Judges 3:2
◄  Judges 3:2  ►
New International Version (©2011)
(he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience):

New Living Translation (©2007)
He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle.

English Standard Version (©2001)
It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it formerly).

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
This was to teach the future generations of the Israelites how to fight in battle, especially those who had not fought before.

International Standard Version (©2012)
only so that successive Israeli generations, who had not known war previously, might come to know it by experience.

NET Bible (©2006)
He left those nations simply because he wanted to teach the subsequent generations of Israelites, who had not experienced the earlier battles, how to conduct holy war.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
The LORD left them to teach Israel's descendants about war, at least those who had known nothing about it in the past.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at least those who before knew nothing thereof;

American King James Version
Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;

American Standard Version
only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as beforetime knew nothing thereof:

Douay-Rheims Bible
That afterwards their children might learn to fight with their enemies, and to be trained up to war:

Darby Bible Translation
it was only that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, that he might teach war to such at least as had not known it before.

English Revised Version
only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as beforetime knew nothing thereof;

Webster's Bible Translation
Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing of it;)

World English Bible
only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing of it:

Young's Literal Translation
(only for the sake of the generations of the sons of Israel's knowing, to teach them war, only those who formerly have not known them) --

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:1-7 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 daily conflict with Satan, sin, and this evil world. They must live in this world, but they are not of it, and are forbidden to conform to it. This marks the difference between the followers of Christ and mere professors. The friendship of the world is more fatal than its enmity; the latter can only kill the body, but the former murders many precious souls.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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 not get possession of the land by their own arm, and by their sword, but by the power of God in a miraculous way; but now this was not to be expected, and the Canaanites were left among them to expel, that they might be trained up in the knowledge of warlike affairs, and so be also capable of teaching their children the military art; which they should make use of in obeying the command of God, by driving out the remains of the Canaanites, and not give themselves up to sloth and indolence; though some think that the meaning is, that God left these nations among them, that they might know what war was, and the sad effects of it; and the difference of fighting with their enemies alone, as other men, and the Lord fighting along with them, and for them, as he did for their fathers:

at least such as before knew nothing thereof; being either unborn, or at an age incapable of bearing arms, or learning the art of war.

Judges 3:2 Parallel Commentaries

Judges 3:2 NIV
Judges 3:2 NLT
Judges 3:2 ESV
Judges 3:2 NASB
Judges 3:2 KJV

Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


Nations Left to Test Israel
1Now 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; 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 dwelled in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon to the entering in of Hamath. …

Judges 3:1 These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan
Judges 3:3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.