These are the nations which the Lord left, that by them he might instruct Israel, and all that had not known the wars of the Chanaanites:

Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had no experience of any war in Canaan;

And these are the nations which Jehovah left, to try Israel by them, all who have not known all the wars of Canaan;

Now these are the nations which the Lord kept in the land for the purpose of testing Israel by them, all those who had had no experience of all the wars of Canaan;

These are the nations which the Lord left, so that by them he might instruct Israel and all who had not known the wars of the Canaanites,

Even as many of Israel - These words show that the writer has especially in view the generation which came to man's estate immediately after the close of the wars with the Canaanites Joshua 23:1. Compare Judges 2:10.

Now these are the nations - The nations left to prove the Israelites were the five lordships or satrapies of the Philistines, viz., Gath, Askelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gaza; the Sidonians, the Hivites of Lebanon, Baal-hermon, etc.; with the remains of the Canaanites, viz., the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, and Jebusites. Those who were left to be proved were those Israelites that had not seen all the wars of Canaan.

Now these [are] the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, [even] as many [of Israel] as had not known all the (a) wars of Canaan;
(a) Which were achieved by the hand of God, and not by the power of man.

Now these are the nations which the Lord left to prove Israel by them,.... Which are later mentioned, Judges 3:3,
even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; those that Joshua, and the people of Israel under him, had with the Canaanites, when they first entered the land and subdued it; being then not born, or so young as not to have knowledge of them, at least not able to bear arms at that time.

As the Israelites were a type of the church on earth, they were not to be idle and slothful. The Lord was pleased to try them by the remains of the devoted nations they spared. Temptations and trials detect the wickedness of the hearts of sinners; and strengthen he graces of believers in their daily conflict with Satan, sin, and this evil world. They must live in this world, but they are not of it, and are forbidden to conform to it. This marks the difference between the followers of Christ and mere professors. The friendship of the world is more fatal than its enmity; the latter can only kill the body, but the former murders many precious souls.

NATIONS LEFT TO PROVE ISRAEL. (Judges 3:1-4)
these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel--This was the special design of these nations being left, and it evinces the direct influence of the theocracy under which the Israelites were placed. These nations were left for a double purpose: in the first instance, to be instrumental, by their inroads, in promoting the moral and spiritual discipline of the Israelites; and also to subserve the design of making them acquainted with war, in order that the young, more especially, who were total strangers to it, might learn the use of weapons and the art of wielding them.

Nations which the Lord left in Canaan: with a repetition of the reason why this was done.

Had not known - That is, such as had no experience of those wars, nor of God's extraordinary power and providence manifested in them.