Judges 3 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Judges 3

3:1 Now these are the nations that the LORD left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. 2 It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. 3 These are the nations: the five lords 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. 4 They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 5 So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 6 And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.

Othniel

7 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. 8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. 9 But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 The Spirit of the LORD was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. 11 So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

Ehud

12 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD. 13 He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of the city of palms. 14 And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

15 Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. 16 And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit¹ in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. 17 And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18 And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. 19 But he himself turned back at the idols near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he commanded, “Silence.” And all his attendants went out from his presence. 20 And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arose from his seat. 21 And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. 22 And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out. 23 Then Ehud went out into the porch² and closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them.

24 When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, “Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber.” 25 And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor.

26 Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was their leader. 28 And he said to them, “Follow after me, for the LORD has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and did not allow anyone to pass over. 29 And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.

Shamgar

31 After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.

Footnotes

[1] 3:16 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
[2] 3:23 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain

Commentary

v1-6: These verses belong with the end of chapter 2. They complete the summary of Judges.

The continuing presence of the Canaanites in the land was a serious matter. We may liken these things to the Parable of the Weeds (or Tares), in Matt 13.24-30, 36-43. The separation of the faithful from the unbelievers is not to be expected during our lifetime. The Lord Jesus referred to the end of the age, when He will separate sheep from goats. The key for the Lord's people today is how they respond to the presence and influence of the ungodly. The presence of sin in our lives may also be seen in a similar way, as we learn to trust Him, and to be repentant and humble.

Israel had to be taught to know war (v2); there is a conflict for the Christian in the world. We need to be constantly reminded of this. Although we rightly refer to the victory of the Lord Jesus, we nevertheless face real battles. In particular, there are sins that constantly threatens to spoil us, and we must be watchful and prayerful. There are enemies of the gospel, who will oppose the proclamation of the Good News of Christ.

v6: In particular, Israel made alliances with the Canaanites; see 2.2; Josh 24.16.

v7-9: The first cycle (as in 2.11-13); the people fell into idolatry (v6-7), then suffered oppression under Cushan-Rishathaim, King of Mesopotamia (v8), then cried out for deliverance; the Lord raised up Othniel as Judge. He was a proven leader and fighter (see 1.12-13); like Caleb, his relation, Othniel had a zeal for God, and commitment to carry through the task set before him.

We note that the oppression was for 8 years, and the succeeding peace was for 40 years. A cursory reading of Judges may miss the fact that, often for quite long periods, there was peace in the land. The periods of suffering and oppression were, however, quite severe.

We understand also that the oppression may have simply been in part of Israel. The events in Judges may well overlap, in terms of time as the writer describes events occuring in different regions.

v12-15: The second cycle (as in 2.11-13); the people fell into idolatry (v12), then suffered oppression under Eglon, King of Moab (v12), who dominated them for 18 years (v14). The people cried out to God, who sent Ehud (v15).

v16-18: Ehud, although armed, risked his life in returning to Eglon.

v19: The reference to idols (or stone images), may be stone quarries at Gilgal. This was a place of Israel's commitment to God (Josh 5.9). It was not far from Jericho, which Eglon had captured, so the presence of stone images (if that is what they were) may indicate Moabite idolatry. We do not necessarily draw the conclusion that Israel had set up these idols.

v20-25: The narrative here is genuine; we know that Ehud was left-handed, and that Eglon was very fat, and also that there were idols (v26).

There is the gruesome description of the slaying of Eglon - we make no objection to this. Life is sometimes gruesome and gory. Fact!

There is also the slight humour that Eglon's servants stand at the door wating, thinking he is at the toilet. We make no objection to this. Real life can be comical. Fact!

v26-30: Ehud, having killed Eglon, gathered the people of Ephraim to fight Moab. They won a mighty victory. The reference to Ephraim suggests that the oppression under Moab was only regional; see note at v7-9 above.

v31: Shamgar, like other Judges, is given little space. Even so, he won a victory over the Philistines, and delivered Israel.