Judges 3:1-11

1 These are the nations that God left there, using them to test the Israelites who had no experience in the Canaanite wars.

2 He did it to train the descendants of Israel, the ones who had no battle experience, in the art of war.

3 He left the five Philistine tyrants, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal Hermon to Hamath's Pass.

4 They were there to test Israel and see whether they would obey God's commands that were given to their parents through Moses.

5 But the People of Israel made themselves at home among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

6 They married their daughters and gave their own daughters to their sons in marriage. And they worshiped their gods.

7 The People of Israel did evil in God's sight. They forgot their God and worshiped the Baal gods and Asherah goddesses.

8 God's hot anger blazed against Israel. He sold them off to Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim. The People of Israel were in servitude to Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years.

9 The People of Israel cried out to God and God raised up a savior who rescued them: Caleb's nephew Othniel, son of his younger brother Kenaz.The Spirit of God came on him and he rallied Israel. He went out to war and God gave him Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim. Othniel made short work of him.

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11 The land was quiet for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Judges 3:1-11 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.