Hakim-hakim 3:1-11

3:1 These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel – he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites. ¹  3:2 He left those nations simply because he wanted to teach the subsequent generations of Israelites, who had not experienced the earlier battles, how to conduct holy war. ²  3:3 These were the nations: ³  the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo-Hamath. ⁴  3:4 They were left to test Israel, so the Lord would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses. ⁵ 

3:5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 3:6 They took the Canaanites’ daughters as wives and gave their daughters to the Canaanites; ⁶  they worshiped ⁷  their gods as well.

Othniel: A Model Leader

3:7 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. ⁸  They forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs. ⁹  3:8 The Lord was furious with Israel ¹⁰  and turned them over to ¹¹  King Cushan-Rishathaim ¹²  of Aram-Naharaim. They were Cushan-Rishathaim’s subjects ¹³  for eight years. 3:9 When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he ¹⁴  raised up a deliverer for the Israelites who rescued ¹⁵  them. His name was Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. ¹⁶  3:10 The Lord’s spirit empowered him ¹⁷  and he led Israel. When he went to do battle, the Lord handed over to him King Cushan-Rishathaim of Aram and he overpowered him. ¹⁸  3:11 The land had rest for forty years; then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

[3:1]  ¹ tn Heb “did not know the wars of Canaan.”

[3:2]  ² tn The Hebrew syntax of v. 2 is difficult. The Hebrew text reads literally, “only in order that the generations of the Israelites might know, to teach them war – only those who formerly did not know them.”

[3:2]  sn The stated purpose for leaving the nations (to teach the subsequent generations…how to conduct holy war) seems to contradict 2:22 and 3:4, which indicate the nations were left to test Israel’s loyalty to the Lord. However, the two stated purposes can be harmonized. The willingness of later generations to learn and engage in holy war would measure their allegiance to the Lord (see B. G. Webb, Judges [JSOTSup], 114-15).

[3:3]  ³ tn The words “These were the nations,” though not present in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[3:3]  ⁴ tn Or “the entrance to Hamath.”

[3:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “to know if they would hear the commands of the Lord which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.”

[3:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “to their sons.”

[3:6]  ⁷ tn Or “served”; or “followed” (this term occurs in the following verse as well).

[3:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.”

[3:7]  ⁹ sn The Asherahs were local manifestations of the Canaanite goddess Asherah.

[3:8]  ¹⁰ tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned (or raged) against Israel.”

[3:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”

[3:8]  ¹² tn Or “Cushan the Doubly Wicked.”

[3:8]  ¹³ tn Or “they served Cushan-Rishathaim.”

[3:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the Lord.”

[3:9]  ¹⁵ tn Or “delivered.”

[3:9]  ¹⁶ tn “Caleb’s younger brother” may refer to Othniel or to Kenaz (in which case Othniel is Caleb’s nephew).

[3:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “was on him.”

[3:10]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “his hand was strong against Cushan-Rishathaim.”