Judges 3:1-3

Judges 3:1-3 explain why Jehovah left these nations(Judges 2:23); it was merely to teach succeeding generations of Israelites the practice of war(Judges 3:2 in the main). The idea is obviously an ancient one, and belongs to the same historical stand-point as ch. 1. This nucleus has been adapted (Judges 3:1) and commented on (Judges 3:2 in part, Judges 3:3) by later hands, which it is difficult to specify more exactly. The editorial process has left the text of Judges 3:2 confused and overloaded.

these are the nations i.e. those mentioned in Judges 3:3. Instead of the Lord leftthe LXX. cod. A has Joshua left, as in Judges 2:21, but the verb here is different.

to prove Israel goes back to the thought of Judges 2:22. The proof was necessary for the generations after Joshua who -had not known" all the great work of Jehovah, Judges 2:7 note.