The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Judges 03
1 Now these are the nations which Yahweh left, to test Israel by them, even as
many as had not known all the wars of
Canaan;
2 only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them
war, at least those who knew nothing of it
before:
3 the five lords of the Philistines, all the
Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites
who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount
Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath.
4 They were left to test Israel by them,
to know whether they would listen to
Yahweh’s commandments, which he commanded their fathers by Moses.
5 The children of Israel lived among the
Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the
Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
6 They took their daughters to be their
wives, and gave their own daughters to
their sons and served their gods.
7 The children of Israel did that which
was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baals and
the Asheroth.
8 Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned
against Israel, and he sold them into
the hand of Cushan Rishathaim king of
Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel
served Cushan Rishathaim eight years.
9 When the children of Israel cried to
Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior to the
children of Israel, who saved them, even
Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger
brother.
10 Yahweh’s Spirit came on him, and
he judged Israel; and he went out to
war, and Yahweh delivered Cushan
Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his
hand. His hand prevailed against Cushan
Rishathaim.
11 The land had rest forty years, then
Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12 The children of Israel again did that
which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and Yahweh strengthened Eglon the king of Moab
against Israel, because they had done that
which was evil in Yahweh’s sight.
13 He gathered the children of Ammon
and Amalek to himself; and he went and
struck Israel, and they possessed the city of
palm trees.
14 The children ofIsrael served Eglon the
king of Moab eighteen years.
15 But when the children of Israel cried
to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior for
them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The children of Israel
sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of
Moab.
16 Ehudmadehimself a sword whichhad
two edges, a cubit† in length; and he wore
it under his clothing on his right thigh.
17 He offered the tribute to Eglon king of
Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.
18 When Ehud had finished offering the
tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute.
19 But he himself turned back from the
stone idols that were by Gilgal, and said, “I
have a secret message for you, O king.”
The king said, “Keep silence!” All who
stood by him left him.
20 Ehud came to him; and he was sitting
by himself alone in the cool upper room.
Ehud said, “I have a message from God to
you.” He arose out of his seat.
21 Ehud put out his left hand, and took
the sword from his right thigh, and thrust
it into his body.
22 The handle also went in after the
blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for
he didn’t draw the sword out of his body;
and it came out behind.
23 Then Ehud went out onto the porch,
and shut the doors of the upper room on
him, and locked them.
24 After he had gone, his servants came
and saw that the doors of the upper room
were locked. They said, “Surely he is covering his feet‡ in the upper room.”
25 They waited until they were ashamed;
and behold, he didn’t open the doors of the
upper room. Therefore they took the key
and opened them, and behold, their lord
had fallen down dead on the floor.
26 Ehud escaped while they waited,
passed beyond the stone idols, and escaped to Seirah.
27 When he had come, he blew a trumpet
inthehill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from
the hill country, and he led them.
28 He said to them, “Follow me; for
Yahweh has delivered your enemies the
Moabites into your hand.” They followed
him, and took the fords of the Jordan
against the Moabites, and didn’t allow any
man to pass over.
29 They struck at that time about ten
thousand men of Moab, every strong man
and every man of valor. No man escaped.
30 So Moab was subdued that day under
the hand of Israel. Then the land had rest
eighty years.
31 After him was Shamgar the son of
Anath, who struck six hundred men of the
Philistines with an ox goad. He also saved
Israel.