Judges 3 Commentary
Judges 3 describes how the Lord left certain nations in Canaan to test Israel. These foreign nations would help determine Israel’s faithfulness to His commands. Despite this, the Israelites intermarried with the surrounding nations and adopted their gods which angered the Lord. As a result, He allowed them to be oppressed by foreign rulers.
When they cried out, God raised up judges. First, Othniel, empowered by the Spirit of the Lord, defeated King Cushan-rishathaim, bringing peace for 40 years. Later, after falling into sin again, the Israelites were oppressed by King Eglon of Moab for 18 years. God then raised Ehud, a left-handed Benjaminite, who cleverly assassinated Eglon with a concealed sword and rallied Israel to defeat the Moabites, securing 80 years of peace. At the end of Judges 3, Shamgar delivered Israel by striking down 600 Philistines with a cattle prod.
“Moved To Pity”
It is important to realize the difference between Joshua and Judges. In Joshua, the entire nation was united under one leader, with God’s presence among them all. In Judges, however, leadership is divided among many individuals, and God’s presence rests specifically on these leaders rather than the nation as a whole (Judges 2:18). While several minor judges are mentioned, their ministries are only briefly noted, providing little detail.
This is important because it shows the grace and mercy of God. Although Israel did exactly what God told them not to do, He still responded to their cries for deliverance. Judges 2:18 states that the Lord was “moved to pity.” Some people will never depend on the Lord unless the circumstances dictate such a dependence because humans are hard-wired to follow their own ways. God desires a consistent, submissive relationship, just like Jesus demonstrated.
Othniel – The First Judge
Othniel was a courageous warrior from the tribe of Judah. He is the son of Kenaz and the younger brother (or relative) of Caleb. In Joshua 15:16-17 and Judges 1:12-13, Caleb promises his daughter Achsah in marriage to whoever conquers Kiriath-Sepher (Debir). Othniel accepted the challenge, captured the city, and married Achsah. These qualities set the stage for Othniel’s role as Israel’s first judge here in Judges 3.
God gave Israel what they wanted. They were lured into idolatry by the people of Mesopotamia and it took 8 years before they cried out to the Lord in regret for the path they had chosen. This is true today. It often takes us many years of straying from God before we realize how far we have drifted. After Othniel delivered Israel, there was peace in the land for 40 years.
Ehud – The Left-Handed Warrior
The text tells us the Israelites once again slipped into idolatry. This time it was under the rule of King Eglon of Moab. He convinced the Ammonites and the Amalekites to join forces with him and together they conquered the city of Jericho. Israel suffered for even longer than before – eighteen years of bondage.
In many ancient cultures, the right hand was associated with strength, favor, and cleanliness while the left hand was often linked to weakness, misfortune, or impurity. Cultural preferences for right-handedness influenced practices in education, combat, and daily life. Left-handedness, as in the case of Ehud, was sometimes seen as a rare and strategic advantage. In this case, it is possible that no one suspected Ehud to be carrying a sword since he would have strapped it to the opposite side of his body as compared to a right-handed warrior.
Because Israel was under the rule of King Eglon, they had to pay him. Ehud brought a gift to King Eglon of Moab, claiming to have a secret message from God. King Eglon’s obesity symbolized his greed and indulgence on extorted tribute (most likely grain/produce). In many ways, he symbolized a sacrificial animal. His gullibility further exposed him, as Ehud easily deceived him, prompting Eglon to dismiss his guards and rise to receive what he believed was a divine message.
There is irony in the fact that Ehud uses a double-edged dagger to deliver the “message,” exploiting Eglon’s physical and mental shortcomings. The Bible, of course, uses the same analogy for God’s Word (Heb 4:12). The servants mistakenly think Eglon is relieving himself, delaying their discovery of his death. The Moabite troops, fleeing for their lives, are intercepted and completely defeated by Israel under Ehud’s leadership, securing peace for 80 years.
The lesson here is that Ehud’s great faith in God delivered Israel from their enemy because he trusted God to lead him and inspired the Israelites to do the same. Through faith, God gave them victory and broke the enemy’s oppression. Ehud exemplifies the power of trusting God, showing that faith is essential for victory as Scripture promises blessings to those who genuinely trust Him.
Shamgar And The Ox Goad
I have a friend who preached an entire sermon on this one verse in the Bible! We don’t know much about Shamgar, but he is described as a minor judge of Israel who succeeded Ehud. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Shamgar single-handedly killed 600 Philistines with a cattle prod and delivered Israel from their enemies.
The Philistines were not native to Canaan. They were most likely part of the Sea Peoples from Anatolia and the Mediterranean who arrived in Canaan in the 12th-11th centuries BC and eventually formed the Philistine Pentapolis, a federation of five cities: Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gath, and Gaza. The Philistines formed cooperative relations with the Canaanites but clashed with the Israelites, whom they saw as rivals. The Bible recounts many ferocious battles with the Philistines.
Application
As I mentioned in the beginning, Judges 3 highlights the fact that the Lord decided to allow these nations to rule over Israel and bring them into a state of dependence. This reminds me of 2 Corinthians 12 where Paul writes about the “thorn in his flesh.”
“If I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will not boast, because I do not want any of you to have a higher opinion of me than you have as a result of what you have seen me do and heard me say. [7] But to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment, which acts as Satan’s messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud.
[8] Three times I prayed to the Lord about this and asked him to take it away. [9] But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me. [10] I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:6-10 GNB
The purpose of Paul’s “thorn” served the same purpose as the enemy nations to Israel. They were not meant to paralyze or overcome them, but to keep them humble and dependent. It is amazing to consider that God may be doing the same thing in our lives today. There may be things in our lives that we see as a hindrance, when, in reality, God is allowing them in order to draw us closer to Him.
There are often things we wish we could rid ourselves of, but we still have to carry them. These aren’t necessarily sins, but rather unpleasant circumstances that we feel hinder us. However, God will sometimes permit these challenges to remain in our lives in order to keep us humble and help us grow. Through them, He enables us to function more effectively for His purposes.
The last point to consider here is that the Lord hears our prayers and out of His incredible grace and mercy, He is moved to action. This chapter alone is motivation to cry out to God with our deepest needs, for He is not a God who is far or distant. He is an intimate God who loves His children.
