Judges 3

Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to test Israel by them, even as many as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at least those who knew nothing of it before:

the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath.

They were left to test Israel by them, to know whether they would listen to the LORD’s commandments, which he commanded their fathers by Moses.

The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

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

The children of Israel did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth.

Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan Rishathaim eight years.

When the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

The LORD’s Spirit came on him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. His hand prevailed against Cushan Rishathaim.

The land had rest forty years, then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the LORD’s sight.

He gathered the children of Ammon and Amalek to himself; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees.

The children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

But when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a savior for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he wore it under his clothing on his right thigh.

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

When Ehud had finished offering the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute.

But he himself turned back from the stone idols that were by Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” The king said, “Keep silence!” All who stood by him left him.

Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, “I have a message from God to you.” He arose out of his seat.

Ehud put out his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body.

The handle also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for he didn’t draw the sword out of his body; and it came out behind.

Then Ehud went out onto the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them.

After he had gone, his servants came and saw that the doors of the upper room were locked. They said, “Surely he is covering his feet in the upper room.”

They waited until they were ashamed; and behold, he didn’t open the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their lord had fallen down dead on the floor.

Ehud escaped while they waited, passed beyond the stone idols, and escaped to Seirah.

When he had come, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he led them.

He said to them, “Follow me; for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” They followed him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn’t allow any man to pass over.

They struck at that time about ten thousand men of Moab, every strong man and every man of valor. No man escaped.

So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. Then the land had rest eighty years.

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad. He also saved Israel.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter recounts the pattern of Israel’s spiritual decline, oppression, cry for help, and deliverance through divinely raised judges, focusing on the first three deliverers: Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar. It establishes the cyclical rhythm that structures the book—sin, slavery, supplication, salvation—and highlights how the Lord raises up leaders through whom He executes justice and delivers His people, even using unusual means and unlikely individuals.

Flow.

The chapter opens with an explanation for the nations left in Canaan: to test Israel’s obedience and teach them war (vv. 1–4).
Israel intermarries with the Canaanites and serves their gods, provoking the Lord’s anger, leading to eight years of bondage under Cushan-Rishathaim (vv. 5–8).
Othniel, empowered by the Spirit, delivers Israel and brings forty years of peace (vv. 9–11); after his death, the cycle resumes with oppression by Moab and deliverance through Ehud’s daring assassination of King Eglon (vv. 12–30).
The chapter closes with Shamgar’s brief mention, who delivered Israel from the Philistines with an ox goad (v. 31).

Connections.
Following chapter 2, which details Israel’s failure to drive out the Canaanites and the angel’s warning at Bokim, this chapter illustrates the immediate consequences and pattern of failure described in the previous chapter. It shows how disobedience leads to oppression and how the Lord responds to repentance with deliverance, setting the precedent for the repeated cycles in chapters 4–16. The faithfulness of God in raising up judges, even when Israel is unfaithful, prepares the reader for later stories of Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson, whose exploits continue this theme of flawed but Spirit-empowered deliverers.

What it teaches.
The chapter underscores the moral and theological principle that national suffering often results from covenant unfaithfulness, while deliverance flows from God’s mercy in response to repentance. Israel’s compromise with idolatry—intermarriage and worship of Baals and Asheroth—provokes the Lord’s discipline, confirming WCF 5.7 (God’s providential use of affliction for sin). Yet He remains faithful to His covenant, raising up judges by His Spirit (Lk. 1:68–74; cf. WCF 1.5 on divine sovereignty), showing that salvation belongs to the Lord alone (HC LD 1). The Spirit’s empowerment of Ehud and Othniel (Jdg. 3:10, 27) reflects how God sovereignly equips human agents for His redemptive purposes.

Apply.
God delivers His people not because of their merit but according to His covenant faithfulness and timing.

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