Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Judges
Book: Judges
Chapter: 3
Overview:
The nations left to prove
Israel.
(1-7) Othniel delivers
Israel.
(8-11) Ehud delivers
Israel from
Eglon.
(12-30) Shamgar
delivers and
Judges Israel.
(31)
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 trials detect the wickedness of the hearts of
sinners; and strengthen the graces of believers in their daily
conflict with
Satan,
Sin, and this evil world. They must live in
this world, but they are not of it, and are forbidden to conform
to it. This marks the difference between the followers of
Christ
and mere professors. The friendship of the world is more fatal
than its
Enmity; the latter can only kill the body, but the
former murders many precious souls.
8-11 The first
Judge was
Othniel: even in
Joshua's time
Othniel
began to be famous. Soon after
Israel's settlement in
Canaan
their purity began to be corrupted, and their peace disturbed.
But affliction makes those cry to
God who before would scarcely
speak to him.
God returned in
Mercy to them for their
deliverance. The
Spirit of the
Lord came upon
Othniel. The
Spirit of
Wisdom and courage to qualify him for the service, and
the
Spirit of power to excite him to it. He first judged
Israel,
reproved and reformed them, and then went to
War. Let
Sin at
home be conquered, that worst of enemies, then enemies abroad
will be more easily dealt with. Thus let
Christ be our
Judge and
Lawgiver, then he will save us.
12-30 When
Israel sins again,
God raises up a new oppressor.
The Israelites did ill, and the Moabites did worse; yet because
God punishes the sins of his own people in this world,
Israel is
weakened, and
Moab strengthened against them. If lesser troubles
do not do the work,
God will send greater. When
Israel prays
again,
God raises up
Ehud. As a
Judge, or
Minister of Divine
Justice,
Ehud Put to
Death Eglon, the
King of
Moab, and thus
executed the
Judgments of God upon him as an enemy to
God and
Israel. But the
Law of being subject to principalities and
powers in all things lawful, is the rule of our conduct.
No such
commissions are now given; to pretend to them is to blaspheme
God. Notice
Ehud's address to
Eglon. What message from
God but a
message of vengeance can a proud rebel expect? Such a message is
contained in the
Word of God; his ministers are boldly to
declare it, without fearing the frown, or respecting the persons
of sinners. But, blessed be
God, they have to deliver a message
of
Mercy and of free
Salvation; the message of vengeance belongs
only to those who neglect the offers of
Grace. The consequence
of this victory was, that the land had
Rest eighty years. It was
a great while for the land to
Rest; yet what is that to the
saints'
Everlasting Rest in the heavenly
Canaan.
31 The side of the country which lay
South-west, was infested
By the
Philistines.
God raised up
Shamgar to deliver them;
having neither
Sword nor spear, he took an
Ox-
Goad, the
instrument next at
Hand.
God can make those serviceable to his
Glory and to his
Church's good, whose
Birth, education, and
employment, are mean and obscure. It is
No matter what the
weapon is, if
God directs and strengthens the
Arm. Often he
Works By unlikely means, that the excellency of the power may
appear to be of
God.