Judges 3:2 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 3:1-7

We are here told what remained of the old inhabitants of Canaan. 1. There were some of them that kept together in united bodies, unbroken (Jdg. 3:3): The five lords of the Philistines, namely, Ashdod, Gaza, Askelon, Gath, and Ekron, 1 Sam. 6:7. Three of these cities had been in part reduced (Jdg. 1:18), but it seems the Philistines (probably with the help of the other two, which strengthened their confederacy with each other thenceforward) recovered the possession of them. These gave the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 3:2

Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know and teach them war ,.... That is, the following nations were left in the land, that the young generations of Israel might by their wars and conflicts with them learn the art of war, and be inured to martial discipline; which, if none had been left to engage with, they had been ignorant of: besides, their fathers in Joshua's time, as Jarchi and Kimchi observe, had no need to learn the art of war, for God fought for them; they did... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 3:2

That - Israel might know , to teach them war - This was another reason why the Canaanites were left in the land, that the Israelites might not forget military discipline, but habituate themselves to the use of arms, that they might always be able to defend themselves against their foes. Had they been faithful to God, they would have had no need of learning the art of war; but now arms became a sort of necessary substitute for that spiritual strength which had departed from... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 3:2

Judges 3:2. Only that the generations, &c. Le Clerc and some other versions, instead of only put and, this seeming to be a new and additional reason alleged why God left some of the Canaanitish nations in the land, namely, that the Israelites might be inured to war and hardship, and thereby be preserved from sinking into sloth and luxury; and that by the neighbourhood of such warlike enemies, and a knowledge of the danger they were in from them, they might never be carnally secure,... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Judges 3:1-6

2:11-16:31 RULE OF THE JUDGESPattern of judgment and deliverance (2:11-3:6)When the people of Israel rejected God and began to worship Baal and other gods, God punished them. He allowed them to fall under the power of foreign tribes and nations who seized their property and ruled them cruelly (11-15). When, after many years of suffering, the people finally turned again to God, God gave them deliverers who overthrew the enemy and restored independence to Israel. But as soon as they were living... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Judges 3:2

children = sons. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Judges 3:2

Judges 3:2. Only that the generations of the children of Israel— The sacred writer having declared in the former verse the reason why certain of the Canaanites were left, namely, to prove the Israelites; and also who of the Israelites were thus to be proved, namely, that generation which was born after the taking of Palestine; proceeds in the present verse to give another reason why the Canaanites were spared. The verse would be better rendered thus, after Houbigant: and by this means it came... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 3:1-6

3. God’s purposes with Israel 3:1-6The purposes for which God allowed the Canaanites to live among the Israelites were four. He wanted to punish Israel for her apostasy (Judges 2:3), and He wanted to test the Israelites’ faithfulness to and love for Himself (Judges 2:22; Judges 3:4). He also wanted to give the new generation of Israelites experience in warfare (Judges 3:2), namely, how to conduct war (by depending on Yahweh), not just how to fight. Furthermore, God allowed some Canaanites to... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 3:1-4

Introductory (Jdg 1:1 to Jdg 3:4)Division 1, Jdg 1:1 to Judges 2:5.This section of the book contains a brief recapitulation of the early conquest of Palestine, told from a somewhat different point of view from that of Joshua 7-21, and supplying much that is there not mentioned. From these vv. it is clear that Palestine was not conquered in one great invasion; and the whole of the book shows Israel to be only in very precarious possession of the land. The narrative in Joshua emphasises the... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 3:1-31

The Story of the Judges. Othniel. Ehud. Shamgar1-6. Israel’s actual relations with the Canaanites.1. Wars of Canaan] i.e. those waged by Joshua, after whose death (Judges 2:21) the career of victory was made to cease by Jehovah. 2. A third reason for the survival of the heathen in Canaan, in addition to those given in Judges 2:1; and in. Judges 2:22; Judges 3:1. 3. Philistines] see Intro. § 5. The Philistines occupied the lowland in the SW. Their five cities formed a confederacy: see Judges... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 3:1-7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 3:2

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 3:2

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 3:2

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Judges 3:1-6

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Judges 3:2

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Judges 3:2

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 3:1-6

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 3:1-4

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 3:1-31

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