Shoftim Chapter 3

Shoftim Chapter 3

God's Test for the Israelites: Chapter 3 continues where Chapter 2 left off: God leaves nations in the land that the Israelites will not succeed in driving out. The reasoning for this action is somewhat confusing: the failure to drive out the inhabitants of the land is both a sin (failing to fulfill the command to conquer the land and leave no survivor), a punishment (as seen at the end of the previous chapter), and an ongoing test (as noted in both our chapter and Chapter 2). It would seem that one aspect leads into the next: God commanded the Israelites to drive out the nations so as not to be influenced by the culture of the Canaanites. Once they failed to do so and left nations in the land, their presence became both a punishment and a test for Israel. The punishment would be through the military troubles that are  detailed throughout the book, and a test by creating a continuous challenge: Would Israel remain faithful to God while living alongside idol worshipers? The correlation between test and punishment becomes clear, as each time Israel turns away from God and is influenced by the surrounding nations, God punishes them through one of these same nations.

At the end of the introductory section of our chapter, there is a somber verse: “And the Israelites dwelt among the Canaanites, the Ḥittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Ḥivites, and the Jebusites“. The Israelites did not conquer the land; they settled as a minority among the Canaanite peoples (notice how this description starkly contrasts with the triumphant atmosphere in the Book of Yehoshua!). The religious consequence is similarly grim: “They took their daughters as wives, gave their own daughters to their sons, and worshiped their gods” — the process which the Book of Devarim has warned us against (Devarim 7:2–4).

The Story of Ehud ben Gera and Eglon King of Moav: This narrative is scarce in geographical and military descriptions but abundant in detailed, graphic depictions, such as the unpleasant portrayal of Eglon’s death. Why is this so, and what does it signify? See the article by Prof. Yehuda Elitzur, who elaborates on this phenomenon and suggests that this style highlights the God's hand in Israel’s victory over Moav, which involved many coincidental factors that led to their decisive triumph. This message is critical at this point in Shoftim, as the key question is whether Israel will recognize that their victory comes from God. Dr. Neriya Klein (https://did.li/DoyCN) has noted several dual-meaning phrases in this story, showing how they reinforce this idea, emphasizing that salvation comes from God.