Judges 3:1-11

Context

3:1 These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel – he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites.¹ 3:2 He left those nations simply because he wanted to teach the subsequent generations of Israelites, who had not experienced the earlier battles, how to conduct holy war.² 3:3 These were the nations:³ the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo-Hamath.⁴ 3:4 They were left to test Israel, so the Lord would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses.⁵

3:5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 3:6 They took the Canaanites’ daughters as wives and gave their daughters to the Canaanites;⁶ they worshiped⁷ their gods as well.

Othniel: A Model Leader

3:7 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight.⁸ They forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.⁹ 3:8 The Lord was furious with Israel¹⁰ and turned them over to¹¹ King Cushan-Rishathaim¹² of Aram-Naharaim. They were Cushan-Rishathaim’s subjects¹³ for eight years. 3:9 When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he¹⁴ raised up a deliverer for the Israelites who rescued¹⁵ them. His name was Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.¹⁶ 3:10 The Lord’s spirit empowered him¹⁷ and he led Israel. When he went to do battle, the Lord handed over to him King Cushan-Rishathaim of Aram and he overpowered him.¹⁸ 3:11 The land had rest for forty years; then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

[3:1] ¹tn Heb “did not know the wars of Canaan.”

[3:2] ²tn The Hebrew syntax of v. 2 is difficult. The Hebrew text reads literally, “only in order that the generations of the Israelites might know, to teach them war – only those who formerly did not know them.”

[3:3] ³tn The words “These were the nations,” though not present in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[3:3] ⁴tn Or “the entrance to Hamath.”

[3:4] ⁵tn Heb “to know if they would hear the commands of the Lord which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.”

[3:6] ⁶tn Heb “to their sons.”

[3:6] ⁷tn Or “served”; or “followed” (this term occurs in the following verse as well).

[3:7] ⁸tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.”

[3:7] ⁹sn The Asherahs were local manifestations of the Canaanite goddess Asherah.

[3:8] ¹⁰tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned (or raged) against Israel.”

[3:8] ¹¹tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”

[3:8] ¹²tn Or “Cushan the Doubly Wicked.”

[3:8] ¹³tn Or “they served Cushan-Rishathaim.”

[3:9] ¹⁴tn Heb “the Lord.”

[3:9] ¹⁵tn Or “delivered.”

[3:9] ¹⁶tn “Caleb’s younger brother” may refer to Othniel or to Kenaz (in which case Othniel is Caleb’s nephew).

[3:10] ¹⁷tn Heb “was on him.”

[3:10] ¹⁸tn Heb “his hand was strong against Cushan-Rishathaim.”