Judges 3:2

2. Only that This verse defines more fully the purpose of God in leaving the heathen nations to prove Israel. The mind of the writer reverts to the word left, in the previous verse, and the grammatical connexion is, left, only that the generations… might know. That is, they were left for the further discipline of Israel, that Israel might experience and realize what could be learned in no other way.

To teach them war This clause also depends on left in the previous verse. The nations were left to teach Israel the art of war by obliging them to fight for their possessions, and thus acquire a knowledge of military tactics and skill which would be greatly needed in the times approaching. Thus, too, this younger generation might learn what it had cost to get possession of Canaan, and thereby appreciate the heroism of the fathers.

At the least such as Rather, only because, giving the reason for teaching them war. Render: Only because they did not before know them. That is, previously they did not properly understand and appreciate the wars of Canaan. The sacrifices and mighty deeds of the fathers could only be learned by passing through similar conflicts with the same old foes.