15 But when the children H1121 of Israel H3478 cried H2199 unto the LORD, H3068 the LORD H3068 raised them up H6965 a deliverer, H3467 Ehud H164 the son H1121 of Gera, H1617 a Benjamite, H1145 a man H376 lefthanded: H334 H3225 and by him H3027 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 sent H7971 a present H4503 unto Eglon H5700 the king H4428 of Moab. H4124
16 But Ehud H164 made H6213 him a dagger H2719 which had two H8147 edges, H6366 of a cubit H1574 length; H753 and he did gird H2296 it under his raiment H4055 upon his right H3225 thigh. H3409
17 And he brought H7126 the present H4503 unto Eglon H5700 king H4428 of Moab: H4124 and Eglon H5700 was a very H3966 fat H1277 man. H376
18 And when he had made an end H3615 to offer H7126 the present, H4503 he sent away H7971 the people H5971 that bare H5375 the present. H4503
19 But he himself turned again H7725 from the quarries H6456 that were by Gilgal, H1537 and said, H559 I have a secret H5643 errand H1697 unto thee, O king: H4428 who said, H559 Keep silence. H2013 And all that stood H5975 by him went out H3318 from him.
20 And Ehud H164 came H935 unto him; and he was sitting H3427 in a summer H4747 parlour, H5944 which he had for himself alone. And Ehud H164 said, H559 I have a message H1697 from God H430 unto thee. And he arose H6965 out of his seat. H3678
21 And Ehud H164 put forth H7971 his left H8040 hand, H3027 and took H3947 the dagger H2719 from his right H3225 thigh, H3409 and thrust H8628 it into his belly: H990
22 And the haft H5325 also went in H935 after H310 the blade; H3851 and the fat H2459 closed H5462 upon H1157 the blade, H3851 so that he could not draw H8025 the dagger H2719 out of his belly; H990 and the dirt H6574 came out. H3318
23 Then Ehud H164 went forth H3318 through the porch, H4528 and shut H5462 the doors H1817 of the parlour H5944 upon him, and locked H5274 them.
24 When he was gone out, H3318 his servants H5650 came; H935 and when they saw H7200 that, behold, the doors H1817 of the parlour H5944 were locked, H5274 they said, H559 Surely he covereth H5526 his feet H7272 in his summer H4747 chamber. H2315
25 And they tarried H2342 till they were ashamed: H954 and, behold, he opened H6605 not the doors H1817 of the parlour; H5944 therefore they took H3947 a key, H4668 and opened H6605 them: and, behold, their lord H113 was fallen down H5307 dead H4191 on the earth. H776
26 And Ehud H164 escaped H4422 while they tarried, H4102 and passed beyond H5674 the quarries, H6456 and escaped H4422 unto Seirath. H8167
27 And it came to pass, when he was come, H935 that he blew H8628 a trumpet H7782 in the mountain H2022 of Ephraim, H669 and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 went down H3381 with him from the mount, H2022 and he before H6440 them.
28 And he said H559 unto them, Follow H7291 after H310 me: for the LORD H3068 hath delivered H5414 your enemies H341 the Moabites H4124 into your hand. H3027 And they went down H3381 after H310 him, and took H3920 the fords H4569 of Jordan H3383 toward Moab, H4124 and suffered H5414 not a man H376 to pass over. H5674
29 And they slew H5221 of Moab H4124 at that time H6256 about ten H6235 thousand H505 men, H376 all lusty, H8082 and all men H376 of valour; H2428 and there escaped H4422 not a man. H376
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Judges 3
Commentary on Judges 3 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 3
Jud 3:1-4. Nations Left to Prove Israel.
1. 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.
Jud 3:5-7. By Communion with These the Israelites Commit Idolatry.
5-7. the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites—The two peoples by degrees came to be on habits of intercourse. Reciprocal alliances were formed by marriage till the Israelites, relaxing the austerity of their principles, showed a growing conformity to the manners and worship of their idolatrous neighbors.
Jud 3:8-11. Othniel Delivers Israel.
8-11. sold them—that is, "delivered them"
into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim—or, Chushan, "the wicked." This name had been probably given him from his cruel and impious character.
served Chushan-rishathaim eight years—by the payment of a stipulated tribute yearly, the raising of which must have caused a great amount of labor and privation.
9. when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord—In their distress they had recourse to earnest prayer, accompanied by humble and penitent confession of their errors.
Othniel—(See on Jos 15:16; Jud 1:13). His military experience qualified him for the work, while the gallant exploits he was known to have performed, gained him the full confidence of his countrymen in his ability as a leader.
10. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he judged Israel, and went out to war—Impelled by a supernatural influence, he undertook the difficult task of government at this national crisis—addressing himself to promote a general reformation of manners, the abolition of idolatry, and the revival of pure religion. After these preliminary measures, he collected a body of choice warriors to expel the foreign oppressors.
the Lord delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim—No details are given of this war, which, considering the resources of so potent a monarch, must have been a determined struggle. But the Israelitish arms were crowned through the blessing of God with victory, and Canaan regained its freedom and independence.
11. Othniel … died—How powerful the influence of one good man is, in church or state, is best found in his loss [Bishop Hall].
Jud 3:12-30. Ehud Slays Eglon.
12-14. the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord—The Israelites, deprived of the moral and political influences of Othniel, were not long in following their native bias to idolatry.
the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab—The reigning monarch's ambition was to recover that extensive portion of his ancient territory possessed by the Israelites. In conjunction with his neighbors, the Ammonites and the Amalekites, sworn enemies of Israel, he first subjected the eastern tribes; then crossing the Jordan, he made a sudden incursion on western Canaan, and in virtue of his conquests, erected fortifications in the territory adjoining Jericho [Josephus], to secure the frontier, and fixed his residence there. This oppressor was permitted, in the providence of God, to triumph for eighteen years.
15. Ehud the son of Gera—descended from Gera, one of Benjamin's sons (Ge 46:21).
left-handed—This peculiarity distinguished many in the Benjamite tribe (Jud 20:16). But the original word is rendered in some versions "both-handed," a view countenanced by 1Ch 12:2.
by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab—the yearly tribute, which, according to Eastern fashion, would be borne with ostentatious ceremony and offered (Jud 3:18) by several messengers.
16. Ehud made him a dagger … and he did gird it … upon his right thigh—The sword was usually worn on the left side; so that Ehud's was the more likely to escape detection.
19. quarries—rather, "graven images" (De 7:25; Jer 8:19; 51:52); statues of Moabite idols, the sight of which kindled the patriotic zeal of Ehud to avenge this public insult to Israel on its author.
I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence—"Privacy"—a signal for all to withdraw.
20. a summer parlour—Hebrew, "chamber of cooling"—one of those retired edifices which Oriental grandees usually have in their gardens, and in which they repose during the heat of the day.
21-26. Ehud put forth his left hand—The whole circumstance of this daring act—the death of Eglon without a shriek, or noise—the locking of the doors—the carrying off the key—the calm, unhurried deportment of Ehud—show the strength of his confidence that he was doing God service.
27. he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim—summoned to arms the people of that mountainous region, which, adjoining the territory of Benjamin, had probably suffered most from the grievous oppression of the Moabites.
28. they went down after him, and took the fords—(See on Jos 2:7). With the view of preventing all escape to the Moabite coast, and by the slaughter of ten thousand men [Jud 3:29], Ehud rescued his country from a state of ignominious vassalage.
31. after him was Shamgar—No notice is given of the tribe or family of this judge; and from the Philistines being the enemy that roused him into public service, the suffering seems to have been local—confined to some of the western tribes.
slew … six hundred men with an oxgoad—This instrument is eight feet long and about six inches in circumference. It is armed at the lesser end with a sharp prong for driving the cattle, and on the other with a small iron paddle for removing the clay which encumbers the plough in working. Such an instrument, wielded by a strong arm, would do no mean execution. We may suppose, however, for the notice is very fragmentary, that Shamgar was only the leader of a band of peasants, who by means of such implements of labor as they could lay hold of at the moment, achieved the heroic exploit recorded.