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| 1 Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
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| 2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; |
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| 3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath. |
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| 4 And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. |
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| 5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: |
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| 6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. |
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| 7 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. |
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| 8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years. |
Eight years – One of many captivities, showing that the "seven times" of Lev. 26 could not be literal. B89
The chronological periods mentioned in Judges cover a total of 450 years; but the judges did not cover all the space of time, they were merely scattered over most of it. HG45:3
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| 9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. |
Cried – A cry of loyalty. R5646:3
Such a cry by a spiritual Israelite implies that the sin was contrary to the transgressor's will. R5646:3
The LORD raised up – All who cry to the Lord in sincerity and faith shall be heard and delivered. R5646:3
A deliverer – A judge in ancient times was one who executed justice and relieved the oppressed. The coming Judge of earth will be its deliverer. A142
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| 10 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. |
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| 11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. |
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| 12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. |
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| 13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees. |
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| 14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. |
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| 15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. |
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| 16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh. |
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| 17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man. |
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| 18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present. |
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| 19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. |
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| 20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. |
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| 21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: |
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| 22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out. |
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| 23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them. |
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| 24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber. |
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| 25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth. |
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| 26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath. |
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| 27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them. |
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| 28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over. |
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| 29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man. |
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| 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years. |
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| 31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel. |
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