1These are the nations that Jehovah left [in the land] to test those in Israel (those who didn’t know about the wars in CanaAn, 2because that generation of Israel hadn’t fought in the wars): 3the five kingdoms of the Philistines and all the CanaAnites, Sidonians, and Evites who lived south of Lebanon from Mount Hermon to LaboEmath. 4He used them to test Israel and to find out whether they would obey the commands that He had given their ancestors through Moses. 5So, the children of Israel lived in the midst of the CanaAnites, Hittites, Amorites, Pherezites, Evites, and Jebusites, 6and they married their daughters, gave their daughters to their sons, and they started serving the gods [of these nations]. 7[Of course], this was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, for they had forgotten Jehovah their God and were serving Baal Im and the sacred poles. 8As the result, Jehovah was very angry at Israel and He sold them into the hand of Chusar Sathaim, the king of Syrian-MesoPotamia, and the children of Israel served him for eight years. 9It was then that the children of Israel started calling to Jehovah; so Jehovah appointed a savior for Israel who delivered them… GothoniEl (the son of Kenez), the younger brother of Caleb. 10Jehovah poured out His Breath upon him, and he served as Israel’s Judge. And when he went to war against Chusar Sathaim, Jehovah gave the king of Syrian-MesoPotamia into his hands, and he was conquered. 11And thereafter, the land was quiet for forty years, until GothoniEl (the son of Kenez) died. 12However, the children of Israel kept doing evil things before Jehovah, so because of their evil ways, He allowed Eglom (the king of Moab) to grow stronger, and then come against Israel. 13First he brought together all the children of AmMon and Amalec, and then he went and cut down Israel, capturing The City of Palm Trees. 14So, the children of Israel served Eglom (the king of Moab) for the next eighteen years. 15And again the children of Israel called to Jehovah and He provided them a savior, Aod (the son of Gera and grandson of JeMeni), who was just as strong with his left hand as he was with his right. And when the children of Israel sent him to carry gifts to Eglom, 16Aod made a two-edged dagger that was eight-inches long, which he hid on his right thigh under his robe. 17Then he went and carried the presents to Eglom, who was a very fat man. 18And after he had presented all his gifts, he sent those who had carried the gifts away 19(after they had returned from the quarries at GilGal), for he said, ‘I have a secret message for you O king!’ Then Eglom told him not to say anything until after he’d sent all those who were waiting on him away. 20Then later, Aod went in to see Eglom as he was sitting in his upper summer chamber all by himself. And Aod said, ‘I have a message for you from God, O king.’ And as Eglom got up from his throne, 21Aod reached in with his left hand and grabbed the dagger from his right thigh, then he plunged it into [Eglom’s] belly… 22he drove it in so far that the handle went in and the fat closed over it, and he left the whole dagger inside his belly. 23Then Aod walked out on the porch, passing the guards on the way, closed and locked the chamber doors, 24and left. Well, when Eglom’s servants came and saw that the doors to the upper chamber were locked, they said, ‘Doesn’t he usually [lie undressed] in the summer chamber?’ 25Then they waited so long that they became embarrassed, for they saw that no one had opened the doors to the upper chamber, so then they got the keys and opened them… and that’s when they found their lord lying dead on the ground. 26Meanwhile, Aod escaped during the confusion, and nobody paid any attention to him. So he passed the quarries and escaped to Setir Otha. 27And when Aod got back to the land of Israel, he blew his horn in the hills of EphraIm, and the children of Israel came down from the mountains to him. Then he stood before them 28and said, ‘Now follow me, for Jehovah God has given our enemies the Moabites into our hands.’ So they followed him and they captured the fords that cross the Jordan near the land of Moab, and they wouldn’t allow anyone to cross. 29Then they cut down Moab that day, killing about ten thousand virile, mighty men, and no one escaped. 30So, Moab was put into the hands of Israel, and the land rested for the next eighty years… and Aod judged them until he died. 31After him, Jehovah appointed SamEgar (the son of Dinach). He’s the one who cut down six hundred Philistines with an ox plough. And he too delivered Israel.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 NATIONS LEFT TO PROVE ISRAEL. (
Judg 3:1-
Judg 3:4)
these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel--This was the special design of these nations being left, and it evinces the direct influence of the theocracy under which the Israelites were placed. These nations were left for a double purpose: in the first instance, to be instrumental, by their inroads, in promoting the moral and spiritual discipline of the Israelites; and also to subserve the design of making them acquainted with war, in order that the young, more especially, who were total strangers to it, might learn the use of weapons and the art of wielding them.
5 BY COMMUNION WITH THESE THE ISRAELITES COMMIT IDOLATRY. (
Judg 3:5-
Judg 3:7)
the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites--The two peoples by degrees came to be on habits of intercourse. Reciprocal alliances were formed by marriage till the Israelites, relaxing the austerity of their principles, showed a growing conformity to the manners and worship of their idolatrous neighbors.
8 OTHNIEL DELIVERS ISRAEL. (
Judg 3:8-
Judg 3:11)
sold them--that is, "delivered them"
into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim--or, Chushan, "the wicked." This name had been probably given him from his cruel and impious character.
served Chushan-rishathaim eight years--by the payment of a stipulated tribute yearly, the raising of which must have caused a great amount of labor and privation.
9 when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord--In their distress they had recourse to earnest prayer, accompanied by humble and penitent confession of their errors.
Othniel--(See on
Josh 15:16;
Judg 1:13). His military experience qualified him for the work, while the gallant exploits he was known to have performed, gained him the full confidence of his countrymen in his ability as a leader.
10 The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he judged Israel, and went out to war--Impelled by a supernatural influence, he undertook the difficult task of government at this national crisis--addressing himself to promote a general reformation of manners, the abolition of idolatry, and the revival of pure religion. After these preliminary measures, he collected a body of choice warriors to expel the foreign oppressors.
the Lord delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim--No details are given of this war, which, considering the resources of so potent a monarch, must have been a determined struggle. But the Israelitish arms were crowned through the blessing of God with victory, and Canaan regained its freedom and independence.
11 Othniel . . . died--How powerful the influence of one good man is, in church or state, is best found in his loss [BISHOP HALL].
12 EHUD SLAYS EGLON. (Jdg. 3:12-30)
the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord--The Israelites, deprived of the moral and political influences of Othniel, were not long in following their native bias to idolatry.
the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab--The reigning monarch's ambition was to recover that extensive portion of his ancient territory possessed by the Israelites. In conjunction with his neighbors, the Ammonites and the Amalekites, sworn enemies of Israel, he first subjected the eastern tribes; then crossing the Jordan, he made a sudden incursion on western Canaan, and in virtue of his conquests, erected fortifications in the territory adjoining Jericho [JOSEPHUS], to secure the frontier, and fixed his residence there. This oppressor was permitted, in the providence of God, to triumph for eighteen years.
15 Ehud the son of Gera--descended from Gera, one of Benjamin's sons (
Gen 46:21).
left-handed--This peculiarity distinguished many in the Benjamite tribe (
Judg 20:16). But the original word is rendered in some versions "both-handed," a view countenanced by
1Chr 12:2.
by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab--the yearly tribute, which, according to Eastern fashion, would be borne with ostentatious ceremony and offered (
Judg 3:18) by several messengers.
16 Ehud made him a dagger . . . and he did gird it . . . upon his right thigh--The sword was usually worn on the left side; so that Ehud's was the more likely to escape detection.
19 quarries--rather, "graven images" (
Deut 7:25;
Jer 8:19;
Jer 51:52); statues of Moabite idols, the sight of which kindled the patriotic zeal of Ehud to avenge this public insult to Israel on its author.
I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence--"Privacy"--a signal for all to withdraw.
20 a summer parlour--Hebrew, "chamber of cooling"--one of those retired edifices which Oriental grandees usually have in their gardens, and in which they repose during the heat of the day.
21 Ehud put forth his left hand--The whole circumstance of this daring act--the death of Eglon without a shriek, or noise--the locking of the doors--the carrying off the key--the calm, unhurried deportment of Ehud--show the strength of his confidence that he was doing God service.
27 he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim--summoned to arms the people of that mountainous region, which, adjoining the territory of Benjamin, had probably suffered most from the grievous oppression of the Moabites.
28 they went down after him, and took the fords--(See on
Josh 2:7). With the view of preventing all escape to the Moabite coast, and by the slaughter of ten thousand men [
Judg 3:29], Ehud rescued his country from a state of ignominious vassalage.
31 after him was Shamgar--No notice is given of the tribe or family of this judge; and from the Philistines being the enemy that roused him into public service, the suffering seems to have been local--confined to some of the western tribes.
slew . . . six hundred men with an oxgoad--This instrument is eight feet long and about six inches in circumference. It is armed at the lesser end with a sharp prong for driving the cattle, and on the other with a small iron paddle for removing the clay which encumbers the plough in working. Such an instrument, wielded by a strong arm, would do no mean execution. We may suppose, however, for the notice is very fragmentary, that Shamgar was only the leader of a band of peasants, who by means of such implements of labor as they could lay hold of at the moment, achieved the heroic exploit recorded.