Judges 3:1-6 meaning

Judges 3:1-6 begins with an explanation of God’s purpose in leaving certain nations in the land: Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to test Israel by them (that is, all who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan) (v 1).

The nations that remained in Canaan after Joshua’s death served as a divine test for Israel. God did not remove these nations entirely but allowed them to exist to give Israel’s new generations the opportunity to be faithful to Him. This test was specifically directed at those who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan (v 1). The new generation had not seen the miraculous victories God granted during the conquest of the Promised Land (Judges 2:10), and it needed to learn to rely on God when facing trials.

It is further specified that this act is done Only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it formerly (v 2).

The practical reason for leaving the nations in the land is to teach the Israelites the art of war. The previous generation had relied on God to win their battles, but this new generation needed to gain experience in warfare. This was both a physical and spiritual lesson, teaching them the importance of trusting in God while also preparing them for the realities of defending their land.

Verse 3 lists the specific nations that remained: These nations are: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath  (v 3). (See Map)

The five lords of the Philistines (v 3) represented the five major city-states of the Philistines. The Philistines were descended from seafaring proto-Greek people groups who settled much of the southern coastline of Canaan in the 12^th century B.C. (some seem to have settled there earlier, as far back as the days of Abraham—Genesis 21:34). They were possibly Minoans from the island of Crete; the prophet Jeremiah traces their origin to Crete, calling them “The remnant of the coastland of Caphtor” (Jeremiah 47:4). “Caphtor” is Hebrew for “Crete.” The Philistines were a constant enemy of Israel throughout the Old Testament (Judges 14:4, Amos 1:8, Isaiah 2:6, 1 Samuel 17:19).

The Canaanites, Sidonians, and Hivites (v 3) were other groups that lived in the surrounding regions. These nations were formidable, with deep-rooted cultural and religious practices that often tempted the Israelites to stray from their covenant with God.

They were for testing Israel, to find out if they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses (v 4). The presence of these nations served as a test of Israel's obedience to God’s commandments. The primary commandment at risk was the prohibition against idolatry and intermarrying with the pagan nations (Exodus 34:12-16; Deuteronomy 7:1-5). The Israelites were supposed to remain distinct and faithful to God, rejecting the religious practices of the surrounding nations.

Despite the clear commandments, verse 5 reveals Israel’s failure: The sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites (v 5). Rather than driving these nations out, the Israelites settled among them, leading to inevitable cultural and religious exchanges. Living in close proximity to these nations exposed the Israelites to their idolatrous practices and subverted their commitment to God’s commands.

The result of this cohabitation is summarized in verse 6: And they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods (v 6).

The Israelites intermarried with the people of these nations, directly violating God’s command to remain separate. This intermarriage led to the adoption of the surrounding nations' gods, resulting in widespread idolatry. Serving these gods represented a complete departure from their covenant with Yahweh, the God of Israel. Some of these pagan gods which the Canaanites worshipped were Baal, Asherah, and Dagon (1 Kings 16:31, Deuteronomy 16:21).

The Israelites' commitment to God’s commands fails. They do not drive out their enemies like God commanded, they continue in disobedience to God by allowing their children to intermarry with idolators. This laziness ends in the outright rejection of their God as they worship the other nations’ gods. By compromising and falling into idolatry, the Israelites begin to lose their distinct identity as God’s chosen people. Their actions set the stage for the repeated cycles of idolatry, oppression, and deliverance that are seen throughout the entire book of Judges.