Chapter 3: Asniel Ben Kenaz; Eihud and Eglon

1.       The nations who remained in Israel:

• The following are the names of the nations that Hashem let remain in Israel to challenge the Jewish people in the generation after the initial conquest, and to see if they would guard G-d’s commands. This was done in order to teach the coming generations of Israel the price of sinful behavior [as they will now have to engage in normal battle to fight their enemies[1]].
• There remained five cities of Philistines, and many Canaanites, Tzidonim, Hivites, which lived on mount Lebanon and mount Hermon.

2.       The sins of the Jewish people and the ensuing punishment:

• Intermarriage: The Jewish people intermarried with these nations, taking their daughters as wives, and giving their daughters to their sons as wives.
• Idolatry: They also served idolatry, the Baal idola and the Asheira trees.
• The Jewish people are sold as slaves: G-d became angry and punished the Jewish people by having them sold to Kushan Rishasayim who was the king of Naharayim. The Jewish people became slaves to him for eight years.

3.       Asniel Ben Kenaz is appointed as Judge and savior against Kushan Rishasayim:

• The Jewish people screamed to Hashem [to save them from their captors] and Hashem heard their voice and established for them a savior, to save the Jewish people. His name was Asniel Ben Kenaz, the older brother of Kaleiv.
• The spirit of G-d dwelled on him, and he judged the Jewish people and went out to war against Kushan Rishasayim, the king of Aram. The hand of Asniel overpowered that of Kushan Rishasayim [and they conquered them, thus saving the Jewish people].
• The land rested in peace for the next 40 years, and Asniel ben Kenaz then passed away.

4.       Eglon the king of Moav oppresses the Jewish people:

• The Jewish people continued to perform evil in the eyes of G-d, and G-d thus strengthened the might of Eglon, king of Moav, to overpower the Jewish people.
• Eglon gathered the nation of Amon and Amalek to fight the Jewish people, and they smote them and conquered the city of dates [i.e. Jericho[2]].
• The Jewish people fell under the sovereignty of Eglon the king of Moav for 18 years.

5.       Eihud is appointed as Judge and savior against Eglon:

• The Jewish people screamed to Hashem [to save them from their captors] and Hashem [heard their voice and] established for them a savior, to save the Jewish people. His name was Eihud Ben Geira, the son of Yimini. He was a lefty [i.e. Iter Yad].

[1] Rashi 3:2

[2] Rashi 3:13