Judges 3
Lutheran reading notes
In Judges chapter 3, the account continues the story of cycles of Israel’s disobedience, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. Lutheran interpretation frequently highlights how these events reveal both human sinfulness and God’s faithful promises. The chapter demonstrates the tension between human failure and God’s ongoing grace working through history.
1
Now these {are} the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, {even} as many {of Israel} as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
Judges 3:1 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
2
Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
Judges 3:2 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
3
{Namely}, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
Judges 3:3 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
4
And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
Judges 3:4 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
5
And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:
Judges 3:5 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
6
And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
Judges 3:6 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
7
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.
Judges 3:7 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
8
Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years. {Mesopotamia: Heb. Aramnaharaim}
Judges 3:8 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
9
And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, {even} Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. {deliverer: Heb. saviour}
Judges 3:9 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
10
And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. {came: Heb. was} {Mesopotamia: Heb. Aram}
Judges 3:10 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
11
And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
Judges 3:11 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
12
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
Judges 3:12 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
13
And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.
Judges 3:13 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
14
So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
Judges 3:14 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
15
But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. {a Benjamite: or, the son of Jemini} {lefthanded: Heb. shut of his right hand}
Judges 3:15 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
16
But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
Judges 3:16 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
17
And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon {was} a very fat man.
Judges 3:17 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
18
And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.
Judges 3:18 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
19
But he himself turned again from the quarries that {were} by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. {quarries: or, graven images}
Judges 3:19 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
20
And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of {his} seat. {a summer...: Heb. a parlour of cooling}
Judges 3:20 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
21
And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
Judges 3:21 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
22
And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out. {the dirt...: or, it came out at the buttocks}
Judges 3:22 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
23
Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
Judges 3:23 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
24
When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour {were} locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber. {covereth...: or, doeth his easement}
25
And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened {them}: and, behold, their lord {was} fallen down dead on the earth.
Judges 3:25 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
26
And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
Judges 3:26 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
27
And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.
Judges 3:27 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
28
And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
Judges 3:28 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
29
And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man. {lusty: Heb. fat}
Judges 3:29 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
30
So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
Judges 3:30 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
31
And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.
Judges 3:31 highlights covenant history and god’s providence with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.