Judges Chapter 3

Judges 3 begins with a list of nations that the Lord allowed to remain in the land of Canaan, intending to test the Israelites who had not experienced war. The Israelites intermingled and intermarried with these nations, ultimately forsaking the Lord and worshiping their gods.

God’s anger was kindled against the Israelites, and He raised up Othniel, the son of Kenaz, to deliver them from the oppression of the king of Mesopotamia. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel, and he led the Israelites to victory, enjoying peace for forty years.

After Othniel’s death, the Israelites once again turned away from God and began worshiping the false gods of the Canaanites. In response, the Lord raised up Ehud, a left-handed man from the tribe of Benjamin, to deliver them from Eglon, the king of Moab.

Ehud crafted a double-edged dagger and secretly approached King Eglon, who was a very fat man. Ehud presented a tribute to the king and, as the king rose from his throne, stabbed him in the belly, causing his death. Ehud then rallied the Israelites and led them in defeating the Moabites, bringing peace to the land for eighty years.

The chapter concludes with a brief mention of Shamgar, who single-handedly killed six hundred Philistines using an ox goad.