Judges 3:1-6

1 These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan
2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience):
3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.
4 They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.
5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
6 They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

Judges 3:1-6 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.

Cross References 13

  • 1. S Exodus 15:25; Judges 2:21-22
  • 2. S Joshua 13:3
  • 3. S Genesis 10:14
  • 4. S Genesis 10:17; S Exodus 3:8
  • 5. S Deuteronomy 3:8
  • 6. S Numbers 13:21
  • 7. S Exodus 15:25; Deuteronomy 8:2; Judges 2:22
  • 8. Psalms 106:35
  • 9. S Joshua 3:10
  • 10. S Joshua 11:3; Ezra 9:1
  • 11. Ezra 10:18; Nehemiah 13:23; Malachi 2:11
  • 12. S Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3-4
  • 13. S Deuteronomy 7:16
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