Judges 3:4

Judges 3:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

Context of Judges 3:4

2Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; 3Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal–hermon unto the entering in of Hamath. And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of Yhwh, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 5And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: 6And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

Judges 3:4 word by word

וַֽיִּהְי֕וּ לְנַסּ֥וֹת בָּ֖ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לָדַ֗עַת הֲיִשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶת־מִצְוֹ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה אֶת־אֲבוֹתָ֖ם בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה׃Read the interlinear

• And they were to proveנָסָהnâsâh · to testH5254
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• by them, to knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• whether they would hearkenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: obeyH8085
• unto the commandmentsמִצְוָהmitsvâh · commandmentH4687
• of Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• which he commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• their fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
• by the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872

Cross-references for Judges 3:4

• Judges 3:1Now these are the nations which Yhwh left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
• Judges 2:22That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of Yhwh to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
• Exodus 15:25And he cried unto Yhwh; And Yhwh shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
• Deuteronomy 33:8And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
• 1 Corinthians 11:19For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Commentaries on Judges 3:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4To know whether they would hearken - This would be the consequence of the Canaanites being left among them: if they should be faithful to God, their enemies would not be able to enslave them; should they be rebellious, the Lord would abandon them to their foes.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 3:4

• Israel
• Philistines

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Moses
• Close
• Dirt
• Errand
• Rest
• Secret
• Abdon (1)
• Judges, Book of

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