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

2It was only in order that the generations of Bnei-Yisrael might learn from war, which they had not experienced before. 3These nations included the five Philistine lords, and all the Canaanites, Zidonians and the Hivites living in the hill country of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath. They were for testing Israel, to know whether they would obey the mitzvot of Adonai, which He had commanded their fathers by Moses’ hand. 5But Bnei-Yisrael settled among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, 6and took their daughters for themselves as wives, gave their own daughters to their sons, and worshipped 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• 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 the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · 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 that Adonai left, to test all Israel who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan.
• Judges 2:22in order to test Israel by them, whether or not they will keep the way of Adonai to walk in it as their fathers did.”
• Exodus 15:25So he cried out to Adonai, and Adonai showed him a tree. When he threw it into the waters, they were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them.
• Deuteronomy 33:8For Levi he said, ‘Let Your Thummim and Urim be with Your pious man. You tested him at Massah, You strived with him at the waters of Meribah.’
• 1 Corinthians 11:19for there must be factions among you, so that those among you who are tried and true may be evident.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:9The coming of the lawless one is connected to the activity of satan, with all power and signs and false 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