Judges 3

1 These [specific, particular] are the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrews] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] left [to rest, to settle] to test [prove, try] all the Israelites [descendants of Jacob] who had not known [been aware of, experienced] any of the wars [battles, conflicts] in Canaan [the land of the Canaanites, modern-day Israel], word study 2 if only [for the purpose of] to teach [to guide, instruct, or train] warfare [battle, war, or conflict] to the subsequent [later, following] generations [descendants, or people of a specific time period] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, and his descendants], especially [particularly, or in a special way] to those who had not known [been aware of, or experienced] it [warfare, or battle] formerly [before, previously, or in the past]: word study 3 the five [exactly, precisely] rulers [lords, leaders] of the Philistines [immigrants from other places], all [every, the whole] the Canaanites [merchants and traders], the Sidonians [people from the city of Sidon], and the Hivites [an ancient tribe in Palestine] who lived [dwelt, resided] in the mountains [hills, high places] of Lebanon [a mountain range in Israel, named for its white snow or limestone peaks] from Mount Baal-hermon [a city near Mount Hermon, named for its association with the God Baal] to Lebo-hamath [the entrance of Hamath, a major city in the region]. word study 4 These nations [remaining pagan groups] were left [on purpose, to prove] to test [to prove or try] the Israelites [God’s chosen people], to find out [to know] whether they would keep [obey] the commandments [laws] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God], which [that] He had given [commanded] their fathers [ancestors] through [by the hand of] Moses [the leader]. word study 5 Thus the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] continued to live [dwell, reside, settle] among the Canaanites [inhabitants of Canaan, merchants and traders], Hittites [descendants of Heth], Amorites [members of a Canaanite tribe], Perizzites [a Canaanite tribe in southern Canaan], Hivites [an ancient tribe in Palestine], and Jebusites [people of Jebus, early inhabitants of Jerusalem]. word study 6 And they took [as wives, to marry] the daughters [female children, women] of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters [to be married, in wedlock] to their sons, and served [worshiped, became servants to] their gods [idols, false deities, Elohim]. word study 7 So the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] did evil [wickedly, morally bad] in the sight [eye, presence] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]; they forgot [were oblivious to, ignored] the LORD [Yehovah] their God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] and served [worshiped, became servants to] the Baals [the Phoenician deity] and the Asherahs [the Canaanite goddess, often represented by a tree or pole]. word study 8 Then the anger [intense fury, burning wrath] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] burned [was kindled, blazed] against Israel [the descendants of Jacob], and He sold [delivered, handed over] them into the hand [power, control] of Cushan-rishathaim [twice-wicked Cushan, a Mesopotamian king] king of Aram-naharaim [Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers], and the Israelites [the children of Israel] served [were subject to, worked for] him eight years. word study 9 But when the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] cried out [to cry out for help, to announce publicly] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], He raised up [to rise or stand up, to establish] Othniel [lion of God, a judge of Israel] son of Caleb’s [a man from the tribe of Judah] younger brother [a close relative, a male sibling] Kenaz [a hunter, an Edomite] as a deliverer [a savior, one who saves] to save [to rescue, to free from danger] them. word study 10 The Spirit [breath of God, divine energy] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] came upon him, and he became Israel’s [the descendants of Jacob] judge [leader, ruler] and went out to war [battle, conflict]. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim [twice-wicked Cushan, a Mesopotamian king] king of Aram [the region of Syria] into the hand [power, authority] of Othniel, who prevailed [was strong, victorious] against him. word study 11 So the land [country, territory] had rest [peace, quietness] for forty [a significant period of time] years [a period of time], until Othniel [lion of God] son [descendant] of Kenaz [hunter] died [passed away, to cease living]. word study 12 Once again [for a second time, repeatedly] the Israelites [sons of Jacob, God’s chosen people] did evil [wickedness, bad, morally wrong] in the sight [before the eyes, under the gaze] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. So He gave [strengthened, empowered] Eglon [a king of Moab] king of Moab [a land and descendants of Lot’s son] power [strength, control] over Israel, because they had done [committed, practiced] evil [bad, wickedness] in the sight [before the eyes, under the gaze] of the LORD. word study 13 After enlisting [gathering unto him] the Ammonites [sons of Ammon, a neighboring nation] and Amalekites [descendants of Esau, enemies of Israel] to join forces [to smite, to attack] with him, Eglon [a Moabite king] attacked [smote, struck] and defeated [overthrew, conquered] Israel [the people of God, Jacob’s descendants], taking possession [to possess, to occupy] of the City [a walled town, a place of refuge] of Palms [palm trees]. word study 14 The Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] served [to work, to be in bondage] Eglon [a king of Moab, an oppressor] king [a royal ruler, a sovereign] of Moab [a land and people descended from Lot] eighteen [eight and ten, a significant period] years [a period of time, a cycle of seasons]. word study 15 And again they cried out [with urgent pleas, to cry for help] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], and He raised up [to cause to stand, to appoint] Ehud son [descendant] of Gera, a left-handed [shut up from using his right hand, having limited ability] Benjamite [a descendant of Benjamin], as their deliverer [saviour, one who frees from danger]. So they sent him with tribute [an offering, a gift] to Eglon king [ruler, monarch] of Moab [the land and descendants of Lot’s son]. word study 16 Now Ehud [a judge of Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin] had made [crafted, fashioned] for himself a double-edged [two-edged, having two mouths] sword [a cutting instrument, including knives and tools for cutting stone] a cubit [a unit of measurement, similar to a span] long [in length, measuring a short cubit]. He strapped [to gird, put on a belt] it to his right [Benjamin’s side] thigh [the side of something] under [beneath, below] his cloak [a garment, a measure, describing something that is measured or fitted] word study 17 and brought [presented, offered] the tribute [gift, offering] to Eglon [a king of Moab, the ruler] king of Moab, who was [exceedingly, very] an obese [fat, plump] man [a male person, an individual]. word study 18 After Ehud had finished [completed, brought to an end] presenting [offering, bringing near] the tribute [gift, offering], he ushered out [sent away, dismissed] those who had carried [lifted, borne] it [the present, the gift]. word study 19 But upon reaching the idols [graven images, stone carvings] near Gilgal [a place of rolling, a region conquered by Joshua], he himself turned back [returned, came back] and said, “I have a secret [hidden, confidential] message [word, errand] for you, O king [royal ruler, monarch].” “Silence [hush, keep quiet],” said the king, and all [every one of] his attendants [those standing by, servants] left [went out, departed from] him. word study 20 Then Ehud [the judge of Israel] approached him while he was sitting [dwelling, remaining] alone [by himself, apart] in the coolness [a state of refreshing, serenity] of his upper room [a lofty place, a stairway or roof chamber]. “I have a word [a message, a thing] from God [Elohim, the supreme God] for you,” Ehud said, and the king rose [stood up, arose] from his seat [throne]. word study 21 And Ehud [the left-handed judge] reached with his left [north] hand, pulled the sword [cutting instrument, dagger] from his right [Benjamin’s side] thigh, and plunged [struck, thrust] it into Eglon’s belly [womb, seat of emotions]. word study 22 Even the handle [hilt, sword grip] sank in after the blade [sharp blade, flame], and Eglon’s fat [abundant flesh, richest part] closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw [draw out, pull] the sword [cutting instrument, knife] from his belly [womb, seat of hunger]. And Eglon’s bowels [intestines, inner parts] emptied [released refuse, excrement]. word study 23 Then Ehud [the judge of Israel] went out [to come out, departed] through the porch [a colonnade with pillars], closing [to shut, shutting] and locking [fastening securely] the doors [entrances, gateways] of the upper room [a lofty place, a roof chamber] behind him [in his place, after him]. word study 24 After Ehud was gone, Eglon’s servants [attendants, slaves] came in and found the doors [gates, entrances] of the upper room [lofty chamber, private quarters] locked [bolted, secured]. “He must be relieving himself [covering his feet, using the toilet] in the cool room [summer chamber, refreshing area],” they said [spoke, declared]. word study 25 So they waited [till they were ashamed, until they were confounded] until they became worried [till they couldn’t stand it any more] and saw that he had still not opened [to open, to engrave or carve] the doors [a swinging valve, an entrance] of the upper room [a lofty place, a stairway or roof chamber]. Then they took [to get, to take something] the key [an opening instrument, a tool to unlock] and opened [to engrave or carve, to unlock] the doors—and there was their lord [a master, a human leader] lying [fallen, defeated] dead [to die, lifeless] on the floor [the land, the ground, the earth]. word study 26 Ehud [a deliverer of Israel], however, had escaped [slipped away to safety, fled] while the servants [attendants, guards] waited [tarried, lingered]. He passed by [crossed over, went beyond] the idols [carved images, false gods] and escaped [was delivered, slipped away] to Seirah [a place in southeast Ephraim, a city of refuge]. word study 27 On arriving [when he came, came to be] in Seirah, he blew [sounded, blew a trumpet] the ram’s horn [a trumpet made from a ram’s horn] throughout the hill country [mountain, hill] of Ephraim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel]. The Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] came down [went down, descended] with him from the hills [mountain, hill], and he became [was, came to be] their leader [before them, at their head]. word study 28 “Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] has delivered your enemies [those who oppose or hate you] the Moabites [descendants of Lot] into your hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share].” So they followed him down [pursuing after him] and seized the fords [crossing places] of the Jordan [a key river in Israel’s history] leading to Moab [a land and people], and did not allow anyone [no man, no person] to cross over [to pass from one side to the other]. word study 29 At that time [in that moment, when it happened] they struck down [slew, smote] about ten thousand [a multitude of 10,000] Moabites [people of Moab, descendants of Lot], all [every single one, without exception] robust [strong, lusty, fed] and valiant [mighty, powerful, men of war] men [individuals, males]. Not one [no single person, none] of them escaped [fled, was delivered, slipped away to safety]. word study 30 So Moab [the land and descendants of Lot] was subdued [humbled, brought low] under the hand [power, authority] of Israel [God’s chosen people] that day [a period of time, an era], and the land [the earth, a country] had rest [was quiet, at peace] for eighty [a period of eight decades] years [a cycle of time, a season]. word study 31 After Ehud came Shamgar [a deliverer] son of Anath. And he too [also, in addition] saved [rescued, delivered] Israel, striking down [smiting, defeating] six hundred [a multitude of] Philistines [enemies of God’s people] with an oxgoad [a sharp wooden pole, a tool for guiding cattle]. word study