Judges 3:1-10 ▼

1 These are the nations that the LORD {YHWH} left to test all the Israelites (God prevails) who had not known any of the wars in Canaan (lowland),

2 if only to teach warfare to the subsequent generations of Israel (he wrestles with God), especially to those who had not known it formerly:

3 the five rulers of the Philistines (immigrants), all the Canaanites (merchants), the Sidonians, and the Hivites (villagers) who lived in the mountains of Lebanon (whiteness) from Mount Baal-hermon (lord of destruction) to Lebo-hamath (fortress).

4 These nations were left to test the Israelites (God prevails), to find out whether they would keep the commandments of the LORD {YHWH}, which He had given their fathers through Moses (drawn out).

5 Thus the Israelites (God prevails) continued to live among the Canaanites (merchants), Hittites, Amorites (sayers), Perizzites (villagers), Hivites, and Jebusites (Jerusalemites).

6 And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7 So the Israelites (God prevails) did evil in the sight of the LORD {YHWH}; they forgot the LORD their God {YHWH Elohehem} and served the Baals (lord) and the Asherahs (goddess).

8 Then the anger of the LORD {YHWH} burned against Israel (he wrestles with God), and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim (twice-wicked Cushan) king of Aram-naharaim (Aram of the two rivers), and the Israelites served him eight years.

9 But when the Israelites (God prevails) cried out to the LORD {YHWH}, He raised up Othniel (lion of God) son of Caleb’s (dog) younger brother Kenaz (hunter) as a deliverer to save them.

10 The Spirit of the LORD {Ruach YHWH} came upon him, and he became Israel’s (he wrestles with God) judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim (twice-wicked Cushan) king of Aram (exalted) into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.