Chapter 3
Judges
1 note in this chapter
Verse 1Now these are the nations that the LORD left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. Verse 2It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. Verse 3These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. Verse 4They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. Verse 5So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Verse 6And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.
Verse 7And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Verse 8Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. Verse 9But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. Verse 10The Spirit of the LORD was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. Verse 11So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
Verse 12And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD. Verse 13He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of the city of palms. Verse 14And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
Verse 15Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. Verse 16And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. Verse 17And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. Verse 18And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. Verse 19But he himself turned back at the idols near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he commanded, “Silence.” And all his attendants went out from his presence. Verse 20And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arose from his seat. Verse 21And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. Verse 22And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out. Verse 23Then Ehud went out into the porch and closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them.
Verse 24When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, “Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber.” Verse 25And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor.
Verse 26Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah. Verse 27When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was their leader. Verse 28And he said to them, “Follow after me, for the LORD has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and did not allow anyone to pass over. Verse 29And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped. Verse 30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.
Verse 31After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.✦
31Absurdities (d): Judges 3:31
Critical Commentary
Judges 3:31 says Shamgar killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad, a farmer’s prod. The argument finds the feat too fantastic to take at face value.
After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.
Judges 3:31
Source: see Credits and references (no. 3, p. 5).
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