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Commentary on Judges 3 verses 12–30
Ehud is the next of the judges whose achievements are related in this history, and here is an account of his actions.
I. When Israel sins again God raises up a new oppressor, Jdg 3:12-14. It was an aggravation of their wickedness that they did evil again after they had smarted so long for their former iniquities, promised so fair when Othniel judged them, and received so much mercy from God in their deliverance. What, and after all this, again to break his commandments! Was the disease obstinate to all the methods of cure, both corrosives and lenitives? It seems it was. Perhaps they thought they might make the more bold with their old sins because they saw themselves in no danger from their old oppressor; the powers of that kingdom were weakened and brought low. But God made them know that he had variety of rods wherewith to chastise them: He strengthened Eglon king of Moab against them. This oppressor lay nearer to them than the former, and therefore would be the more mischievous to them; God's judgments thus approached them gradually, to bring them to repentance. When Israel dwelt in tents, but kept their integrity, Balak king of Moab, who would have strengthened himself against them, was baffled; but now that they had forsaken God, and worshipped the gods of the nations round about them (and perhaps those of the Moabites among the rest), here was another king of Moab, whom God strengthened against them, put power into his hands, though a wicked man, that he might be a scourge to Israel. The staff in his hand with which he beat Israel was God's indignation; howbeit he meant not so, neither did his heart think so, Isa 10:6, Isa 10:7. Israelites did ill, and, we may suppose, Moabites did worse; yet because God commonly punishes the sins of his own people in this world, that, the flesh being destroyed, the spirit may be saved, Israel is weakened and Moab strengthened against them. God would not suffer the Israelites, when they were the stronger, to distress the Moabites, nor give them any disturbance, though they were idolaters (Deu 2:9); yet now he suffered the Moabites to distress Israel, and strengthened them on purpose that they might: Thy judgments, O God! are a great deep. The king of Moab took to his assistance the Ammonites and Amalekites (Jdg 3:13), and this strengthened him; and we are here told how they prevailed. 1. They beat them in the field: They went and smote Israel (Jdg 3:13), not only those tribes that lay next them on the other side Jordan, who, though first settled, being frontier-tribes, were most disturbed; but those also within Jordan, for they made themselves masters of the city of palm-trees, which, it is probable, was a strong-hold erected near the place where Jericho had stood, for that was so called (Deu 34:3), into which the Moabites put a garrison, to be a bridle upon Israel, and to secure the passes of Jordan, for the preservation of the communication with their own country. It was well for the Kenites that they had left this city (Jdg 1:16) before it fell into the hands of the enemy. See how quickly the Israelites lost that by their own sin which they had gained by miracles of divine mercy. 2. They made them to serve (Jdg 3:14), that is, exacted tribute from them, either the fruits of the earth in kind or money in lieu of them. They neglected the service of God, and did not pay him his tribute; thus therefore did God recover from them that wine and oil, that silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal, Hos 2:8. What should have been paid to the divine grace, and was not, was distrained for, and paid to the divine justice. The former servitude (Jdg 3:8) lasted but eight years, this eighteen; for, if less troubles do not do the work, God will send greater.
II. When Israel prays again God raises up a new deliverer (Jdg 3:15), named Ehud. We are here told,
1.That he was a Benjamite. The city of palm-trees lay within the lot of this tribe, by which it is probable that they suffered most, and therefore stirred first to shake off the yoke. It is supposed by the chronologers that the Israelites' war with Benjamin for the wickedness of Gibeah, by which that whole tribe was reduced to 600 men, happened before this, so that we may well think that tribe to be now the weakest of all the tribes, yet out of it God raised up this deliverer, in token of his being perfectly reconciled to them, to manifest his own power in ordaining strength out of weakness, and that he might bestow more abundant honour upon that part which lacked, Co1 12:24.
2.That he was left-handed, as it seems many of that tribe were, Jdg 20:16. Benjamin signifies the son of the right hand, and yet multitudes of them were left-handed; for men's natures do not always answer their names. The lxx. say he was an ambidexter, one that could use both hands alike, supposing that this was an advantage to him in the action he was called to; but the Hebrew phrase, that he was shut of his right hand, intimates that, either through disease of disuse, he made little or no use of that, but of his left hand only, and so was the less fit for war, because he must needs handle his sword but awkwardly; yet God chose this left-handed man to be the man of his right hand, whom he would make strong for himself, Psa 80:17. It was God's right hand that gained Israel the victory (Psa 44:3), not the right hand of the instruments he employed.
3.We are here told what Ehud did for the deliverance of Israel out of the hands of the Moabites. He saved the oppressed by destroying the oppressors, when the measure of their iniquity was full and the set time to favour Israel had come.
(1.)He put to death Eglon the king of Moab; I say, put him to death, not murdered or assassinated him, but as a judge, or minister of divine justice, executed the judgments of God upon him, as an implacable enemy to God and Israel. This story is particularly related.
[1.]He had a fair occasion of access to him. Being an ingenious active man, and fit to stand before kings, his people chose him to carry a present in the name of all Israel, over and above their tribute, to their great lord the king of Moab, that they might find favour in his eyes, Jdg 3:15. The present is called mincha in the original, which is the word used in the law for the offerings that were presented to God to obtain his favour; these the children of Israel had not offered in their season to the God that loved them; and now, to punish them for their neglect, they are laid under a necessity of bringing their offerings to a heathen prince that hated them. Ehud went on his errand to Eglon, offered his present with the usual ceremony and expressions of dutiful respect, the better to colour what he intended and to prevent suspicion.
[2.]It should seem, from the first, he designed to be the death of him, God putting it into his heart, and letting him know also that the motion was from himself, by the Spirit that came upon him, the impulses of which carried with them their own evidence, and so gave him full satisfaction both as to the lawfulness and the success of this daring attempt, of both which he would have had reason enough to doubt. If he be sure that God bids him do it, he is sure both that he may do it and that he shall do it; for a command from God is sufficient to bear us out, and bring us off, both against our consciences and against all the world. That he compassed and imagined the death of this tyrant appears by the preparation he made of a weapon for the purpose, a short dagger, but half a yard long, like a bayonet, which might easily be concealed under his clothes (Jdg 3:16), perhaps because none were suffered to come near the king with their swords by their sides. This he wore on his right thigh, that it might be the more ready to his left hand, and might be the less suspected.
[3.]He contrived how to be alone with him, which he might the more easily be now that he had not only made himself known to him, but ingratiated himself by the present, and the compliments which perhaps, on this occasion, he had passed upon him. Observe, how he laid his plot. First, He concealed his design even from his own attendants, brought them part of the way, and then ordered them to go forward towards home, while he himself, as if he had forgotten something behind him, went back to the king of Moab's court, Jdg 3:18. There needed but one hand to do the execution; had more been engaged they could not so safely have kept counsel, nor so easily have made an escape. Secondly, He returned from the quarries by Gilgal (Jdg 3:19), from the graven images (so it is in the margin) which were with Gilgal, set up perhaps by the Moabites with the twelve stones which Joshua had set up there. Some suggest that the sight of these idols stirred up in him such an indignation against the king of Moab as put him upon the execution of that design which otherwise he had thought to let fall for the present. Or, perhaps, he came so far as to these images, that, telling from what place he returned, the king of Moab might be the more apt to believe he had a message from God. Thirdly, He begged a private audience, and obtained it in a withdrawing-room, here called a summer parlour. He told the king he had a secret errand to him, who thereupon ordered all his attendants to withdraw, Jdg 3:19. Whether he expected to receive some private instructions from an oracle, or some private informations concerning the present state of Israel, as if Ehud would betray his country, it was a very unwise thing for him to be all alone with a stronger and one whom he had reason to look upon as an enemy; but those that are marked for ruin are infatuated, and their hearts hid from understanding; God deprives them of discretion.
[4.]When he had him alone he soon dispatched him. His summer parlour, where he used to indulge himself in ease and luxury, was the place of his execution. First, Ehud demands his attention to a message from God (Jdg 3:20), and that message was a dagger. God sends to us by the judgments of his hand, as well as by the judgments of his mouth. Secondly, Eglon pays respect to a message from God. Though a king, though a heathen king, though rich and powerful, though now tyrannizing over the people of God, though a fat unwieldy man that could not easily rise nor stand long, though in private and what he did was not under observation, yet, when he expected to receive orders form heaven, he rose out of his seat; whether it was low and easy, or whether it was high and stately, he quitted it, and stood up when God was about to speak to him, thereby owning God his superior. This shames the irreverence of many who are called Christians, and yet, when a message from God is delivered to them, study to show, by all the marks of carelessness, how little they regard it. Ehud, in calling what he had to do a message from God, plainly avouches a divine commission for it; and God's inclining Eglon to stand up to it did both confirm the commission and facilitate the execution. Thirdly, The message was delivered, not to his ear, but immediately, and literally, to his heart, into which the fatal knife was thrust, and was left there, Jdg 3:21, Jdg 3:22. His extreme fatness made him unable to resist or to help himself; probably it was the effect of his luxury and excess; and, when the fat closed up the blade, God would by this circumstance show how those that pamper the body do but prepare for their own misery. However, it was an emblem of his carnal security and senselessness. His heart was a fat as grease, and in that he thought himself enclosed. See Psa 119:70; Psa 17:10. Eglon signifies a calf, and he fell like a fatted calf, by the knife, an acceptable sacrifice to divine justice. Notice is taken of the coming out of the dirt or dung, that the death of this proud tyrant may appear the more ignominious and shameful. He that had been so very nice and curious about his own body, to keep it easy and clean, shall now be found wallowing in his own blood and excrements. Thus does God pour contempt upon princes. Now this act of Ehud's may justify itself because he had special direction from God to do it, and it was agreeable to the usual method which, under that dispensation, God took to avenge his people of their enemies, and to manifest to the world his own justice. But it will by no means justify any now in doing the like. No such commissions are now given, and to pretend to them is to blaspheme God, and made him patronize the worst of villanies. Christ bade Peter sheathe the sword, and we find not that he bade him draw it again.
[5.]Providence wonderfully favoured his escape, when he had done the execution. First, The tyrant fell silently, without any shriek or out-cry, which might have been overheard by his servants at a distance. How silently does he go down to the pit, choked up, it may be, with his own fat, which stifled his dying groans, though he had made so great a noise in the world, and had been the terror of the mighty in the land of the living! Secondly, The heroic executioner of this vengeance, with such a presence of mind as discovered not only no consciousness of guilt, but a strong confidence in the divine protection, shut the doors after him, took the key with him, and passed through the guards with such an air of innocence, and boldness, and unconcernedness, as made them not at all to suspect his having done any thing amiss. Thirdly, The servants that attended in the antechamber, coming to the door of the inner parlour, when Ehud had gone, to know their master's pleasure, and finding it locked and all quiet, concluded he had lain down to sleep, had covered his feet upon his couch, and gone to consult his pillow about the message he had received, and to dream upon it (Jdg 3:24), and therefore would not offer to open the door. Thus by their care not to disturb his sleep they lost the opportunity of revenging his death. See what comes of men's taking state too much, and obliging those about them to keep their distance; some time or other it may come against them more than they think of. Fourthly, The servants at length opened the door, and found their master had slept indeed his long sleep, Jdg 3:25. The horror of this tragical spectacle, and the confusion it must needs put them into, to reflect upon their own inconsideration in not opening the door sooner, quite put by the thoughts of sending pursuers after him that had done it, whom now they despaired of overtaking. Lastly, Ehud by this means made his escape to Sierath, a thick wood; so some, Jdg 3:26. It is not said any where in this story what was the place in which Eglon lived now; but, there being no mention of Ehud passing and repassing Jordan, I am inclined to think that Eglon had left his own country of Moab, on the other side Jordan, and made his principal residence at this time in the city of palm-trees, within the land of Canaan, a richer country than his own, and that there he was slain, and then the quarries by Gilgal were not far off him. There where he had settled himself, and thought he had sufficiently fortified himself to lord it over the people of God, there he was cut off, and proved to be fed for the slaughter like a lamb in a large place.
(2.)Ehud, having slain the king of Moab, gave a total rout to the forces of the Moabites that were among them, and so effectually shook off the yoke of their oppression. [1.] He raised an army immediately in Mount Ephraim, at some distance form the headquarters of the Moabites, and headed them himself, Jdg 3:27. The trumpet he blew was indeed a jubilee-trumpet, proclaiming liberty, and a joyful sound it was to the oppressed Israelites, who for a long time had heard no other trumpets than those of their enemies. [2.] Like a pious man, and as one that did all this in faith, he took encouragement himself, and gave encouragement to his soldiers, from the power of God engaged for them (Jdg 3:28): "Follow me, for the Lord hath delivered your enemies into your hands; we are sure to have God with us, and therefore may go on boldly, and shall go on triumphantly." [3.] Like a politic general, he first secured the fords of Jordan, set strong guards upon all those passes, to cut off the communications between the Moabites that were in the land of Israel (for upon them only his design was) and their own country on the other side Jordan, that if, upon the alarm given them, they resolved to fly, they might not escape thither, and, if they resolved to fight, they might not have assistance thence. Thus he shut them up in that land as their prison in which they were pleasing themselves as their palace and paradise. [4.] He then fell upon them, and put them all to the sword, 10,000 of them, which it seems was the number appointed to keep Israel in subjection (Jdg 3:29): There escaped not a man of them. And they were the best and choicest of all the king of Moab's forces, all lusty men, men of bulk and stature, and not only able-bodied, but high spirited too, and men of valour, Jdg 3:29. But neither their strength nor their courage stood them in any stead when the set time had come for God to deliver them into the hand of Israel. [5.] The consequence of this victory was that the power of the Moabites was wholly broken in the land of Israel. The country was cleared of these oppressors, and the land had rest eighty years, Jdg 3:30. We may hope that there was likewise a reformation among them, and a check give to idolatry, by the influence of Ehud which continued a good part of this time. It was a great while for the land to rest, fourscore years; yet what is that to the saints' everlasting rest in the heavenly Canaan?
Now, judges were established over them from the time they took over the promised land and before the monarchy began. And even during this era, the children of iniquity, that is, foreign foes, afflicted them, for we read they had now peace, now war. Even so, you can find periods of peace in the age of the judges longer than that of Solomon, who reigned forty years. Specifically, under the judge named Ehud, there were eighty years of peace.
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SUMMARY
Judges 3:30 serves as the triumphant and conclusive statement to the narrative of Ehud's judgeship, marking a profound and extended period of peace for Israel. This verse powerfully encapsulates God's decisive intervention and the tangible blessings of security and tranquility that resulted from Israel's repentance and His faithfulness to deliver His people. It highlights the complete and enduring subjugation of Moab, ensuring a remarkably long era of rest for the land.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse functions as the climactic resolution of the Ehud narrative, which begins with Israel's spiritual decline and subsequent oppression by Eglon, King of Moab, for eighteen years, a period of servitude that weighed heavily upon them (Judges 3:12-14). In response to Israel's desperate cry for help, God sovereignly raises up Ehud, a left-handed Benjamite, as a divinely appointed deliverer (Judges 3:15). The preceding verses meticulously detail Ehud's ingenious and audacious assassination of the obese King Eglon, his strategic rallying of the Israelite forces, and the decisive rout of the Moabites at the crucial fords of the Jordan River, where ten thousand Moabite men were slain, effectively crippling their military strength (Judges 3:20-29). Judges 3:30, therefore, summarizes the immediate and lasting impact of this divinely orchestrated victory, transitioning the narrative from intense conflict to a prolonged and blessed era of peace and stability.
Historical & Cultural Context: The Moabites, descendants of Lot and perennial adversaries of Israel, frequently contended for control of the strategically important Transjordan region. Their oppression under King Eglon likely involved not only heavy tribute but also a significant loss of Israelite sovereignty and freedom, impacting their economic stability and spiritual practices. The strategic importance of the Jordan fords, where Ehud's forces trapped and annihilated the Moabites, cannot be overstated; it was a critical choke point that sealed the Moabite army's fate. The phrase "fourscore years" (eighty years) is particularly significant in ancient Near Eastern contexts. This duration often represented a full human lifespan or two generations, signifying a remarkably long and stable period of peace—a stark contrast to the preceding eighteen years of servitude. This extended rest would have allowed for substantial societal rebuilding, economic recovery, and spiritual flourishing, demonstrating a profound shift in the regional power dynamic.
Key Themes: Judges 3:30 powerfully illustrates several core themes prevalent throughout the Book of Judges and the broader Old Testament narrative. Firstly, Divine Deliverance is paramount; while "Moab was subdued... under the hand of Israel," the preceding narrative makes it abundantly clear that this victory was initiated, empowered, and orchestrated by God Himself in direct response to Israel's repentance and cry for help. Secondly, the verse perfectly embodies the Deuteronomic Cycle (also known as the Cycle of Judges) that structures the entire book: Israel sins, God sends oppression, Israel cries out, God raises a deliverer, and the land experiences peace. This verse represents the "rest" phase, a temporary but significant reprieve before the cycle inevitably repeats due to Israel's persistent disobedience (Judges 2:16-19). Thirdly, the theme of Peace and Rest (Hebrew: shaqat or nuakh) is central. This "rest" is not merely the absence of war but a holistic state of security, prosperity, and divine favor, often associated with covenant faithfulness and God's abiding presence in the land (Joshua 21:44). Finally, the verse profoundly underscores the Consequences of Repentance, showcasing God's immediate, generous, and powerful response to His people's genuine turning back to Him.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Judges 3:30 effectively employs several literary devices to convey its powerful message and bring the Ehud narrative to a satisfying close. It functions as a Culmination and Resolution, providing a definitive end to the conflict and establishing a period of peace. The phrase "that day" provides a sense of immediate and definitive action, while "fourscore years" extends the impact into a long-term reality, creating a form of Merism or Totalization that encompasses both the singular, decisive event and its extended, generational consequences. The description of Moab being "subdued" is a form of Understatement or Euphemism, as it refers to a brutal military conquest and the annihilation of an army, yet presents the outcome in terms of political and social stability. Furthermore, the verse functions as a key element in the Cyclical Structure of the Book of Judges, representing the "rest" phase that consistently follows Israel's repentance and God's deliverance, thereby reinforcing the overarching theological pattern of the book.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Judges 3:30 powerfully illustrates God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant people, demonstrating His readiness and ability to deliver them from oppression when they turn to Him in genuine repentance. The "rest" granted to the land is a tangible expression of God's blessing and a profound foreshadowing of the ultimate peace and security that God desires for His people. This rest is not merely the absence of conflict, but a state of holistic well-being (shalom) that allows for spiritual, social, and economic flourishing. It serves as a powerful reminder that true peace is a sovereign gift from God, often contingent on our obedience, humility, and reliance upon Him. This temporary rest in the land points to a deeper, more enduring rest that God promises to His faithful.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Judges 3:30 offers profound encouragement and timeless lessons for believers today. Just as God heard the desperate cries of Israel under Moabite oppression and sovereignly provided a deliverer, so too does He hear our cries in our own times of personal, spiritual, or communal distress. This passage reminds us that God is actively and intimately involved in the affairs of His people, and He is able to bring about decisive victories and periods of profound peace even after long seasons of struggle and suffering. It calls us to cultivate a posture of humility, repentance, and earnest prayer, knowing that our turning to God is often the precursor to His powerful and transformative intervention. Furthermore, the long period of "rest" highlights the preciousness of peace and stability, urging us to cherish and steward such seasons, recognizing them as invaluable gifts from God. While this rest was temporary in the cyclical narrative of Judges, it serves as a powerful reminder that vigilance, gratitude, and continued faithfulness are essential to maintaining God's blessings, and that true, lasting peace is found only in Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "fourscore years" mean in this verse?
Answer: "Fourscore years" is an archaic English term meaning eighty years. This specific duration emphasizes the completeness and longevity of the peace achieved through Ehud's deliverance. It signifies a remarkably long and stable period, often considered a full human lifespan or two generations in ancient contexts, demonstrating God's thorough and enduring provision of rest for His people.
Does "subdued under the hand of Israel" mean God wasn't involved?
Answer: Absolutely not. While the verse states that Moab was subdued "under the hand of Israel," the broader narrative of Judges consistently attributes these victories to God raising up deliverers and empowering His people. Israel was the instrument, but God was the ultimate orchestrator and source of their strength and success. This is a common biblical idiom where human action is seen as divinely enabled, as seen in passages like Judges 2:16.
Was this period of "rest" permanent for Israel?
Answer: No, the Book of Judges is characterized by a recurring cycle of sin, oppression, crying out to God, deliverance, and then a period of rest, which eventually gives way to renewed sin and oppression. While eighty years was a significant and blessed reprieve, the subsequent chapters of Judges show that Israel eventually strayed again, leading to new cycles of trouble. This highlights the temporary nature of human-led deliverances and the ongoing need for spiritual vigilance and faithfulness to God's covenant, as alluded to in Judges 2:19.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Judges 3:30, with its depiction of a divinely granted period of "rest" after a season of severe oppression, serves as a powerful type and shadow pointing to the ultimate and eternal rest found exclusively in Jesus Christ. Ehud, a temporary deliverer, brought a temporary peace and a limited rest to a specific people, but Christ is the true and final Deliverer who secures everlasting rest for all His people. While Ehud subdued a physical enemy and brought political stability, Jesus came to decisively subdue the ultimate enemies of humanity: sin, death, and the devil. He offers a rest that transcends mere absence of conflict, inviting all who are weary and burdened by the weight of sin and life's struggles to find true spiritual peace, profound renewal, and eternal security in Him (Matthew 11:28-30). The eighty years of peace in Judges, though significant, ultimately faded as Israel's disobedience resurfaced, but the peace Christ gives is not of this world and will never be taken away, for it is rooted in His finished work on the cross (John 14:27). Through His atoning sacrifice, we are delivered from the dominion of darkness and brought into His glorious kingdom, experiencing a present rest that anticipates the eternal Sabbath-rest promised to the people of God in the new heavens and new earth, where there will be no more sorrow, crying, or pain, and God Himself will dwell among us (Colossians 1:13-14; Hebrews 4:1-11; Revelation 21:4).