Judges3
New American Standard
1Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them (that is, all the Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan;
2only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it previously).
3These nations are: the five governors 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.
4They were left to test Israel by them, to find out if they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses.
5The sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites;
6and they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
7So the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
8Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.
9But the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to set them free, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
10And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went to war, the Lord handed over to him Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia, so that he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.
11Then the land was at rest for forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord.
13And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and defeated Israel, and they took possession of the city of the palm trees.
14And the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab for eighteen years.
15But when the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.
16Now Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he strapped it on his right thigh under his cloak.
17Then he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.
18And it came about, when he had finished presenting the tribute, that Ehud sent away the people who had carried the tribute.
19But he himself turned back from the idols which were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And the king said, “Silence!” And all who were attending him left him.
20Then Ehud came to him while he was sitting in his cool roof chamber alone. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he got up from his seat.
21Then Ehud reached out with his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.
22The hilt of the sword also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade because he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out.
23Then Ehud went out into the vestibule, and shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him, and locked them.
24When he had left, the king’s servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, “Undoubtedly he is relieving himself in the cool room.”
25So they waited until it would have been shameful to wait longer; but behold, he did not open the doors of the roof chamber. So they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the floor dead.
26Now Ehud escaped while they were hesitating, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.
27And when he arrived, he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was leading them.
28Then he said to them, “Pursue them, for the Lord has handed your enemies the Moabites over to you.” So they went down after him and took control of the crossing places of the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross.
29They struck and killed about ten thousand Moabites at that time, all robust and valiant men; and no one escaped.
30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was at rest for eighty years.
31Now after him came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck and killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Judges 3.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The nations left to prove Israel. (1–7). Othniel delivers Israel. (8–11). Ehud delivers Israel from Eglon. (12–30). Shamgar delivers and judges Israel. (31).
vv1-7
As the Israelites were a type of the church on earth, they were not to be idle and slothful. The Lord was pleased to try them by the remains of the devoted nations they spared. Temptations and trials detect the wickedness of the hearts of sinners; and strengthen he graces of believers in their daily conflict with Satan, sin, and this evil world. They must live in this world, but they are not of it, and are forbidden to conform to it. This marks the difference between the followers of Christ and mere professors. The friendship of the world is more fatal than its enmity; the latter can only kill the body, but the former murders many precious souls.
vv8-11
The first judge was Othniel: even in Joshua's time Othniel began to be famous. Soon after Israel's settlement in Canaan their purity began to be corrupted, and their peace disturbed. But affliction makes those cry to God who before would scarcely speak to him. God returned in mercy to them for their deliverance. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel. The Spirit of wisdom and courage to qualify him for the service, and the Spirit of power to excite him to it. He first judged Israel, reproved and reformed them, and then went to war. Let sin at home be conquered, that worst of enemies, then enemies abroad will be more easily dealt with. Thus let Christ be our Judge and Lawgiver, then he will save us.
vv12-30
When Israel sins again, God raises up a new oppressor. The Israelites did ill, and the Moabites did worse; yet because God punishes the sins of his own people in this world, Israel is weakened, and Moab strengthened against them. If lesser troubles do not do the work, God will send greater. When Israel prays again, God raises up Ehud. As a judge, or minister of Divine justice, Ehud put to death Eglon, the king of Moab, and thus executed the judgments of God upon him as an enemy to God and Israel. But the law of being subject to principalities and powers in all things lawful, is the rule of our conduct. No such commissions are now given; to pretend to them is to blaspheme God. Notice Ehud's address to Eglon. What message from God but a message of vengeance can a proud rebel expect? Such a message is contained in the word of God; his ministers are boldly to declare it, without fearing the frown, or respecting the persons of sinners. But, blessed be God, they have to deliver a message of mercy and of free salvation; the message of vengeance belongs only to those who neglect the offers of grace. The consequence of this victory was, that the land had rest eighty years. It was a great while for the land to rest; yet what is that to the saints' everlasting rest in the heavenly Canaan.
Key Words
אֵלֶּה: these or those
גּוֹי: a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
יָנַח: to deposit; by implication, to allow to stay
נָסָה: to test; by implication, to attempt
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
לֹא: not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יָדַע: to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)
מִלְחָמָה: a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare)
Cross References
Judges 3Moses explains God's purpose of leaving trials to 'prove' Israel and know what was in their hearts.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct parallel linking the remaining nations to proving whether Israel would keep the way of the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Explicit Mosaic prohibition against intermarrying with these nations, which Israel directly violated here.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Establishes Othniel's family identity as Kenaz's son and Caleb's younger brother.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel for the Spirit of the Lord coming upon a judge to empower them for military deliverance.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Identifies Jericho as the 'city of palm trees' which Eglon possessed.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Confirms the unique Benjamite military trait of being left-handed or ambidextrous.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Details the specific evil of serving Baalim and the groves/Ashtaroth.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Explains how God's anger burned hot and He sold Israel into the hands of spoilers.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Samuel's historical sermon recalling Israel forgetting God and being sold into the hand of Hazor and Moab.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Fulfillment of the covenant curse that Israel would serve their enemies for lack of joyful obedience.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Deborah's song corroborates Shamgar's era of insecurity before deliverance came.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels Shamgar's unconventional ox-goad weapon with Samson's jawbone of an ass.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Nehemiah recalls how in their trouble, when they cried, God gave them saviours.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Later military use of the strategic 'fords of Jordan' to cut off enemy escape.
Supported by Matthew Poole