Focused Passage

Judges 3:1-6

Testing, Oppression, and the First Deliverers

Judges 3 moves from the LORD's testing of Israel through remaining nations, to Israel's assimilation and idolatry, to the first three deliverances that show both the LORD's mercy and the instability of episodic rescue.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1These are the nations that the LORD left to test all the Israelites who had not known any of the wars in Canaan,

2if only to teach warfare to the subsequent generations of Israel, especially to those who had not known it formerly:

3the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.

4These nations were left to test the Israelites, to find out whether they would keep the commandments of the LORD, which He had given their fathers through Moses.

5Thus the Israelites continued to live among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

6And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

Theseוְאֵ֤לֶּהH428Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - common pluralare the nationsהַגּוֹיִם֙H1471Article | Noun - masculine pluralthatאֲשֶׁ֣רH834Pronoun - relativethe LORDיְהוָ֔הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularleftהִנִּ֣יחַH5117Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singularto testלְנַסּ֥וֹתH5254Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive constructallכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular construct-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe Israelitesיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singular-אֵ֚תH853Direct object markerwhoאֲשֶׁ֣רH834Pronoun - relativehad notלֹֽא־H3808Adverb - Negative particleknownיָדְע֔וּH3045Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural-אֵ֖תH853Direct object markeranyכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructof the warsמִלְחֲמ֥וֹתH4421Noun - feminine plural constructin Canaanכְּנָֽעַן׃H3667Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 2

Original words

if onlyרַ֗קH7535Adverbvvvלְמַ֙עַן֙H4616Conjunction. . .דַּ֚עַתH3045Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructto teachלְלַמְּדָ֖םH3925Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine pluralwarfareמִלְחָמָ֑הH4421Noun - feminine singularto the subsequent generationsדֹּר֣וֹתH1755Noun - masculine plural constructvvvבְּנֵֽי־H1121Noun - masculine plural constructof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singularespeciallyרַ֥קH7535Adverbto those whoאֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativehad notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particleknown itיְדָעֽוּם׃H3045Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine pluralformerlyלְפָנִ֖יםH6440Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 3

Original words

the fiveחֲמֵ֣שֶׁת׀H2568Number - masculine singular constructrulersסַרְנֵ֣יH5633Noun - masculine plural constructof the Philistinesפְלִשְׁתִּ֗יםH6430Noun - proper - masculine pluralallוְכָל־H3605Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructthe Canaanitesהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙H3669Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularthe Sidoniansוְהַצִּ֣ידֹנִ֔יH6722Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularand the Hivitesוְהַ֣חִוִּ֔יH2340Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularwho livedיֹשֵׁ֖בH3427Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular constructin the mountainsהַ֣רH2022Noun - masculine singular constructof Lebanonהַלְּבָנ֑וֹןH3844Article | Noun - proper - feminine singularfrom Mountמֵהַר֙H2022Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular constructvvvבַּ֣עַלH1179PrepositionBaal-hermonחֶרְמ֔וֹןH1179Noun - proper - feminine singulartoעַ֖דH5704Prepositionvvvלְב֥וֹאH935Preposition | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructLebo-hamathחֲמָֽת׃H2574Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 4

Original words

[These nations] were [left]וַֽיִּהְי֕וּH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralto testלְנַסּ֥וֹתH5254Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct-בָּ֖םPreposition | third person masculine plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe Israelitesיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singularto find outלָדַ֗עַתH3045Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructwhether they would keepהֲיִשְׁמְעוּ֙H8085Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe commandmentsמִצְוֺ֣תH4687Noun - feminine plural constructof the LORDיְהוָ֔הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularwhichאֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativeHe had givenצִוָּ֥הH6680Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markertheir fathersאֲבוֹתָ֖םH1Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralthroughבְּיַד־H3027Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular constructMosesמֹשֶֽׁה׃H4872Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 5

Original words

Thus the Israelitesוּבְנֵ֣יH1121Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct. . .יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singularcontinued to liveיָשְׁב֖וּH3427Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralamongבְּקֶ֣רֶבH7130Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructthe Canaanitesהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֑יH3669Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularHittitesהַחִתִּ֤יH2850Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularAmoritesוְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙H567Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularPerizzitesוְהַפְּרִזִּ֔יH6522Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularHivitesוְהַחִוִּ֖יH2340Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularand Jebusitesוְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃H2983Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 6

Original words

And they tookוַיִּקְח֨וּH3947Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe daughters [of these people]בְּנוֹתֵיהֶ֤םH1323Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural. . .לָהֶם֙Preposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine pluralin marriageלְנָשִׁ֔יםH802Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural-וְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markergaveנָתְנ֣וּH5414Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluraltheir own daughtersבְּנוֹתֵיהֶ֖םH1323Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine pluralto their sonsלִבְנֵיהֶ֑םH1121Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluraland servedוַיַּעַבְד֖וּH5647Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markertheir godsאֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃פH430Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.