EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Judges 3:1
1The Lord allowed some nations to stay in Canaan. He would use them to test the Israelites who had not yet fought wars in Canaan.
Judges 3:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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;
- New International Version (NIV)These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now these are the nations which the Lord left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan
Context of Judges 3:1
The Lord allowed some nations to stay in Canaan. He would use them to test the Israelites who had not yet fought wars in Canaan. 2He wanted to teach the young men of Israel how to fight their enemies, because they had not fought battles before. 3The nations who remained were: the Philistines, with their five kings, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, the Hivites who lived in the Lebanon mountains, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo-Hamath.
Read all of Judges 3Judges 3:1 word by word
וְאֵ֤לֶּה הַגּוֹיִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִנִּ֣יחַ יְהוָ֔ה לְנַסּ֥וֹת בָּ֖ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֵ֚ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יָדְע֔וּ אֵ֖ת כָּל־מִלְחֲמ֥וֹת כְּנָֽעַן׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- leftיָנַחyânach · to restH3240
- to proveנָסָהnâsâh · to testH5254
- Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- as had not knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- all the warsמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- of Canaanכְּנַ֫עַןkena‛an · CanaanH3667
Cross-references for Judges 3:1
- Judges 2:21So I will not chase out the nations that are still living in the land. They are the people who were still there when Joshua died.
- Deuteronomy 7:22He will chase out the people of those nations, one at a time. He will not let you destroy them all immediately. If you did that, wild animals would become so many that they would be a danger to you.
- Deuteronomy 8:2Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way across the desert. He took care of you for 40 years. He caused many troubles to come and to test you. He did that to see if you would trust him. He wanted to know whether you would continue to obey his commands.
- 2 Chronicles 32:31After that, the rulers of Babylon sent some officers to visit Hezekiah. They wanted to ask him about the miracle that had happened in Judah. God let Hezekiah decide what to tell them. He wanted to test Hezekiah, to see if he would be faithful.
- Job 23:10But he knows the way that I live. When he has finished testing me, he will see that I am pure. I will be as pure as gold.
- Proverbs 17:3You need a hot fire to make silver and gold become pure. It is the Lord who does that for people, to show what they are really like.
- Jeremiah 6:27The Lord said to me, ‘I have sent you to test my people. Test them like someone tests metal. Watch them carefully, to see how they live.
- Jeremiah 17:9A person's own mind deceives him, more than anything else does. Nobody can change it to be better. Nobody completely understands it.
- Zechariah 13:9I will bring these people through fire. As men clean silver in the fire, so I will clean them. As men test gold in the fire, so I will test them. They will speak my name and I will answer them. I will say, “They are my people.” They will say, “The Lord is our God.” ’
- John 2:24But Jesus himself did not trust the people. He knew what all people are really like.
- 1 Peter 1:7The purpose of these troubles is to show whether you really trust God. When you believe in Jesus, that is more valuable even than gold. People put gold into a hot fire to see if it is really good. And even gold will come to an end one day. But if you continue to trust God in your troubles, he will be very happy. On the day when Jesus Christ returns and appears to everyone, God will praise you. He will say that you have done well. That will be great!
- 1 Peter 4:12My friends, I know that people are causing you to have bad trouble. It is like a fire that is burning you. Do not be surprised about that. These things are happening to you, to show whether you really trust God. Do not think that something strange is happening to you.
- Revelation 2:23I will send a terrible illness to kill those who obey her. Then all the people in the churches will know that I look deep inside them. I know what you really want. I know what you really think. I will give each of you what is right for you, as a result of what you have done.
- Judges 2:10All the people of Joshua's generation died. The younger people no longer served the Lord. They themselves had not seen the great things that he had done to help Israel.
Commentaries on Judges 3:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Now these are the nations - The nations left to prove the Israelites were the five lordships or satrapies of the Philistines, viz., Gath, Askelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gaza; the Sidonians, the Hivites of Lebanon, Baal-hermon, etc.; with the remains of the Canaanites, viz., the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, and Jebusites. Those who were left to be proved were those Israelites that had not seen all the wars of Canaan.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Even as many of Israel - These words show that the writer has especially in view the generation which came to man‘s estate immediately after the close of the wars with the Canaanites Joshua 23:1. Compare Judges 2:10.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The nations left to prove Israel. (1-7) Othniel delivers Israel. (8-11) Ehud delivers Israel from Eglon. (12-30) Shamgar delivers and judges Israel. (31) Verses 1-7 As the Israelites were a type of the church on earth, they were not to be idle and slothful. The Lord was pleased to try them by the remains of the devoted nations they spared. Temptations and trials detect the wickedness of the hearts of sinners; and strengthen he graces of believers in their…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4The Philistines and Canaanites stayed in the land to teach important lessons. People needed warfare skills to survive in ancient times. God let these enemies stay to train and help Israel.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-41. these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel--This was the special design of these nations being left, and it evinces the direct influence of the theocracy under which the Israelites were placed. These nations were left for a double purpose: in the first instance, to be instrumental, by their inroads, in promoting the moral and spiritual discipline of the Israelites; and also to subserve the design of making them acquainted with war, in…Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 3:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Judges 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
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