Judges 3:6 kjv
And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
Judges 3:6 nkjv
And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods.
Judges 3:6 niv
They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
Judges 3:6 esv
And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.
Judges 3:6 nlt
and they intermarried with them. Israelite sons married their daughters, and Israelite daughters were given in marriage to their sons. And the Israelites served their gods.
Judges 3 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 34:15-16 | "...take wives of their daughters for thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods..." | Forbids intermarriage leading to idolatry. |
| Deut 7:3-4 | "Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give... lest they turn away thy son from following me..." | Direct prohibition against intermarriage. |
| Josh 23:12-13 | "For if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations... know for certain that the LORD your God will no more drive out..." | Warning against consequences of assimilation. |
| Jdg 2:11 | "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim." | General statement of idolatry in Judges. |
| Jdg 2:12-13 | "And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers... and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them..." | Explicit desertion for other gods. |
| 1 Kgs 11:1-8 | Solomon's foreign wives turned his heart away from God, leading to idolatry. | Example of kings falling due to foreign wives. |
| Neh 13:23-27 | Nehemiah condemns Israel for intermarrying with foreign women and speaks of it leading to unfaithfulness. | Condemnation of intermarriage post-exile. |
| Ezra 9:1-2 | Israelites had taken foreign wives from various peoples, mixing the holy race with pagan abominations. | Condemnation of intermarriage and defilement. |
| Psa 106:35-39 | Describes Israel mingling among the heathen, learning their works, and serving their idols, even sacrificing their children. | Broad condemnation of mingling and idolatry. |
| Isa 2:8 | "Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands..." | General prophetic denunciation of idolatry. |
| Jer 2:13 | "For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me... and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." | Foresaking God for worthless idols. |
| Hos 4:12 | "My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God." | Spiritual unfaithfulness (idolatry as whoredom). |
| Rom 1:21-25 | Humanity's rejection of God leads to worshipping created things instead of the Creator. | General human propensity to idolatry. |
| 1 Cor 10:14 | "Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry." | New Testament warning against idolatry. |
| 2 Cor 6:14-16 | "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?" | NT warning against spiritual compromise/intermingling. |
| Rev 21:8 | Idolaters listed among those who will face the lake of fire. | Final judgment against those practicing idolatry. |
| Deut 6:14 | "Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you." | Direct command to not pursue other gods. |
| Deut 7:5 | "But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves..." | Command to destroy instruments of idolatry. |
| Num 33:55-56 | Warning that if Israelites do not drive out the inhabitants, those remaining will be "pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides." | Consequence of incomplete conquest. |
| Psa 78:56-58 | Describes Israel tempting and rebelling against God, and provoking Him to anger with high places and carved images. | Historical pattern of disobedience and idolatry. |
Judges 3 verses
Judges 3 6 Meaning
Judges 3:6 describes a critical turning point in Israel's fidelity to God. The Israelites, dwelling among the remaining Canaanite nations, began to actively engage in intermarriage with them. This compromise led directly to the abandonment of Yahweh and the worship of the Canaanites' false gods, revealing a severe breach of their covenant with God and a slide into apostasy.
Judges 3 6 Context
Judges chapter 3 begins by explaining God's specific purpose for leaving certain nations unconquered in Canaan: to test Israel's faithfulness and to train future generations in warfare (Jdg 3:1-4). However, the Israelites fail this test significantly. Verse 5 sets the immediate scene, stating that the "children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites... Amorites... Hittites... Perizzites... Jebusites..." Judges 3:6 then reveals the devastating outcome of this dwelling. It describes a willing and active engagement in pagan practices, which serves as the direct cause for the cycles of oppression and deliverance that characterize the entire Book of Judges. This verse initiates the "sin" phase of the Judges cycle, leading directly to servitude under various oppressors because of their spiritual compromise. Historically, marriage alliances were common, but for Israel, such alliances with pagan nations were strictly forbidden, designed to maintain their distinct identity and singular worship of Yahweh, which they consciously abandoned here.
Judges 3 6 Word analysis
- And they took their daughters to be their wives:
- This phrase indicates the active choice of Israelite men marrying Canaanite women. It highlights assimilation.
- In the ancient Near East, marriage alliances often solidified social, economic, or political ties, rather than merely reflecting romantic relationships. Here, it indicates a deliberate cultural blending that defied divine command.
- and gave their own daughters to their sons:
- This shows reciprocal intermarriage, completing the assimilation process. It means Israelite parents were willing participants in marrying their daughters into pagan families, reinforcing the breakdown of separation.
- The giving of daughters was a paternal decision in that society, underlining a systemic rather than isolated failure.
- and served their gods:
- "served" (וַיַּעַבְדוּ֙ - vayya‘avdu): This Hebrew verb, עָבַד ('avad), means 'to work', 'to serve', 'to worship', or 'to be a slave to'. In this context, it unequivocally means active worship or devotion. It signifies a profound shift in allegiance, not merely tolerance. Their service implies a conscious decision to commit themselves to foreign deities.
- "their gods" (אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם - 'elohehem): This refers to the specific deities of the Canaanite nations, notably Baal, Asherah, and other fertility gods. These were distinct from Yahweh and involved practices repugnant to God's holiness (e.g., cultic prostitution, child sacrifice). This phrase marks a deliberate polytheistic worship in defiance of the first two commandments.
- They took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons: This phrase collectively represents intermarriage, which was explicitly prohibited by God for the purpose of preserving Israel's unique covenant relationship and preventing idolatry. It signifies the primary gateway through which pagan religious practices entered and corrupted Israel. It indicates not just isolated acts, but a widespread societal acceptance of mixed marriages.
Judges 3 6 Bonus section
This verse vividly illustrates the fulfillment of specific warnings given by God through Moses and Joshua (e.g., Exo 34:15-16, Deut 7:3-4, Josh 23:12-13). It directly counters the narrative of unique covenant identity for Israel, showing how quickly they lost their distinctiveness. The "test" mentioned in Judges 3:4 was clearly failed; instead of learning to resist the idolatry of these nations through spiritual vigilance and warfare, they assimilated into their practices. This immediate consequence highlights a foundational theological truth: disobedience and spiritual compromise inevitably lead to detrimental consequences, drawing people away from God's protection and blessings. The reciprocal nature of the marriage alliances emphasizes Israel's full participation in their own undoing.
Judges 3 6 Commentary
Judges 3:6 is a concise and devastating indictment of Israel's covenant failure. It details the spiritual apostasy that followed their disobedience in not fully driving out the Canaanite nations. The progression is crucial: dwelling among the nations (Jdg 3:5) led to intimate social ties through intermarriage, which then inevitably led to the most grievous sin—worshiping foreign gods. This was a direct violation of Yahweh's commands for separation and exclusive worship. The phrase "served their gods" highlights an active and intentional submission to pagan deities, directly breaking the First and Second Commandments. This verse explains why the cycles of judgment began in Judges; Israel's spiritual whoredom provoked God's righteous anger and withdrawal of His protection, delivering them into the hands of their enemies. It serves as a stark reminder of the spiritual danger in compromising with worldly systems and abandoning devotion to the one true God.