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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Judges 3:7-11

Othniel delivers Israel from Cushan-rishathaim

The account of this deliverance is given as a typical illustration of the theory announced in Judges 2:11-19. It is composed almost entirely of the standing formulae of the Deuteronomic editor. The other narratives of the Judges are founded upon some popular story, but there is no story here; the only details preserved are the bare names of the oppressor and the deliverer. As it stands this meagre notice can hardly be historical; but when we go behind it we seem to discover the faint tradition of an actual struggle.

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See also Judges 3:7-11 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Judges 3:7. _SERVED BAALIM AND THE GROVES_] No _groves_ were ever worshipped, but the _deities_ who were supposed to be resident in them; and in many cases temples and altars were built in _gro...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    AND THE GROVES - literally, Asheroth, images of Asherah (the goddess companion of Baal): see Deuteronomy 16:21 note....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    II. THE DECLENSIONS, PUNISHMENTS AND DELIVERANCES 1. The Sin of Idolatry and Othniel CHAPTER 3:5-11 _ 1. The first declension (Judges 3:5)_ 2. Sold to the king of Mesopotamia (Judges 3:8) 3. The...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    OTHNIEL THE KENITE. The brief account of the oppression of Israel by the Aramæ ans, and of their deliverance by Othniel, is the work of D, whose familiar categories apostasy, Divine anger, oppression,...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    EVIL. Hebrew "the evil"; i.e. the special evil (idolatry) which had been forbidden as such. See App-44. GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ App-4. THE GROVES _= Asherim._ App-42. See note on Exodus 34:13....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DWELT AMONG THE CANAANITES, &C.— We learn from these verses, that the children of Israel offended in three particulars: _First,_ In suffering to remain among them that peopl...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND FORGAT THE LORD THEIR GOD, AND SERVED BAALIM AND THE GROVES._ The groves, х_ HAA-'ASHEEROWT_ (H842)] - pillars, images of Ashtoreth;...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE STORY OF THE JUDGES. OTHNIEL. EHUD. SHAMGAR 1-6. Israel's actual relations with the Canaanites....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    HISTORY OF THE JUDGES (JUDGES 3:5 TO JUDGES 16:31) On this, the main section of the book, see Intro. § 2 and List of Oppressions and Judges. The larger part of the book is concerned with six of the Ju...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE GROVES] RV 'the asheroth.' The word (another plural) means the sacred poles set up near an altar, which were common in Seniitic worship (even Solomon's temple had' pillars': see on 1 Kings 7:21)....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LIFE WITHOUT LAW JUDGES _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 3 V1 These are the nations that the *Lord left. He left them in order to test *Israel’s people. These people had not fought any wars in *Canaan. V2...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD. — Rather, _did the evil,_ as in Judges 2:11. AND THE GROVES. — Rather, _and the Asheroth, i.e.,_ the wooden images of the nature-goddess, Asherah (which are called a...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יַּעֲשׂ֨וּ בְנֵי ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֶת ־הָ רַע֙

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE ARM OF ARAM AND OF OTHNIEL Judges 3:1 WE come now to a statement of no small importance, which may be the cause of some perplexity. It is emphatically affirmed that God fulfilled His design for I...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    DELIVERED FROM MESOPOTAMIAN OPPRESSION Judges 3:1 Our sins and failures will sometimes be so overruled as to promote the growth of our souls in the true knowledge of ourselves and of God. It would be...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    God left certain nations, a company of stem, implacable enemies, in order to prove Israel. The overruling of God is set forth remarkably in this declaration. The people who had refused to cast out the...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    Unfortunately, Israel at this time failed the test because the people took the daughters of the nations for their sons' wives and gave their own daughters to the sons of the nations to have as wives....

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the (d) groves. (d) Or Ashteroth, trees or woods erected for idolatry....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Astaroth. Hebrew Asheroth, Septuagint, "the groves," (Menochius) of which Astaroth was the goddess, (Calmet) like Diana, chap. ii. 11. Various trees were sacred to idols. (Menochius)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Those who have no knowledge of the corruption of the human heart, would be at a loss to conceive the possibility of such abominable conduct in Israel. But alas! what is not the human heart capable of...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The book of Joshua has shown the power of Jehovah in the conquests of His people, and this too distinguished from the measure of their practical taking possession of what was conquered. For as these a...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 3, 4, AND 5. God, knowing what the people were, and what was their condition, had left within the borders of their land that which put obedience to the proof-...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD,.... Both by marrying with Heathens, and worshipping their gods: AND FORGOT THE LORD THEIR GOD; as if they had never heard of him, or know...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves. Ver. 7. _And served Baalim and the groves._] That is, In the groves. The...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _They took their daughters, and served their gods_ Were drawn to idolatry by the persuasions and examples of their yoke-fellows. _And served Baalim and the groves_ Or, _Baalim in groves;_ that is, fal...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The nations which were left to prooue Israel. 6 By communion with them they commit idolatrie. 8 Othniel deliuereth them from Chushan-Rishathaim. 12 Ehud from Eglon. 31 Shamgar from the Philistin...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    OTHNIEL JUDGE OF ISRAEL...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, the usual formula introducing a chapter of oppression and deliverance, Judges 2:11, AND FORGOT THE LORD, THEIR GOD, AND SERVED BAALIM AND...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    THE NATIONS LEFT TO TEST ISRAEL (vv. 1-6) The younger Israelites had not learned war, and were faced now with learning it by means of the nations left in the land, for God is not going to exempt an...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-7 As the Israelites were a type of the church on earth, they were not to be idle and slothful. The Lord was pleased to try them by the remains of the devoted nations they spared. Temptations and tr...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    i.e. In the groves, in which the heathens usually worshipped their _Baalims_ or idols. Or, _the groves_ are here put metonymically for the idols of the groves, which are distinguished here from their...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Judges 3:7 children H1121 Israel H3478 did H6213 (H8799) evil H7451 sight H5869 LORD H3068 forgot H7911 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    GOD'S FIRST LESSON. INVASION FROM THE NORTH - THE FIRST JUDGE (JUDGES 3:7). Judges 3:7 ‘ And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, forgot Yahweh their God, and serv...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    GROVES Groves, like high places, have been associated with idolatrous worship from time immemorial. The Hebrew, asherah, translated, grove means also the idol enshrined there. (Deuteronomy 16:21). Th...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Apostasies of Israel. Deliverances through Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar. CHARACTERS: God, Othniel, Chushan-rishathian, Eglou, Ehud, Shamgar. CONCLUSION: Man's memory is treacherous in that it...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Judges 3:7. _The children of Israel served Baalim and the groves._ So is the French. אשׁרות _asheroth;_ rendered by the Chaldaic and the Latin versions, _lucis,_ light. The sense seems to be a revolt...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Served their Gods _. .. _ forgat the Lord, and served Baalim and the groves._ THE DOWNWARD COURSE OF SIN I. The form of their sin. One of omission (Judges 2:2). 1. No sin of omission is ever small...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 3:7 The Downward Spiral of Israel’s Unfaithfulness. The main part of the book of Judges 1:1 shows how Israel fell increasingly into sin. It includes the storie

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _MAIN HOMILETICS.— Judges 3:5_ GREAT SIN AND SEVERE CHASTISEMENT CRITICAL NOTES.— Joshua 3:5. And the children of Israel dwelt.] Here are two downward steps at once—a refusal to drive out the Canaan...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION This section introduces us into the actual narrative of the Book of Judges, the prefatory matter being now concluded. The whole book proceeds on the same model as this section does. The apo...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel (Judges 3:1), There were the Philistines, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Perizzites and the Amor...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Kings 16:33; 1 Kings 18:19; 2 Chronicles 15:16; 2 Chronicles 24:18;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    And the groves — That is, in the groves, in which the Heathens usually worshipped their Baalim or idols....

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