Judges 3:12

Did evil again. Upon the death of the faithful judge Othniel, the Israelites gradually succumbed to their propensity for idolatry. Thus it is seen how powerful the presence of one good man in a church or state may be. A just and honest leader is one of the greatest blessings a nation can have, not only for the decisions he makes, but for the influence he exerts, by the example of his life, upon others. The world today needs men like Othniel — men filled with the Spirit — to direct it back to God.

The Lord strengthened. This is the beginning of the second period of oppression. When Othniel was gone and the nation had returned to its sinful ways, God allowed other peoples to oppress the Hebrews again. The oppression was designed to be salutary.

Eglon. The Moabites were close relatives of the Hebrews (Gen. 19:36-38). Prior to this time the two peoples had never engaged in active warfare with each other. Eglon allied himself with the Ammonites (whose kingdom lay to the north of Moab) and with the Amalekites (migrant Bedouins to the south). The first attack of Eglon was launched against Jericho, the city of palm trees (see on Judges 1:16), and resulted in his conquering that city and the territory of Benjamin round about. Probably about 60 years had passed after the invading Hebrews had destroyed the city. Either the city had been rebuilt, at least to some extent, or another city had arisen in its environs.