History · Chapter 3 of 21

Judges 3

God leaves certain nations in the land to test Israel and teach them war. Israel intermarries with these peoples and serves their gods, so the Lord gives them to the king of Mesopotamia. When they cry out, God raises Othniel, on whom the Spirit comes, and the land has rest. The cycle repeats with Ehud, who delivers Israel from Moab's King Eglon, and briefly with Shamgar against the Philistines.

What happens in Judges 3

The chapter explains that the Lord left several nations to test Israel's obedience and to teach a new generation warfare. Instead of remaining faithful, Israel intermarries with the Canaanites and serves their gods. God's anger sends them into subjection to Cushanrishathaim of Mesopotamia for eight years. When they cry out, He raises Othniel, Caleb's younger relative, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord comes; he delivers Israel, and the land rests forty years.

After Othniel dies, Israel again does evil, and God strengthens Eglon of Moab against them for eighteen years. This time He raises Ehud, a left handed Benjamite, who conceals a dagger, gains a private audience with the obese king, kills him, and rallies Israel to strike down Moab. The land rests eighty years. The chapter ends briefly with Shamgar, who strikes down six hundred Philistines with an ox goad.

Judges 3 in context

Following the cycle laid out in chapter 2, this chapter presents the first deliverers in the sequence. Othniel is the model judge, described simply and positively. Ehud's account is more detailed and dramatic, marked by cunning and vivid, even grim, narration typical of the book's honest storytelling.

The nations left to test Israel, including the Philistines, would remain persistent adversaries. Shamgar's brief mention shows God using unlikely means and unlikely people to save.

Main themes of Judges 3

Judges 3 (KJV)

1Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; 2Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; 3Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath. 4And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 5And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: 6And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. 7And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves. 8Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years. 9And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. 11And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. 12And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees. 14So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. 15But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. 16But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh. 17And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man. 18And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present. 19But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. 20And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. 21And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: 22And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out. 23Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them. 24When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber. 25And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth. 26And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath. 27And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them. 28And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over. 29And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man. 30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years. 31And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.

Verses to carry from Judges 3

“And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.”Judges 3:9

“And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.”Judges 3:10

“But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.”Judges 3:15

Reflection

God left nations to test Israel, and the testing showed what was really in their hearts. When trials come to me, what do they reveal about my loyalty to God? I am encouraged that deliverance came by the Spirit, not human strength, and that God uses the unlikely. He can work His purposes through my weakness too.

A prayer from Judges 3