Judges 3:10 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.
Judges 3:10 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.
Judges 3:10 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.
Judges 3:10 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.
Judges 3:10 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.
Judges 3 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Judg 2:16 | Nevertheless, the Lord raised up judges, who saved them... | God raises deliverers |
| Judg 2:18 | When the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge... | God's presence with judges |
| Judg 6:34 | But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet... | Spirit empowers Gideon |
| Judg 11:29 | Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh... | Spirit empowers Jephthah |
| 1 Sam 10:6 | Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy... | Spirit empowers Saul for leadership |
| 1 Sam 16:13 | Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. | Spirit empowers David for kingship |
| Num 11:25 | Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. | Spirit distributed for leadership |
| Isa 11:2 | And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding... | Messianic prophecy of the Spirit |
| Isa 61:1 | The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me... | Jesus' anointing by the Spirit (quoted Lk 4:18) |
| Joel 2:28-29 | And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh... | Prophecy of universal Spirit outpouring |
| Acts 1:8 | But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses... | Holy Spirit empowers believers |
| Acts 10:38 | how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. | Jesus anointed by the Spirit |
| Judg 3:11 | So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died. | Result: period of peace |
| Josh 11:23 | So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel...And the land had rest from war. | Prior rest in the land (Joshua's era) |
| Psa 106:43-46 | Many times he delivered them...But he regarded their distress when he heard their cry. He remembered his covenant... | God hears and delivers |
| Neh 9:27-28 | So you gave them into the hand of their foes, who made them suffer. And in the time of their distress when they cried to you, you heard from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors... | God provides saviors in distress |
| Exod 3:7-8 | Then the Lord said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people...I have heard their cry...I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them..." | God sees suffering and delivers |
| Deut 28:1-2, 15 | If you obey the voice of the Lord your God...all these blessings shall come upon you...But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God... | Obedience/Disobedience cycle (Deut) |
| Zech 4:6 | Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. | Divine power, not human might |
| Phil 2:13 | for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. | God enables for service |
| John 14:26 | But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things... | Holy Spirit as Helper/Empowerer |
| Eph 1:13-14 | In him you also, when you heard the word of truth...were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance... | Holy Spirit as sealing and guarantee |
Judges 3 verses
Judges 3 10 Meaning
Judges chapter 3 verse 10 signifies the beginning of Israel's deliverance under God's appointed leader, Othniel. Following Israel's cry for help after eight years of oppression under Cushan-Rishathaim, the Lord sovereignly raised Othniel, empowering him with His Spirit. This divine empowerment enabled Othniel to lead Israel as a judge, wage war against their oppressor, and secure a decisive victory, leading to forty years of peace for the land.
Judges 3 10 Context
Judges chapter 3 marks the beginning of Israel's repeated cycle of apostasy, oppression, and deliverance following the death of the generation that knew Joshua. God left certain nations in the land to test Israel's faithfulness, and the people quickly succumbed to intermarriage and idolatry, serving the Baals and the Asherahs. As a consequence of their disobedience, God's anger was kindled, and He allowed Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia (Aram Naharaim), to oppress Israel for eight years. Judges 3:10 describes the Lord's direct intervention in response to Israel's cry for help, highlighting the first instance of a divinely raised and empowered "judge" (savior) in this specific period of Israel's history. This verse introduces Othniel, Caleb's younger brother, as the chosen instrument for Israel's deliverance and the rest that follows.
Judges 3 10 Word analysis
- And the Spirit: (וְרוּחַ vᵉ·ruach) - "And" connects this to the preceding cry of Israel. "Spirit" (ruach) in Hebrew denotes breath, wind, or the life-giving, enabling power of God. It's a key term signifying divine, active agency.
- of the LORD: (יְהוָה YHWH/Yahweh) - The covenant name of God, indicating that the power is not from Othniel, but from the sovereign, covenant-keeping God of Israel. This is a direct act of divine grace and intervention.
- came upon him: (הָיְתָה עָלָיו hayᵉtah ‘alav) - A specific, powerful, and transformative divine endowment. It suggests a personal, experiential manifestation of God's enabling presence for a specific purpose. It’s not just a general inspiration but an empowering anointing.
- and he judged Israel: (וַיִּשְׁפֹּט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל vayyishpot et-Yisra'el) - "Judged" here implies more than just rendering legal verdicts. It encompasses leadership, governance, administering justice, delivering from oppression, and leading in war. It signifies a divinely authorized position of authority and action.
- and he went out to war: (וַיֵּצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה vayyetzē' lam-milchamah) - A direct consequence and demonstration of the Spirit's anointing. This divine enabling leads to active, military confrontation against the oppressor, fulfilling the role of a deliverer.
- and the LORD: (וַיִּתֵּן יְהוָה vayyitten Yahweh) - Reinforces God's direct involvement and sovereignty. The victory is not Othniel's achievement alone, but God's gift. God is the one who orchestrates and grants success.
- gave: (natan) - To give, to place, to permit. Indicates God's active decision and power in delivering Cushan-Rishathaim into Othniel's hand.
- Cushan-Rishathaim: (כּוּשַׁן רִשְׁעָתַיִם Kushan Rish'athayim) - The name itself means "Cushan of Double Wickedness" or "Cushan of Twice Evil." This polemical name, possibly assigned by the Israelites due to his extreme cruelty, underscores the depravity of the oppressor and the decisive nature of God's victory over pure evil.
- king of Mesopotamia: (מֶלֶךְ אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם melek 'Aram Naharayim) - Identifies the specific, foreign oppressor and emphasizes his geographic origin (between the two rivers), reinforcing the severity and external nature of the threat Israel faced.
- into his hand: (בְּיָדוֹ b'yado) - A common biblical idiom meaning to subjugate, defeat, or gain complete control over someone or something.
- and his hand prevailed: (וַתֶּעֶז יָדוֹ vatt'e'ez yado) - His strength became mighty. Though empowered by God, Othniel's agency in fighting is recognized. This is the successful outcome of the Spirit's empowering presence on Othniel, demonstrating his victory.
Judges 3 10 Bonus section
Othniel, as the first judge, sets the archetypal pattern for all subsequent judges in the book of Judges: divine response to distress, the empowerment of the Spirit, the military deliverance, and the subsequent period of peace. His familial connection to Caleb (Judg 1:13) also subtly suggests that qualities of courage, faithfulness, and God's favor could be found within that lineage, though it's the divine anointing that truly qualified him. The swiftness of Othniel's victory, implied by the succinct description, further highlights the power of God's anointing in contrast to Israel's prolonged suffering due to sin. The fact that Cushan-Rishathaim's kingdom of Mesopotamia was distant signifies the extensive reach of God's judgment against those who oppressed His people, demonstrating His dominion even over formidable foreign powers.
Judges 3 10 Commentary
Judges 3:10 marks a pivotal moment in the repetitive cycle of Israel's unfaithfulness and God's unwavering grace. The verse succinctly encapsulates God's merciful response to His people's distress: hearing their cry, raising a deliverer, and equipping him supernaturally. The mention of "the Spirit of the Lord coming upon him" is critical, indicating that Othniel's abilities—whether in judging, leading, or fighting—were not inherent but were divine enablement for a specific, God-ordained task. This spiritual empowerment allowed Othniel to transition from an ordinary Israelite to a God-appointed "savior," leading to a swift and decisive victory over "Cushan of Double Wickedness." The narrative consistently emphasizes that it was "the Lord" who "gave" the enemy into Othniel's hand, thereby crediting all success to divine sovereignty rather than human strength or ingenuity. This establishes a foundational pattern for the era of the Judges: deliverance is God's initiative, empowered by His Spirit, in response to His people's repentance and cry.
- Example: Just as Othniel was equipped by God's Spirit for a specific mission, believers today are spiritually gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit for service within the church and for God's purposes in the world, not by their own strength (1 Cor 12).