Judges
Chapter 3
Skip to reading
Choose chapter (3 selected)
Leningrad Codex, through the Open Scriptures Westminster Leningrad Codex. The written consonants are printed. A Masoretic reading is footnoted when it differs. No Dead Sea reading was substituted unless it was read from a fragment. The Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions are witnesses, not the default.
A dotted word is a harder one. Point at it, or tap it, for a short definition.
1These are the nations that God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. left, to test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known all the wars of Canaan,
2only so that the generations of the sons of Israel might know, to teach them war, only those who formerly had not known them.
3The five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanite, and the Sidonian, and the Hivite who lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
Sarne is the word for the Philistine lords. Lebo-hamath is the entrance of Hamath.
4They were there to test Israel by them, to know whether they would listen to the commands of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. that he had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
5The sons of Israel lived in the midst of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
6They took their daughters for themselves as wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.
7The sons of Israel did what was evil in the eyes of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary.. They forgot God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. their God and served the Local gods called by the name Baal. and the Sacred poles named for the goddess Asherah..
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
Asheroth are the sacred poles named for Asherah.
8The anger of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim. The sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.
9The sons of Israel cried out to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., and God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. raised up a savior for the sons of Israel, and he saved them: Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, the one younger than he.
10The spirit of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into his hand. His hand was strong over Cushan-rishathaim.
11The land was quiet forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.
12The sons of Israel again did what was evil in the eyes of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., and God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the eyes of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary..
13He gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek, went and struck Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.
14The sons of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.
15The sons of Israel cried out to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., and God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. raised up for them a savior, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite, a man restricted in his right hand. The sons of Israel sent a gift by his hand to Eglon king of Moab.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
Itter yad yemino is a man whose right hand is restricted. He uses the left. Ben ha-yemini is a Benjaminite.
16Ehud made himself a sword, and it had two edges. Its length was a A length named in the verse. The copy does not give it in cubits.. He strapped it under his clothes, on his right thigh.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
A gomed is the length the codex gives. It does not give the length in cubits.
17He brought the gift near to Eglon king of Moab. Eglon was a very fat man.
18When he finished bringing the gift near, he sent away the people who carried the gift.
19He himself turned back from the carved images that were by Gilgal, and he said, I have a secret word for you, king. He said, Quiet. All who were standing by him went out from him.
20Ehud came in to him. He was sitting by himself in the cool upper room that belonged to him. Ehud said, I have a word of God for you. He rose from the seat.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
Aliyat ha-meqerah is the upper room of cooling. “A word of God” is Elohim, not the name Yahweh.
21Ehud reached out his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and drove it into his belly.
22The handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly. The parshdon came out.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
Ha-parshedonah is uncertain. The codex does not explain the word. This draft does not assign it an organ or a place.
23Ehud went out by the porch, closed the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
Ha-misderonah is the porch, the way out.
24He had gone out, and Eglon’s servants came. They looked, and look, the doors of the upper room were locked. They said, He is only covering his feet in the cool room.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
Covering the feet is the line’s own way of saying he is relieving himself.
25They waited until they were ashamed. Look, he was not opening the doors of the upper room. They took the key and opened them, and look, their lord had fallen to the ground, dead.
26Ehud escaped while they delayed. He passed the carved images and escaped to Seirah.
27When he arrived, he blew the horn in the hill country of Ephraim. The sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was in front of them.
28He said to them, Chase after me, for God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. has given your enemies, Moab, into your hand. They went down after him, seized the fords of the Jordan against Moab, and did not let anyone cross.
29They struck Moab at that time, about ten thousand men, every stout man and every man of worth, and not a man escaped.
30Moab was brought down that day under the hand of Israel, and the land was quiet eighty years.
31After him was Shamgar son of Anath. He struck the Philistines, six hundred men, with an ox goad, and he too saved Israel.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
Malmad ha-baqar is the goad used on oxen.