Judges 3 (résumé): The ups & downs the period of the Judges

The text starts by saying that God left the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites in the promised land to test Israel's faithfulness and to give battle experience to the younger generation, but this living together led to inter-marriage and inter-religious practices.

When Israel served the pagan Baals and Asherahs God punished them with 8 years of domination by the king of north-west Mesopotamia called Cushan-Rishathaim. Only when the people turned back to the Lord did God raise up the delivering judge Othniel, who was Caleb's younger brother, to set them free for a period of 40 years until Othniel died.

Then history repeated itself with the Israelites returning to paganism and prohibited inter-marriage resulting in them being 18 years under the rule of Eglon, king of Moab. Finally Israel cried unto the Lord who raised up a left-handed judge called Ehud (it is interesting this detail of being left-handed!) who tricked King Eglon into being alone with him and he stabbed him to death. The ensuing battle saw the death of 10,000 Moabites, the subjugation Moab and peace in the land for 80 years.

After Ehud came judge Shamgar who killed 600 Philistines with an ox-goad!