JudgesChapter 3

+ Secondary text Original text ← Previous Next →Contribute

These are the nations the LORD left in place to test Israel through them—all those Israelites who had not known any of the wars of Canaan.

He did this only so that the generations of Israel might learn warfare—those, at least, who had known nothing of it before.

The nations were these: the five rulers of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.

They were left to test Israel, to find out whether they would obey the commandments the LORD had given their fathers through Moses.

So the Israelites lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

They took their daughters as wives and gave their own daughters to their sons, and they served their gods.

The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.

So 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 Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.

Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, who saved them: Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into his hand, and his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.

So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Again the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD.

Eglon gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and he went and struck Israel down, and they took possession of the City of Palms.

So the Israelites served Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.

Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent tribute by his hand to Eglon king of Moab.

Ehud had made himself a double-edged sword about a cubit long, and he strapped it under his clothing on his right thigh.

He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.

When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the men who had carried it.

But he himself turned back at the carved stones near Gilgal and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." The king said, "Silence!" and all who were standing by him withdrew from his presence.

Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool upper chamber, and Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." And the king rose from his seat.

Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and drove it into Eglon's belly.

Even the hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over it, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the filth came out.

Then Ehud went out to the porch, closing the doors of the upper chamber behind him and locking them.

After he had gone, the king's servants came and saw that the doors of the upper chamber were locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the cool inner room."

They waited until they were embarrassed, and still he did not open the doors of the upper chamber. So they took the key and opened them—and there lay their lord, fallen dead on the floor.

Ehud had escaped while they delayed. He passed the carved stones and got away to Seirah.

When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him at their head.

He said to them, "Follow me, for the LORD has given your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand." So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, letting no one cross over.

At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men; not one escaped.

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

After him came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too delivered Israel.

Lookup

Summary2

Chapter 3

Main Theme: God tests Israel through enemies and raises up judges as deliverers when the people repent.

Content: God allowed Canaanite peoples to remain in the land to test Israel and teach them warfare. The Israelites married these peoples and worshiped their gods, which led to God's anger and oppression. The chapter describes three judges: Othniel, who freed Israel from Cushan-Rishathaim; Ehud, who killed Eglon, king of Moab, with a hidden sword and secured 80 years of peace; and Shamgar, who struck down 600 Philistines with an oxgoad.

Key Words/Images:

Testing (נַסּוֹת): God leaves enemies in the land to test whether Israel will keep His commands.
Cycle of Apostasy: Israel sins, becomes oppressed, cries out to God, and He raises up a deliverer—a pattern that repeats.
Judge/Deliverer (מוֹשִׁיעַ): God chooses and equips leaders with His Spirit to free the people.
God's Anger and Grace: God punishes sin but hears the people's cry and grants deliverance.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Judges 3

People

Othniel son of Kenaz (vv. 9–11) is introduced as the first judge. He was Caleb's younger brother (or nephew) and had already proven himself a skilled warrior by capturing Kiriath-sefer (Judg 1:13).

Ehud son of Gera (vv. 15–30) is described as "left-handed" (אִטֵּר), meaning either left-handed or possibly having an injured right hand. He was from the tribe of Benjamin, whose name ironically means "son of the right hand." The Benjamites were known for their left-handed sling throwers (Judg 20:16), and Ehud's condition gave him a tactical advantage since guards would normally check the left thigh for weapons.

Eglon, king of Moab (vv. 12–25), is described as "very fat" (בָּרִיא מְאֹד). The name Eglon is related to the Hebrew word for "calf" (עֵגֶל), suggesting a polemical wordplay by the author.

Shamgar son of Anath (v. 31) is mentioned briefly. His name and patronymic "son of Anath" may link him to the Canaanite war goddess Anat, possibly indicating Canaanite origins or that he came from an area with strong Canaanite influence.

Places

Aram-naharaim (v. 8), "Aram between the two rivers," refers to the Mesopotamian region between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Cushan-rishathaim ruled from there and oppressed Israel for eight years.

Ir-hattemarim ("City of Palms," v. 13) is Jericho, known for its date palms and strategic location at the Jordan River crossings. Moabite control over this area gave them influence over important trade routes and agricultural land.

Gilgal (v. 19) was a significant cult site near Jericho where Israel had camped after crossing the Jordan. The reference to "pesillim" (carved images/stone pillars) at Gilgal suggests that pagan cult objects had been established there, illustrating the religious syncretism of the period.

Seirah (v. 26) was likely a wooded area in the hill country of Ephraim where Ehud fled and gathered Israelite forces.

Events and Customs

The Tribute System (vv. 15–18) is described through "minha" (מִנְחָה), which could refer to both religious offerings and political tribute. The fact that the Israelites sent tribute with a delegation led by Ehud shows how oppressed peoples had to deliver economic payments to their overlords. Tribute was typically carried by several men, providing cover for Ehud's mission.

The Upper Cooling Room (עֲלִיַּת הַמְּקֵרָה, v. 20) was a cool room on the roof, typical of wealthy homes in the Middle East. These rooms often had lattice openings for ventilation and were used for rest during the hot season. The fact that Eglon was alone there was part of normal afternoon practice, giving Ehud an opportunity for a private audience.

The expression "to cover one's feet" (מֵסִיךְ אֶת־רַגְלָיו, v. 24) is a euphemism for relieving oneself. The servants assumed the king needed privacy, which explains their hesitation to open the door.

Key Terms

"Seren" (סֶרֶן, v. 3) is the title of Philistine rulers and is used only for Philistine leaders in the Old Testament. The word is likely of non-Semitic origin and may be related to the Greek "tyrannos." The five Philistine lords ruled the city-states of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath.

"Gomed" (גֹּמֶד, v. 16) is a unit of length that appears only here in the Bible. It is thought to be approximately a short cubit (about 30–38 cm), making the dagger short enough to hide under clothing but long enough to be deadly.

Baalim and Asheroth (v. 7) represent male and female Canaanite deities respectively. Baal was the god of fertility and storms, while Asherah was the goddess of fertility, often represented by wooden poles or stylized trees at cult sites.

Chapter-Specific Findings

The Moabite Stone (Mesha Stele, ca. 840 BC) from Dibon east of the Dead Sea confirms the long-standing hostility between Moab and Israel, although it dates to a later period than Ehud's time.

The Ox-Goad (מַלְמַד הַבָּקָר, v. 31) used by Shamgar was a common agricultural tool with a metal tip, typically 2–2.5 meters long. Archaeological finds of such tools show they could be effective improvised weapons. The use of farming implements as weapons may reflect limited access to metal weapons during this period.

People8

Kenaz2 God1 Anat1 Caleb1 Gera1 Ehud2 Othniel (Caleb's nephew, Achsah's husband)2 Shamgar1

See all people →

Key words10

Ehud — A left-handed judge from the tribe of Benjamin who killed the Moabite king Eglon and freed Israel from Moab's oppression.
Deborah — A prophetess and judge in Israel who, together with Barak, led the Israelites to victory over the Canaanites and their general Sisera.
Barak — Israel's military leader who, at Deborah's urging, gathered an army and defeated the Canaanites under Sisera.
Sisera — General of the Canaanite king Jabin who was killed by Ja'el after his army was defeated by Barak and Deborah.
Ja'el — A woman from the Kenite tribe who killed Sisera by driving a tent peg through his head while he slept.
Gideon — A judge and military leader who defeated the Midianites and Amalekites, and then reduced his army to show that it was God who gave the victory.
Midianites — A nomadic tribe that invaded and oppressed Israel, but were ultimately defeated by Gideon and his army.
Samson — A Nazirite and judge in Israel known for his immense strength. He fought against the Philistines and died with them by pulling down a temple.
and 2 more