Judges 3, A Lefthanded Assassin

We begin the stories of the first judges. We have already met one of them.

Judges 3: 1-7, Nations left as a test

These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.

They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD's commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses.

The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.

Do we have a different explanation for the troubles to come?  Here, these people are left as a test, as a preparation for warfare. And one result will be that the Israelites adopt the alien culture, including their gods and idols.

Judges 3: 8-11, Cushan-Rishathaim and Othniel

The anger of the LORD burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim,  to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them.

The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

This Othniel, younger brother of Caleb, is the same as the one who married Caleb's daughter Acsah.  Othniel is our first judge and first hero, appearing after one cycle of idolatry, oppression and repentance.

Judges 3: 12-14, Eglon

Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.

The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.

After the death of Othniel, the king of Moab forms a coalition that defeats Israel. (The City of Palms is probably the ruins of Jericho.)

Judges 3: 15-17, A deliverer rises

Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer--Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man.

Ehud's campaign begins with a gift. As a sign of submission, the Israelites have been paying tribute to Eglon. Here Ehud is the one to deliver the tribute.

Judges 3: 18-23, Left-handed tribute

After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way the men who had carried it. At the idols near Gilgal he himself turned back and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." 

Ehud delivers the tribute (a sign of submission) and leaves. But then he returns with a message. It is possible that the "secret message" is viewed as a prophetic statement from the gods and so Eglon is interested in hearing this message. The previous submissive gift assures Eglon that these Israelites continue to be passive.

Judges 3: 18-23, Left-handed tribute

The king said, "Quiet!" And all his attendants left him.

Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king rose from his seat, Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly. Even the handle sank in after the blade, which came out his back. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it.

Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

Ehud has made friends with Eglon and returns to give Eglon a "secret message." This message is a quick lefthanded stab with a hidden sword. We are given a vivid account of the murder of the obese king; the sword, a cubit in length, goes so deeply into the king's stomach that the fat closes over it!  (This is one of numerous descriptive PG-13 scenes in Judges -- R-rated scenes if shown on film!)

Judges 3: 24-26, Locked!

After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the house." They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.

Ehud's deception allowed him to have time to get away.  The king's servants don't want to "embarrass" the king while he is supposedly on the toilet and so they wait for a time.  Meanwhile, the assassin has escaped.

Judges 3: 27-30, Rise up

When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them. "Follow me," he ordered, "for the LORD has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." 

So they followed him down and, taking possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab, they allowed no one to cross over. At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not a man escaped.

That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.

Eglon does not stop at killing the tyrant. He then raises an army and throws off the Moabites, the followers of the slain Eglon. Once again, after this second cycle of idolatry, oppression, repentance, we have peace in Israel.

Judges 3: 31, Shamgar

After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

A brief sentence tells us of Shamgar. We hear little of him but he is significant enough to be mentioned again in the next few chapters.

We have really been told of three judges, Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar.  The vivid (and violent) story goes to the left-hander, Ehud.