Judges3
New Living Translation
1These are the nations that the Lord left in the land to test those Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan.
2He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle.
3These are the nations: the Philistines (those living under the five Philistine rulers), all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.
4These people were left to test the Israelites—to see whether they would obey the commands the Lord had given to their ancestors through Moses.
5So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites,
6and they intermarried with them. Israelite sons married their daughters, and Israelite daughters were given in marriage to their sons. And the Israelites served their gods.
7The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They forgot about the Lord their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles.
8Then the Lord burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim. And the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.
9But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz.
10The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the Lord gave Othniel victory over him.
11So there was peace in the land for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.
12Once again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, and the Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because of their evil.
13Eglon enlisted the Ammonites and Amalekites as allies, and then he went out and defeated Israel, taking possession of Jericho, the city of palms.
14And the Israelites served Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.
15But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord again raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed man of the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites sent Ehud to deliver their tribute money to King Eglon of Moab.
16So Ehud made a double-edged dagger that was about a foot long, and he strapped it to his right thigh, keeping it hidden under his clothing.
17He brought the tribute money to Eglon, who was very fat.
18After delivering the payment, Ehud started home with those who had helped carry the tribute.
19But when Ehud reached the stone idols near Gilgal, he turned back. He came to Eglon and said, “I have a secret message for you.” So the king commanded his servants, “Be quiet!” and he sent them all out of the room.
20Ehud walked over to Eglon, who was sitting alone in a cool upstairs room. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you!” As King Eglon rose from his seat,
21Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled out the dagger strapped to his right thigh, and plunged it into the king’s belly.
22The dagger went so deep that the handle disappeared beneath the king’s fat. So Ehud did not pull out the dagger, and the king’s bowels emptied.
23Then Ehud closed and locked the doors of the room and escaped down the latrine.
24After Ehud was gone, the king’s servants returned and found the doors to the upstairs room locked. They thought he might be using the latrine in the room,
25so they waited. But when the king didn’t come out after a long delay, they became concerned and got a key. And when they opened the doors, they found their master dead on the floor.
26While the servants were waiting, Ehud escaped, passing the stone idols on his way to Seirah.
27When he arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, Ehud sounded a call to arms. Then he led a band of Israelites down from the hills.
28“Follow me,” he said, “for the Lord has given you victory over Moab your enemy.” So they followed him. And the Israelites took control of the shallow crossings of the Jordan River across from Moab, preventing anyone from crossing.
29They attacked the Moabites and killed about 10,000 of their strongest and most able-bodied warriors. Not one of them escaped.
30So Moab was conquered by Israel that day, and there was peace in the land for eighty years.
31After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath rescued Israel. He once killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad.
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