1The nations which were left to prove Israel. 5By intercourse with them the Israelites are seduced into idolatry. 8They are sold into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim, but delivered by Othniel; 12and into the hand of Eglon king of Moab, but delivered by Ehud. 31Shamgar slayeth six hundred Philistines with an ox goad, and delivereth Israel.
1NOW these are the nations which the LORD left, ato *prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had bnot known all the wars of Canaan;
*prove-test, try.
a Jn. 2.24. v.4. ch. 2.21,22. De. 8.2; 13.3. Jos. 13.2-6. b ch. 2.10. Jos. 6-12.
2Only that the generations of the children of Israel cmight know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
c Ps. 81.13; 44.13; 59.11. Jos. 23.10.
3Namely , dfive lords of the Philistines, and all the eCanaanites, and the Sidonians, and the fHivites that dwelt in mount gLebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
d Jos. 13.3. 1Sa. 4; 6.17; 13; 31. ch. 16.5,8,23; 10.7; 12.13. e Nu. 13.29. Ge. 10.15. f De. 1.7; 3.9. Jos. 11.3,17; 13.5. ch. 4.2. Nu. 34.8. Eze. 47.16,17,20. g Jos. 13.4,5.
4And they were hto *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.
*prove-test, try.
h Ex. 15.25. De. 8.2; 13.3; 33.8. 1Co. 11.19. v.1. ch. 2.22.
5¶And the children of Israel idwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:
i Ps. 106.34-38; 120.5. ch. 1.29-32; 2.3,21,23. Ge. 15.18-21. Ex. 3.8; 13.5; 34.11. De. 7.1.
6And they jtook their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
j Ex. 34.16. De. 7.3. 1Ki. 11.1,5. Eze. 16.3.
7And the children of kIsrael did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, land served Baalim and the groves.
k v.12,13. ch. 2.11; 4.1; 6.1; 2.11-13. Je. 2.32. De. 16.21; 31.17,18,29; 32.15-21. Ex. 34.13. l ch. 2.13.
8¶Therefore mthe anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of 1Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.
1Heb. Aramnaharaim. Ps. 60, title. Ac. 7.2.
m ch. 2.14,20. De. 28.47,48.
9And nwhen the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a 2deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even oOthniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
2Heb. Saviour.
n Ps. 78.34-37; 106.44; 50.15. Le. 26.40-44. De. 4.30,31. ch. 4.3; 6.6,7; 10.10,12,15; 2.16. v.15. Je. 22.23. 1Sa. 12.10. o Jos. 15.17. ch. 1.13. 1Ch. 4.13.
10And the pSpirit of the LORD 3came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of 4Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim.
3Heb. was.
4Heb. Aram.
p ch. 6.34; 11.29; 13.25; 14.6. 1Sa. 10.6,10; 11.6; 16.13. 2Ch. 20.14. Nu. 27.18. Mi. 7.8.
11And the land qhad rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
q Jos. 11.23. Es. 9.22,30. ch. 5.31; 8.28. v.30.
12¶And the children of Israel rdid evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened sEglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
r ch. 2.11,17,19. Ps. 78.32. Ho. 6.4. s 1Sa. 12.9. Jn. 19.11. Ps. 140.8. De. 32.30.
13And he gathered unto him the children of tAmmon and uAmalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed vthe city of palm trees.
t 1Sa. 11.1. u ch. 5.14; 6.3,33. v De. 34.3. ch. 1.16.
14So wthe children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
w Le. 26.23-25. De. 28.47,48.
15But when the children of Israel xcried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, 5a Benjamite, a man 6lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel ysent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
5Or, the son of Jemini.
6Heb. shut of his right hand, ch. 20.16,47. 1Ch. 12.2.
x Ps. 50.15; 106.44. v.9. y Pr. 21.14; 18.16; 19.6.
16But Ehud made him a dagger which had ztwo edges, of a cubit length; and he did *gird it under his *raiment upon his right thigh.
*gird-secure with a belt or band, encircle.
*raiment-clothing, attire.
z Ps. 149.6. Re.1.16; 2.12.
17And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
18And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.
19But he himself turned again from the 7quarries 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.
7Or, graven images, Jos. 4.20.
20And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in 8a summer *parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a amessage from God unto thee. And he barose out of his seat.
8Heb. A parlour of cooling, Am. 3.15.
*parlour-upper room.
a Mi. 6.9. Am. 1.2. b Ps. 29.1. 1Th. 2.13.
21And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and cthrust it into his belly:
c Nu. 25.7,8. 1Sa. 15.33. Job 20.25. Zec. 13.3; 2.7.
22And 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 9the dirt came out.
*haft-handle.
9Or, it came out at the fundament.
23Then dEhud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the *parlour upon him, and locked them.
*parlour-upper room.
d Mat. 10.16. Ec. 9.10. Zec. 2.7.
24When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the *parlour were locked, they said, Surely he 10covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
*parlour-upper room.
10Or, doeth his easement. 1Sa. 24.3.
25And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the *parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them : and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
*parlour-upper room.
26And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the equarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
e v.19.
27And it came to pass, when he was come, that he fblew a trumpet in gthe mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.
f ch. 6.34. 2Sa. 20.22. Nu. 10.3. 1Sa. 13.3. g Jos. 5.14; 15.9; 17.15,18; 20.7; 24.33. ch. 2.9; 7.24; 17.1; 18.13; 19.1. 1Sa. 1.1; 9.4. Je. 4.15; 31.6; 50.19.
28And he said unto them, hFollow after me: for ithe LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the jfords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
h ch. 7.17; 4.10. 1Sa. 17.47. Ps. 115.1. i ch. 4.7,14; 7.9,15. j Jos. 2.7; 22.11. ch. 7.24; 12.5.
29And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all 11*lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.
11Heb. fat, Ps. 17.10; 22.29; 119.70. De. 32.15. Job 15.27.
*lusty-vigorous, strong.
30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And kthe land had rest fourscore years.
k v.11.
31¶And after him was lShamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered 12Israel.
12It seems to concern only the country next to the Philistines.
l ch. 2.16,18; 5.6,8; 15.15. 1Co. 1.27. 1Sa. 13.19,22.