Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Judges 3 - Introduction
Chapter 3. Deliverers.
This chapter gives an account of the nations who remained in Canaan to prove Israel's faithfulness, and who became a snare to them. It describes the servitude of Israel under a king of Mesopotamia because of their sins, a servitude from which they were delivered by Othniel. It speaks of their subjection to the Moabites, from which they were freed by Ehud, who privately assassinated the king of Moab, and then made his escape. And it briefly describes the destruction of a large number of Philistines by Shamgar, with an ox goad.