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Judges 3:8
NKJV - 8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of CushanRishatha'im king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served CushanRishatha'im eight years.
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Formerly, when Israel was obedient no man could stand before them (Dt. 7:27; 11:25; Josh. 1:5; 10:8; 23:9), but now in disobedience they could not stand before any man (Lev. 26:27). Hebrew: makar (H4376) is used to refer to sell a daughter in marriage or slavery; to surrender or give over. This was God's way of saying that He gave Israel over to their enemies to punish them for backsliding (Judg. 3:8; 4:2; 10:7; Dt. 28:68; 32:30; 1Sam. 12:9; Esther 7:4; Ps. 44:12). The word is also used of men selling or giving themselves over to do evil (1Ki. 21:20,35; 2Ki. 17:17; Isa. 50:1; 52:3), of selling slaves (Gen. 25:33; 37:28,36; 45:4; Dt. 15:12; Ps. 105:17; Jer. 34:14), and selling merchandise (Dt. 14:21; Ruth 4:3; 2Ki. 4:7; Neh. 13:15,16; Prov. 31:24). Eighteen Sins for which God Punished Israel 1. They broke God's covenant (Judg. 2:1,20; Dt. 31:16-26; Josh. 23:16). 2. They made leagues with inhabitants of Canaan (Judg. 2:2; Ex. 23:32; Dt. 7:2-5). 3. They refused to throw down all altars of the heathen (Judg. 2:2; Ex. 34:13; Dt. 7:5; 12:3). 4. They disobeyed God's voice (Judg. 2:2,20; Ex. 15:26; 19:5; Num. 14:22; Josh. 5:6). 5. They did evil in the sight of God 6. They served Baalim and other gods (Judg. 2:11-13; 3:6-7). 7. They forsook God (Judg. 2:12-13). 8. They followed other gods (Judg. 2:12). 9. They bowed down to worship other gods. 10. They provoked God to anger (Judg. 2:12). 11. They would not hearken to judges (Judg. 2:17). 12. They went whoring after other gods, committing all kinds of immoralities. 13. They turned quickly out of the way. 14. They disobeyed the commandments. 15. They backslid and corrupted themselves more than their fathers in following, serving, bowing down to other gods (Judg. 2:19). 16. They ceased not from their own sins and stubborn ways. 17. They intermarried (Judg. 3:6). 18. They forgot God (Judg. 3:7). God delivered them into the hands of spoilers. This is the beginning of many defeats of Israel under judges, kings, and even during the restoration from captivity.
This same wording is used in multiple passages in the book of Judges to describe the manner in which God, through the withdrawal of His protection from Israel, periodically allowed other nations to conquer and subjugate the Israelites for a period of time as a judgment for their idolatry and their disobedience to His commands (such as not marrying members of the various pagan nations living in the Promised Land). For example, in addition to the verse cited in the question, Judges 2:14-15, Judges 4:2, Judges 6:1, Judges 10:7, and Judges 13:1 all employ this same imagery in connection with the repeated instances of Israel lapsing into the worship of idols and other sins. Each time the Israelites were conquered, God (after a period of time) would raise up a judge who would free them from their bondage. Israel would remain true to God during the life of each judge, but then would fall back into sin when the judge died.
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