←Judges 3→BSB

In This Chapter 13 people 17 places 39 terms 1 resource

People

Israel 42 Ehud 12 Cushan-rishathaim 8 Eglon 8 Othniel 3 Kenaz 3 Caleb 2 Gera 2 Anath 2 Jacob (Patriarch) Jeshurun (Israel) Moses Shamgar

Places

    Key Terms

    Gift (Tribute) 7 Serve 6 Salvation (Rescuer) 6 Take Possession 3 Force to Serve Enslave Hold in Bondage Gain Control Over Salvation Save (Help) Salvation (State) Save (Restore) Salvation (Physical) Salvation (Deliverance) Save (Rescue) Salvation (Means) Saving (Means) Dispossess Inherit Offering Burnt Offering Sin Offering Peace Offering Offering Made by Fire Offering (Contribution) Drink-Offering Guilt-Offering Sacrifice (Offering) Wave-Offering Voluntary Offering Gift (Offering) Dedication (Ceremony) Offer Sacrifice Sacrifice (Act) Sacrifice (Ritual) Whole Burnt Offering Offering (Special) Offering (Voluntary) Sin Offering (Guilt Removal)

    Resources

    Judah, Tribe of Articles

    Nations Left to Test Israel

    ⓘ The Philistines and Canaanites stayed in the land...

    The Philistines and Canaanites stayed in the land to teach important lessons. People needed warfare skills to survive in ancient times. God let these enemies stay to train and help Israel.

    1These are the nations that the LORD left to test all the Israelites who had not known any of the wars in Canaan, 2if only to teach warfare to the subsequent generations of Israel, especially to those who had not known it formerly: 3the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.

    4These nations were left to test the Israelites, to find out whether they would keep the commandments of the LORD, which He had given their fathers through Moses.

    ⓘ Israel did not pass God's test (Judges 3:1–4)....

    Israel did not pass God's test (Judges 3:1–4). Marrying people from other groups led Israel to worship the fertility gods of the Canaanites.

    5Thus the Israelites continued to live among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 6And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

    Othniel

    ⓘ The story of Othniel is a typical example...

    The story of Othniel is a typical example of the cycles in Judges. People did wrong, often worshipping Baal and Asherah (see study notes on Judges 2:11–13; 6:25–32). This angered the Lord and led to foreign oppression. The people's cries moved God to show compassion and send a rescuer-judge through his spirit. The rescuer stopped the oppression, and the land experienced peace before the cycle repeated. Othniel represents an ideal judge.

    7So the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. 8Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim,† and the Israelites served him eight years.

    9But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz as a deliverer to save them. 10The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.

    11So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

    Ehud

    ⓘ The people of Moab and the Ammonites descended...

    • The people of Moab and the Ammonites descended from Lot’s relationship with his daughters (Genesis 19:30–38). Although related to Israel, both nations were Israel’s enemies.

    • The Amalekites were nomads who attacked Israel in the desert, and Israel was commanded to remain hostile toward them (Numbers 24:20; Deuteronomy 25:17–19). These three nations likely joined forces because they feared Israel's expansion.
    ⓘ In this epic story of intrigue and cleverness,...

    In this epic story of intrigue and cleverness, Ehud showed bravery when a group of nations from east of the Jordan invaded the hill country of Ephraim and Benjamin. The story uses a familiar pattern and emphasizes the people's repeated turning away from their faith.

    12Once again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. So He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13After enlisting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms.†

    14The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. 15And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.

    16Now Ehud had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long.† He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak 17and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an obese man.

    18After Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he ushered out those who had carried it.

    ⓘ The message needed to be secret so Ehud...

    The message needed to be secret so Ehud could be alone with the king. It had to be from God to make sure the plan worked. Eglon likely stood up because he expected a message from the Lord, which he did receive.

    19But upon reaching the idols near Gilgal, he himself turned back and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” “Silence,” said the king, and all his attendants left him.

    20Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in the coolness of his upper room. “I have a word from God for you,” Ehud said, and the king rose from his seat.

    21And Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. 22Even the handle sank in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And Eglon’s bowels emptied. 23Then Ehud went out through the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upper room behind him.

    ⓘ As the king's servants hesitated over how to...

    As the king's servants hesitated over how to handle a king with bowel issues, Ehud made his escape.

    24After Ehud was gone, Eglon’s servants came in and found the doors of the upper room locked. “He must be relieving himself in the cool room,” they said. 25So they waited until they became worried and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upper room. Then they took the key and opened the doors—and there was their lord lying dead on the floor.

    26Ehud, however, had escaped while the servants waited. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.

    ⓘ blew the ram’s horn: The trumpet sound and...

    blew the ram’s horn: The trumpet sound and the call "Follow me" came with a promise of victory from God through the chosen rescuer.

    27On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader. 28“Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.”

    So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and they did not allow anyone to cross over. 29At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men. Not one of them escaped.

    30So Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.

    Shamgar

    31After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath. And he too saved Israel, striking down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad.