Judges 3:4

4 And he left them, that in them he should assay Israel, (to see) whether they would hear the behests of the Lord, which he commanded to their fathers by the hand of Moses, either nay. (Yea, he left them alive, so that through them he could test Israel, to see whether they would listen to the Lord's commands, which he commanded to their fathers through Moses, or not.)

Judges 3:4 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 3:4

And they were to prove Israel by them
They were left in the land, as to inure them to war, and try their courage, so to prove their faithfulness to God:

to know whether they would hearken to the commandments, of the Lord,
which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses;
even all the commandments of the Lord delivered to them by Moses, moral, civil, and ceremonial, and particularly those that concerned the destruction of the Canaanites, their altars, and their idols, ( Deuteronomy 7:1 Deuteronomy 7:5 ) .

Judges 3:4 In-Context

2 and that afterward the sons of them should learn to fight with enemies, and to have custom of battle. (and so that through them their sons would learn to fight with their enemies, and know the ways of battle.)

3 He left (alive the) five princes of the Philistines, and all Canaanites, and the people of Sidon, and Hivites that dwelled in the hill Lebanon, from the hill Baalhermon till to the entering of Hamath. (He left alive the five rulers of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the people of Sidon, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baalhermon unto Hamath Pass.)

4 And he left them, that in them he should assay Israel, (to see) whether they would hear the behests of the Lord, which he commanded to their fathers by the hand of Moses, either nay. (Yea, he left them alive, so that through them he could test Israel, to see whether they would listen to the Lord's commands, which he commanded to their fathers through Moses, or not.)

5 And so the sons of Israel dwelled in the midst of Canaanites, of Hittites, and of Amorites, and of Perizzites, and of Hivites, and of Jebusites, (And so the Israelites lived in the midst of the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites,)

6 and they wedded wives, the daughters of them; and the sons of Israel gave their daughters to their sons, and they served to their gods (and they served their gods).