Judges 3:1-6
THE NATIONS WHICH REMAINED... [ Continue Reading ]
THE NATIONS WHICH REMAINED... [ Continue Reading ]
Now these are the nations which the Lord left to prove Israel by them, to test their faithfulness to Him, EVEN AS MANY OF ISRAEL AS HAD NOT KNOWN ALL THE WARS OF CANAAN, the younger generation which enjoyed the fruits of conquest, but did not estimate aright the greatness of the dangers endured by t... [ Continue Reading ]
only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, give them an idea, make them realize the great cost of the boon of freedom and material wealth which they were enjoying, AT THE LEAST SUCH AS BEFORE KNEW NOTHING THEREOF, the final object being that they might learn h... [ Continue Reading ]
namely, five lords of the Philistines, those of the five city-states Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, Joshua 13:3, AND ALL THE CANAANITES, chiefly along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and in the Jordan Valley, AND THE SIDONIANS, the Phenicians, AND THE HIVITES THAT DWELT IN MOUNT LEBANON... [ Continue Reading ]
And they, these heathen nations, WERE TO PROVE ISRAEL BY THEM, TO KNOW WHETHER THEY WOULD HEARKEN UNTO THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD WHICH HE COMMANDED THEIR FATHERS BY THE HAND OF MOSES. By being oppressed by their enemies and thereupon delivered by the Lord through the medium of wars, Israel was bo... [ Continue Reading ]
And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites, all of whom they permitted to live in their midst, making no serious effort to drive them out.... [ Continue Reading ]
And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, thus entering into the most intimate social relationship with them, AND SERVED THEIR GODS, the natural consequence of breaking down the barriers which the Lord had erected by His prohibition, Exodus 34:16; Deute... [ Continue Reading ]
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, the usual formula introducing a chapter of oppression and deliverance, Judges 2:11, AND FORGOT THE LORD, THEIR GOD, AND SERVED BAALIM AND THE GROVES, that is, Asherah, for in the heathen worship, the altar was consecrated to Baal, the pil... [ Continue Reading ]
OTHNIEL JUDGE OF ISRAEL... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, it was kindled, it flared up in an angry flame, AND HE SOLD THEM INTO THE HAND OF CHUSHAN-RISHATHAIM, KING OF MESOPOTAMIA, some mighty monarch toward the East; AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SERVED CHUSHAN-RISHATHAIM EIGHT YEARS, by being obliged t... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, as they felt the severity of the oppression more and more, THE LORD RAISED UP A DELIVERER TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, a man who was to save them from the tyrant, WHO DELIVERED THEM, EVEN OTHNIEL, THE SON OF XENAZ, CALEB'S YOUNGER BROTHER, the conqu... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, filling him with extraordinary military ability and valor, as well as the wisdom necessary to decide difficult cases according to the Law, AND HE JUDGED ISRAEL, restored justice and order, AND WENT OUT TO WAR; AND THE LORD DELIVERED CHUSHAN-RISHATHAIM, KING... [ Continue Reading ]
And the land had rest forty years, the people being able to follow all the pursuits of peace without outside interference. AND OTHNIEL, THE SON OF KENAZ, under whose blameless and happy rule the land had been restored to its former prosperity, DIED. Thus the children of Israel had received a lesson... [ Continue Reading ]
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord strengthened, encouraged, EGLON, THE KING OF MOAB, the country southeast of the Dead Sea, AGAINST ISRAEL, BECAUSE THEY HAD DONE EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD.... [ Continue Reading ]
EHUD AND THE MOABITES... [ Continue Reading ]
And he, Eglon, who evidently combined shrewdness with energy, GATHERED UNTO HIM THE CHILDREN OF AMMON, to the northeast, like those of Moab, inveterate enemies of Israel, Deuteronomy 23:3, AND AMALEK, toward the southwest, also ancient enemies of the Lord's people, Exodus 17:10, AND WENT AND SMOTE I... [ Continue Reading ]
So the children of Israel served Eglon, the king of Moab, eighteen years, by a regular payment of tribute, such as he chose to exact.... [ Continue Reading ]
But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, being roused from their lethargy once more, THE LORD RAISED THEM UP A DELIVERER, as before, EHUD, THE SON OF GERA, A BENJAMITE, A MAN LEFT-HANDED, literally, "unpracticed, awkward, with the right hand," because the skill which other people have in... [ Continue Reading ]
But Ehud, before setting out on this humiliating mission, MADE HIM A DAGGER WHICH HAD TWO EDGES, a very effective weapon for stabbing at short range, OF A CUBIT LENGTH (about twenty inches); AND HE DID GIRD IT UNDER HIS RAIMENT UPON HIS RIGHT THIGH, out of sight and on the side from which he could i... [ Continue Reading ]
And he brought the present unto Eglon, king of Moab, who had made the oasis of Jericho his headquarters while he held the supremacy over Israel; AND EGLON WAS A VERY FAT MAN, extremely corpulent, even for an Oriental monarch.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when he, Ehud, HAD MADE AN END TO OFFER THE PRESENT, the audience giving him an opportunity to make the observations which he needed, HE SENT AWAY THE PEOPLE THAT BARE THE PRESENT, for it was considered a mark of special respect to have a great many bearers for the tribute.... [ Continue Reading ]
But he himself turned again from the quarries, or boundary-stones, THAT WERE BY GILGAL, unto which point he had accompanied the rest of the delegation, returning to the quarters of the Moabite king, AND SAID, I HAVE A SECRET ERRAND UNTO THEE, O KING; WHO SAID, KEEP SILENCE, thus bidding Ehud wait un... [ Continue Reading ]
And Ehud came unto him, approached nearer to him; AND HE WAS SITTING IN A SUMMER PARLOR, an inner chamber, opening on an exposed balcony, his private chamber, and a cool retreat, WHICH HE HAD FOR HIMSELF ALONE. AND EHUD SAID, I HAVE A MESSAGE FROM GOD UNTO THEE. AND HE AROSE OUT OF HIS SEAT, probabl... [ Continue Reading ]
And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his (Eglon's) belly;... [ Continue Reading ]
and the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, holding it firmly inside the abdomen, SO THAT HE, Ehud, COULD NOT DRAW THE DAGGER OUT OF HIS BELLY; AND THE DIRT CAME OUT, or, the point of the blade came out at the rear.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Ehud went forth through the porch, the open balcony, AND SHUT THE DOORS OF THE PARLOR UPON HIM, AND LOCKED THEM.... [ Continue Reading ]
When he was gone out, with a calmness intended to disarm every suspicion on the part of the king's attendants, HIS SERVANTS CAME; AND WHEN THEY SAW THAT, BEHOLD, THE DOORS OF THE PARLOR WERE LOCKED, THEY SAID, SURELY HE COVERETH HIS FEET (doeth his easement) IN HIS SUMMER CHAMBER.... [ Continue Reading ]
And they tarried till they were ashamed, these words adding the notion of displeasure and ill humor; AND, BEHOLD, HE OPENED NOT THE DOORS OF THE PARLOR; THEREFORE THEY TOOK A KEY, another key, AND OPENED THEM, the long silence having filled them with great uneasiness; AND, BEHOLD, THEIR LORD WAS FAL... [ Continue Reading ]
And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, or the boundary-stones, AND ESCAPED UNTO SEIRATH, in the foothills toward the northwest.... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, this trumpet-blast being transmitted among the mountains, AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, with whom he had evidently agreed upon this signal, WENT DOWN WITH HIM FROM THE MOUNT, AND HE BEFORE THEM, as their leader.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said unto them, Follow after me; for the Lord hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man, namely, of the Moabites, TO PASS OVER and thus to escape. The Moabite army was therefore tra... [ Continue Reading ]
And they slew of Moab at that time, in the battle which followed, ABOUT TEN THOUSAND MEN, ALL LUSTY, literally, "fat," in good physical condition, AND ALL MEN OF VALOR; AND THERE ESCAPED NOT A MAN, Moab was thoroughly vanquished.... [ Continue Reading ]
So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.... [ Continue Reading ]
And after him, following his example in the west, WAS SHAMGAR, THE SON OF ANATH, WHICH SLEW OF THE PHILISTINES SIX HUNDRED MEN WITH AN OX GOAD, a primitive, but effective instrument or weapon on account of the sharp iron prick at the end; AND HE ALSO DELIVERED ISRAEL, apparently from a local subjuga... [ Continue Reading ]