Judges 3:12, commentary and pictures

This verse belongs to the period between the death of Joshua and the raising up of Samuel, after Canaan was divided. In that time the younger generation faced the peoples who remained in the land, and their effort against them was meant to develop essential traits of character, with this experience of evil and of the Lord strengthening Moab against them placed within God's teaching through the challenges He left for Israel to meet. It is part of the account of the twelve judges whose work was to defend and save Israel in times of crisis, and of the one composite record of Judges 3 to 17 of backsliding, suffering, oppression, captivity and servitude followed by returning to God, forgiveness and deliverance, in which God shows long-suffering and goodness. It shows Israel failing to follow God's instructions and again doing evil in the sight of the Lord through perversity, unbelief and disobedience amid awful moral surroundings and the demoralizing influences of the tribes they permitted to remain in the land of promise, returning to evil after Othniel died, with captivity following and deliverance later brought through judges raised up as saviours.

Because they had done evil, the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against them as consequent suffering, oppression, captivity and servitude for backsliding from God. Sin weakened Israel's spiritual vitality and brought the loss of divine protection, allowing enemies to gain advantage, for sin is the cause of separation from God, though it does not excuse the enemies' oppression or lessen their guilt. The verse records both backsliding and God's mercy, for judges were raised up as saviours to bring deliverance, and some Israelites were saved through God's merciful dealings. The death of the human deliverer was followed by renewed wrongdoing, while Christ as Deliverer lives forever and keeps believers from the evil in the world, so that circumstances God leaves to prove whether they will hearken to His commandments become a time of ready, constant, glad obedience through Christ strengthening them.

The recurring evil reflects fallen human nature rather than unique wickedness. People and churches today are likewise carried toward sin by the fashions of an ungodly world, reforms may begin well but turn back toward ruin, and good beginnings may slide back into sin, which warns that human nature cannot be trusted to remain faithful. The recurring evil of Israel will have no place in God's immortal kingdom, where sin will never defile the inheritance.