INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 3 This chapter gives an account of the nations left in Canaan to prove Israel, and who became a snare unto them, Judges 3:1; and of the servitude of Israel under the king of Mesopotamia for their sins, from which they were delivered by Othniel, Judges 3:8; and of their subjec... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THESE [ARE] THE NATIONS WHICH THE LORD LEFT TO PROVE ISRAEL BY THEM,.... Which are later mentioned, Judges 3:3; [EVEN] AS MANY [OF ISRAEL] AS HAD NOT KNOWN ALL THE WARS OF CANAAN; those that Joshua, and the people of Israel under him, had with the Canaanites, when they first entered the land an... [ Continue Reading ]
ONLY THAT THE GENERATIONS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL MIGHT KNOW AND TEACH THEM WAR,.... That is, the following nations were left in the land, that the young generations of Israel might by their wars and conflicts with them learn the art of war, and be inured to martial discipline; which, if none had... [ Continue Reading ]
[NAMELY], FIVE LORDS OF THE PHILISTINES,.... The places they were lords of were Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron; see Joshua 13:3; three of these, Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, had been taken from them by Judah, since the death of Joshua, Judges 1:18; but they soon recovered them again, perhaps... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WERE TO PROVE ISRAEL BY THEM,.... They were left in the land, as to inure them to war, and try their courage, so to prove their faithfulness to God: TO KNOW WHETHER THEY WOULD HEARKEN TO THE COMMANDMENTS, OF THE LORD, WHICH HE COMMANDED THEIR FATHERS BY THE HAND OF MOSES; even all the com... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DWELT AMONG THE CANAANITES,.... As if they had been only sojourners with them, and not conquerors of them; and dwelt by sufferance, and not as proprietors and owners; such were their sloth and indolence, and such the advantage the inhabitants of the land got over them thro... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY TOOK THEIR DAUGHTERS TO BE THEIR WIVES, AND GAVE THEIR DAUGHTERS TO THEIR SONS,.... The Israelites intermarried with the inhabitants of the land, contrary to the express command of God, Deuteronomy 7:3; whereby they confounded their families, debased their blood, and were ensnared into idol... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD,.... Both by marrying with Heathens, and worshipping their gods: AND FORGOT THE LORD THEIR GOD; as if they had never heard of him, or known him, their Maker and Preserver, who had done so many great and good things for them: AND SERVED B... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THE ANGER OF THE LORD WAS HOT AGAINST ISRAEL,.... Because of their idolatry; see Judges 2:14; AND HE SOLD THEM INTO THE HAND OF CHUSHANRISHATHAIM, KING OF MESOPOTAMIA; or Aramnaharaim; that is, Syria, between the two rivers, which were Tigris and Euphrates; hence the Greek name of this pl... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CRIED UNTO THE LORD,.... Towards the close of the eight years' bondage, as it may be supposed, groaning under the oppressive taxes laid upon them, and the bondage they were brought into: and THE LORD RAISED UP A DELIVERER TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; he heard their cry... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON HIM,.... Moved him to engage in this work of delivering Israel, inspired him with courage, and filled him with every needful gift, qualifying him for it; the Targum interprets it the spirit of prophecy; it seems father to be the spirit of counsel and courage, of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LAND HAD REST FORTY YEARS,.... As it should seem from the time of this deliverance; though, according to Ben Gersom and Abarbinel, the eight years' servitude are to be included in them; and Bishop Usher r reckons these forty years from the rest first settled in the land by Joshua; but the fo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID EVIL AGAIN IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD,.... Fell into idolatry again, which was a great evil in the sight of God, and what they were prone to fall into: AND THE LORD STRENGTHENED EGLON THE KING OF MOAB AGAINST ISRAEL; put it into his heart to invade them, and encouraged... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE GATHERED UNTO HIM THE CHILDREN OF AMMON AND AMALEK,.... Either the Lord gathered them to Eglon, inclined them to enter into a confederacy with him, to assist in the war against Israel; or the king of Moab got them to join with him in it, they being his neighbours, and enemies to Israel, and e... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SERVED EGLON KING OF MOAB EIGHTEEN YEARS. Ten years longer than they served the king of Mesopotamia, Judges 3:8, as a severer correction of them for their relapse into idolatry.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CRIED UNTO THE LORD,.... After being long oppressed, and groaning under their burdens, and brought to a sense of their sins, and humiliation for them, they asked forgiveness of God, and deliverance from their bondage; for it is very probable they were until towards th... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT EHUD MADE HIM A DAGGER, WHICH HAD TWO EDGES, OF A CUBIT LENGTH,.... A little sword, as Josephus calls it y, with two edges, that it might cut both ways, and do the execution he designed by it, and was about half a yard long; which he could the more easily conceal, and use for his purpose: AND H... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE BROUGHT A PRESENT UNTO EGLON KING OF MOAB,.... Accompanied by two servants, as Josephus says b, and who doubtless bore the presents; for that there were such with him that did is clear from Judges 3:18; nor can it be thought that so great a personage as a judge in Israel should go alone and c... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD MADE AN END TO OFFER THE PRESENT,.... Had delivered the several things contained in it, and very probably made a speech to the king in the name of the people of Israel from whom he brought it: HE SENT AWAY THE PEOPLE THAT BARE THE PRESENT; not the servants of Eglon that introduced h... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE HIMSELF TURNED AGAIN FROM THE QUARRIES THAT [WERE] BY GILGAL,...., For so far he accompanied the men that came with him. These quarries were places where they dug stones and hewed them, according to the Targum, and most Jewish writers; but some render the word "engravings", and understand the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND EHUD CAME UNTO HIM,.... Somewhat nearer him than he was before; it seems probable that Eglon retired from the presence chamber, where he received company, into his summer parlour; which was smaller and more private, and in which he had used to be alone, as follows, and whither Ehud went in unto... [ Continue Reading ]
AND EHUD PUT FORTH HIS LEFT HAND, AND TOOK THE DAGGER FROM HIS RIGHT THIGH,.... Being, as before observed, a lefthanded man; Judges 3:15, and this he could the better do, without being taken notice of by the king, who, if he saw him move his left hand, would have no suspicion of his going to draw a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE HAFT WENT IN, AFTER THE BLADE,.... The handle of the dagger, as well as the blade; so strong and violent was the thrust, he determining to do his business effectually; AND THE FAT CLOSED UPON THE BLADE; being an excessive fat man, the wound made by the dagger closed up at once upon it, thro... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN EHUD WENT FORTH THROUGH THE PORCH,.... Which the Targum interprets by "exedra", a place, as Kimchi, where there were many seats, either for the people to sit in while waiting to have admittance into the presence of the king, or where the guards sat, and may be called the guard room; through thi... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN HE WAS GONE OUT, HIS SERVANTS CAME,.... When Ehud was gone through the porch, and out of the palace, the servants of Eglon, who had been put out, came to the parlour door to reassume their former place, and finish their business with the king, or in order to wait upon him as usual: AND WHEN TH... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY TARRIED UNTIL THEY WERE ASHAMED,.... And knew not what to think of it, or what methods to take to be satisfied of the truth of the matter, and what should be the meaning of the doors being kept locked so long: AND, BEHOLD, HE OPENED NOT THE DOORS OF THE PARLOUR; this was what surprised the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND EHUD ESCAPED WHILE THEY TARRIED,.... While the servants of the king of Moab tarried waiting for the opening of the doors of the parlour, this gave him time enough to make his escape, so as to be out of the reach of pursuers; or else the sense is, that even when they had opened the doors, and fou... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN HE WAS COME, That is, to Seirath, Judges 3:26, in the tribe of Ephraim: THAT BE BLEW A TRUMPET IN THE MOUNTAIN OF EPHRAIM; which being an high mountain, the sound of the trumpet was heard afar off; and if Ehud's design was known to the Israelites, what he intended to do, t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, FOLLOW AFTER ME,.... This he said to encourage them, putting himself at the head of them showing himself ready to expose his own life, if there was any danger: FOR THE LORD HATH DELIVERED YOUR ENEMIES THE MOABITES INTO YOUR HANDS; which he concluded from the success he had ha... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SLEW OF MOAB AT THAT TIME ABOUT TEN THOUSAND MEN,.... Who had been sent into the land of Israel to keep it in subjection, or had settled themselves there for their better convenience, profit, and pleasure; it is very probable there were some of both sorts: ALL LUSTY, AND ALL MEN OF VALOUR;... [ Continue Reading ]
SO MOAB WAS SUBDUED THAT DAY UNDER THE HAND OF ISRAEL,.... Or the Moabites were broken, as the Targum, that is, their forces in the land of Israel; for the land of Moab itself was not subdued and brought into subjection to the Israelites; but they were so weakened by this stroke upon them, that they... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AFTER HIM WAS SHAMGAR THE SON OF ANATH,.... That is, after the death of Ehud, when the people of Israel were in distress again from another quarter, this man was raised up of God to be a judge and deliverer of them; but who he was, and who his father, and of what tribe, we nowhere else read: WH... [ Continue Reading ]