Judges 3:12-30

Ehud Delivers Israel from Moab Judges 3:12-30

12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord.
13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.
14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.
19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlor, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.
23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlor upon him, and locked them.
24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlor were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlor; therefore they took a key, and opened them; and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.
28 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 to pass over.
29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valor; and there escaped not a man.
30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.

9.

What was the extent of the second oppression? Judges 3:13

Eglon, king of Moab, secured the help of the Ammonites and the Amalekites. They smote Israel, an indication of the fact that the oppression was not against Benjamin alone, although Jericho, the city of palm trees, was first taken. The oppression lasted for eighteen years, and during much of this time Ehud must have been attempting to rally Israel. Israel's weakness, of course, arose from her rebellious ways; but when the people repented and sought God's forgiveness, they received strength to overthrow their oppressors.

10.

Who was Ehud? Judges 3:15

Ehud was of the tribe of Benjamin. He is described as being a son of Gera (2 Samuel 16:5; 2 Samuel 19:16), Josephus (Antiquities; V, iv, 2, 3) said he was a man of great courage, of a very strong body, and was fit for hard labor. In process of time, he is described as having become well acquainted with Eglon, the king of Moab, who was oppressing Israel in his day. He obtained his favor and worked his way into his confidence. By this manner, it is said he was trusted by those who were in attendance of the king. A great deal of detail is given in the secular account of Josephus, which is absent from the Bible. For example, it is said Ehud came to Eglon in the summer at the middle of the day when the guards were lethargic on account of the heat, and some of them had gone to dinner. It is even said he told the king he had a dream to impart to him by the command of God. This startling announcement caused the king to stand up from being seated on his throne, and thus he presented himself as a large target for Ehud's thrust. Although considerable detail is given in the Biblical account, Josephus-' account is still fuller. For instance, he says the attendants did not go into the king's parlor until towards evening and this long delay gave Ehud a great advantage. He also says the king's death threw the court into great disorder and many of the attendants fled toward Moab in order to save themselves, By that time, the Israelites had seized the ford of the Jordan and slew many of them; and this bold stroke was the most outstanding deed performed by Ehud, although Josephus calls him a man worthy of commendation even besides what he deserved for the slaying of Eglon.

11.

What was the advantage of being left-handed? Judges 3:15

It helped him in his deception. Benjamin was famous for its left-handed warriors. When war broke out among the tribes over the unpunished crime committed at Gibeah, Benjamin counted seven hundred chosen men left-handed. Every one could sling stones at an hair breadth and not miss (Judges 20:16). Why there should be so many men of such similar nature is nowhere explained, but this unusual characteristic was of some importance in the case of Ehud. By extending his right hand in a normal greeting, he was able to conceal the sword grasped tightly in his more dexterous left hand. In this way he took his enemy by surprise and slew him.

12.

What tribes followed Ehud? Judges 3:15

Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh were in the most advantageous position to give him assistance; but when Eglon oppressed the people, it is recorded that the children of Israel cried unto the Lord (Judges 3:15). When Ehud rallied his people, he was in Mount Ephraim, a territory in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh. Since he was from the tribe of Benjamin himself, it was to be expected that these people would follow him; but once again the narrative says, the children of Israel went down with him (Judges 3:27). Such a reference indicates that all the tribes were united behind this second judge.