Judges 3:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Spirit of the LORD was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.

NIV: The Spirit of the LORD came on him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.

NASB: And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went to war, the Lord handed over to him Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia, so that he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.

CSB: The Spirit of the Lord came on him, and he judged Israel. Othniel went out to battle, and the Lord handed over King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram to him, so that Othniel overpowered him.

NLT: The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the Lord gave Othniel victory over him.

KJV: And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

NKJV: The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim.

Israel has fallen into captivity under a foreign king because of their sinfulness and unfaithfulness to God (Judges 3:7–8). Finally, after eight years of slavery, the people cried out to the Lord for help. The Lord has raised up a "deliverer" (Judges 3:9) to save Israel from this foreign king. The role of these figures is described using the Hebrew root word shaphat, implying vindication and judgment, as well as governance. The English term "judge" is a loose fit for this concept, but works well enough.

Readers may wonder how a single person could save a nation in slavery. The answer is in this verse: The Spirit of the Lord was on Othniel. God could have simply engineered events and circumstances to free Israel without working through an individual. He chose, instead, to exercise His power and might and will through a mere human being by way of the Holy Spirit.

God the Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity, along with God the Father and God the Son. Every person who comes to faith in Christ receives the Holy Spirit from God (John 14:16–17). In that way, God exercises His power through people in the church in this age. In the Old Testament, God is said to do this only in exceptional circumstances. God's word in Israel through the Judges is one such situation.

Empowered by God in this way, the warrior-judge Othniel goes to war with Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia. The Lord gives Othniel and Israel the victory. The people are released from their slavery and suffering.

Judges 3:7–11 describes Israel's first cycle of rebellion and rescue. The very first generation after Joshua forgets the Lord and serves the Canaanite gods known as Baals and Asheroth. In anger, God allows them to be conquered and enslaved by the king of Mesopotamia. The people cry out to God eight years later, and He raises up the first "judge:" Othniel, Caleb's nephew. He leads the people to victory over the Mesopotamians. This is followed by forty years of peace.

God leaves several Canaanite nations in and around the Promised Land to test Israel's reliance on Him. Some live among the people, others are part of unconquered territories. The Israelites immediately ignore God's commands and begin serving other gods. First, the Lord subjects them to Mesopotamia. After eight years, the first judge, Othniel, leads them to victory and peace. Israel again rebels and is conquered by Moab for 18 years. Ehud's brutal assassination of the Moabite king sparks another period of freedom and peace. In a single brief statement, the obscure Shamgar is celebrated for his victory.

After Israel's failure to complete their mission, as described in chapters 1 and 2, chapter 3 begins by describing the idolatrous nations God left intact to test Israel. In the first of many such cycles, the people sin, are conquered, then are rescued by a "judge." This chapter describes the victories of Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar. Chapter 4 mentions the first of the truly famous names among the judges, describing the careers of Deborah and Barak. This is followed in chapter 6, which introduces Gideon.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).