹⁴And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD strengthened Eglon ¹⁵the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD.

13 He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the ¹⁶Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of ¹⁷the city of palms.

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Judges 3:3-13 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

Cross References 17

1. See Joshua 13:2-6
2. ver. 1
3. Exodus 3:8; Psalms 106:35
4. [Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3; Ezra 9:12]
5. Judges 2:11-13
6. Judges 6:25; Exodus 34:13
7. Judges 2:14
8. Habakkuk 3:7
9. ver. 15; Judges 4:3; Judges 6:7; Judges 10:10
10. ver. 15; Judges 2:16; Nehemiah 9:27
11. Judges 1:13
12. Judges 6:34; Judges 11:29; Judges 13:25; Judges 14:6, 19; Judges 15:14
13. [ver. 30; Judges 5:31; Judges 8:28; Joshua 11:23]
14. Judges 2:19
15. 1 Samuel 12:9
16. Judges 6:33; Psalms 83:7
17. Judges 1:16; Deuteronomy 34:3

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.