^2:1The Lord’s angelic messenger¹ went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors.² I said, ‘I will never break my agreement³ with you, ^2:2but you must not make an agreement with the people who live in this land. You should tear down the altars where they worship.’⁴ But you have disobeyed me.⁵ Why would you do such a thing?⁶^2:3At that time I also warned you,⁷ ‘If you disobey,⁸ I will not drive out the Canaanites⁹ before you. They will ensnare you¹⁰ and their gods will lure you away.’ ”¹¹

^2:4When the Lord’s messenger finished speaking these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly.¹²^2:5They named that place Bokim¹³ and offered sacrifices to the Lord there.

The End of an Era

^2:6When Joshua dismissed¹⁴ the people, the Israelites went to their allotted portions of territory,¹⁵ intending to take possession of the land. ^2:7The people worshiped¹⁶ the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men¹⁷ who outlived him remained alive. These men had witnessed¹⁸ all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.¹⁹^2:8Joshua son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died at the age of one hundred ten. ^2:9The people²⁰ buried him in his allotted land²¹ in Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. ^2:10That entire generation passed away;²² a new generation grew up²³ that had not personally experienced the Lord’s presence or seen what he had done for Israel.²⁴

A Monotonous Cycle

^2:11The Israelites did evil before²⁵ the Lord by worshiping²⁶ the Baals. ^2:12They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors²⁷ who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods—the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped²⁸ them and made the Lord angry. ^2:13They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtars.²⁹

^2:14The Lord was furious with Israel³⁰ and handed them over to robbers who plundered them.³¹ He turned them over to³² their enemies who lived around them. They could not withstand their enemies’ attacks.³³^2:15Whenever they went out to fight,³⁴ the Lord did them harm,³⁵ just as he had warned and solemnly vowed he would do.³⁶ They suffered greatly.³⁷

^2:16The Lord raised up leaders³⁸ who delivered them from these robbers.³⁹^2:17But they did not obey⁴⁰ their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped⁴¹ them. They quickly turned aside from the path⁴² their ancestors⁴³ had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lord’s commands, but they did not.⁴⁴^2:18When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people⁴⁵ from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them⁴⁶ when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them.⁴⁷^2:19When a leader died, the next generation⁴⁸ would again⁴⁹ act more wickedly than the previous one.⁵⁰ They would follow after other gods, worshiping them⁵¹ and bowing down to them. They did not give up⁵² their practices or their stubborn ways.

A Divine Decision

^2:20The Lord was furious with Israel.⁵³ He said, “This nation⁵⁴ has violated the terms of the agreement I made with their ancestors⁵⁵ by disobeying me.⁵⁶^2:21So I will no longer remove before them any of the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died. ^2:22Joshua left those nations⁵⁷ to test⁵⁸ Israel. I wanted to see⁵⁹ whether or not the people⁶⁰ would carefully walk in the path⁶¹ marked out by⁶² the Lord, as their ancestors⁶³ were careful to do.” ^2:23This is why⁶⁴ the Lord permitted these nations to remain and did not conquer them immediately;⁶⁵ he did not hand them over to Joshua.

^3:1These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel—he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites.¹^3:2He left those nations simply because he wanted to teach the subsequent generations of Israelites, who had not experienced the earlier battles, how to conduct holy war.²^3:3These were the nations:³ the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo-Hamath.⁴^3:4They were left to test Israel, so the Lord would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses.⁵

^3:5The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ^3:6They took the Canaanites’ daughters as wives and gave their daughters to the Canaanites;⁶ they worshiped⁷ their gods as well.

Othniel: A Model Leader

^3:7The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight.⁸ They forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.⁹^3:8The Lord was furious with Israel¹⁰ and turned them over to¹¹ King Cushan-Rishathaim¹² of Aram-Naharaim. They were Cushan-Rishathaim’s subjects¹³ for eight years. ^3:9When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he¹⁴ raised up a deliverer for the Israelites who rescued¹⁵ them. His name was Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.¹⁶^3:10The Lord’s spirit empowered him¹⁷ and he led Israel. When he went to do battle, the Lord handed over to him King Cushan-Rishathaim of Aram and he overpowered him.¹⁸^3:11The land had rest for forty years; then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Deceit, Assassination, and Deliverance

^3:12The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight.¹⁹ The Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel²⁰ because they had done evil in the Lord’s sight. ^3:13Eglon formed alliances with²¹ the Ammonites and Amalekites. He came and defeated Israel, and they seized the City of Date Palm Trees. ^3:14The Israelites were subject to²² King Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.

^3:15When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he²³ raised up a deliverer for them. His name was Ehud son of Gera the Benjaminite, a left-handed man.²⁴ The Israelites sent him to King Eglon of Moab with their tribute payment.²⁵^3:16Ehud made himself a sword—it had two edges and was eighteen inches long.²⁶ He strapped it under his coat on his right thigh. ^3:17He brought the tribute payment to King Eglon of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.)

^3:18After Ehud brought the tribute payment, he dismissed the people who had carried it.²⁷^3:19But he went back²⁸ once he reached²⁹ the carved images³⁰ at Gilgal. He said to Eglon,³¹ “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon³² said, “Be quiet!”³³ All his attendants left. ^3:20When Ehud approached him, he was sitting in his well-ventilated³⁴ upper room all by himself. Ehud said, “I have a message from God³⁵ for you.” When Eglon rose up from his seat,³⁶^3:21Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and drove it into Eglon’s³⁷ belly. ^3:22The handle went in after the blade, and the fat closed around the blade, for Ehud³⁸ did not pull the sword out of his belly.³⁹^3:23As Ehud went out into the vestibule,⁴⁰ he closed the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

^3:24When Ehud had left, Eglon’s⁴¹ servants came and saw the locked doors of the upper room. They said, “He must be relieving himself⁴² in the well-ventilated inner room.”⁴³^3:25They waited so long they were embarrassed, but he still did not open the doors of the upper room. Finally they took the key and opened the doors.⁴⁴ Right before their eyes was their master, sprawled out dead on the floor!⁴⁵^3:26Now Ehud had escaped while they were delaying. When he passed the carved images, he escaped to Seirah.

^3:27When he reached Seirah,⁴⁶ he blew a trumpet⁴⁷ in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites went down with him from the hill country, with Ehud in the lead.⁴⁸^3:28He said to them, “Follow me, for the Lord is about to defeat your enemies, the Moabites!”⁴⁹ They followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan River⁵⁰ opposite Moab,⁵¹ and did not let anyone cross. ^3:29That day they killed about ten thousand Moabites⁵²—all strong, capable warriors; not one escaped. ^3:30Israel humiliated Moab that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.

^3:31After Ehud⁵³ came⁵⁴ Shamgar son of Anath; he killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad and, like Ehud,⁵⁵ delivered Israel.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

2 Heb “the land that I had sworn to your fathers.”
3 Or “covenant” (also in the following verse).
4 Heb “their altars.”
5 Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”
6 Heb “What is this you have done?”
7 Heb “And I also said.” The use of the perfect tense here suggests that the messenger is recalling an earlier statement (see Josh 23:12–13). However, some translate, “And I also say,” understanding the following words as an announcement of judgment upon those gathered at Bokim.
8 The words “If you disobey” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See Josh 23:12–13.
9 Heb “them”; the referent (the Canaanites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 The meaning of the Hebrew word צִדִּים (tsiddim) is uncertain in this context. It may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “snare.” If so, a more literal translation would be “they will become snares to you.” Normally the term in question means “sides,” but this makes no sense here. On the basis of Num 33:55 some suggest the word for “thorns” has been accidentally omitted. If this word is added, the text would read, “they will become [thorns] in your sides” (cf. , , ).
11 Heb “their gods will become a snare to you.”
12 Heb “lifted their voices and wept.”
13 Bokim means “weeping ones” and is derived from the Hebrew verb בָּכָא (bakha’, “to weep”).
14 Or “sent away.”
15 Heb “the Israelites went each to his inheritance.”
16 Or “served”; or “followed.”
17 Or perhaps “elders,” which could be interpreted to mean “leaders.”
18 Heb “all the days of Joshua and all the days of the old men who outlived him, who had seen.”
19 Heb “the great work of the Lord which he had done for Israel.”
20 Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
21 Heb “in the territory of his inheritance.”
22 Heb “All that generation were gathered to their fathers.”
23 Heb “arose after them.”
24 Heb “that did not know the Lord or the work which he had done for Israel.” The expressions “personally experienced” and “seen” are interpretive.
25 Heb “in the eyes of.”
26 Or “serving”; or “following.”
27 Or “fathers.”
28 Or “bowed before” (the same expression occurs in the following verse).
29 Some English translations simply transliterate the plural Hebrew term (“Ashtaroth,” cf. , ), pluralize the transliterated Hebrew singular form (“Ashtoreths,” cf. ), or use a variation of the name (“Astartes,” cf. ). The Ashtars were local manifestations of the goddess Astarte.
30 Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”
31 Heb “robbers who robbed them.” (The verb שָׁסָה [shasah] appears twice in the verse.) The expression robbers who plundered them is a derogatory reference to the enemy nations, as the next line indicates.
32 Heb “sold them into the hands of.”
33 The word “attacks” is supplied in the translation both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
34 The expression “to fight” is interpretive.
35 Heb “the Lord’s hand was against them for harm.”
36 Heb “just as he had said and just as he had sworn to them.”
37 Or “they experienced great distress.”
38 Or more traditionally, “judges” (also in vv. 17, 18 [3×], 19). Since these figures carried out more than a judicial function, also serving as rulers and (in several instances) as military commanders, the translation uses the term “leaders.”
39 Heb “and they delivered them from the hand of the ones robbing them.”
40 Or “did not listen to.”
41 Or “bowed before.”
42 Or “way [of life].”
43 Or “fathers.”
44 Heb “… walked, obeying the Lord’s commands. They did not do this.”
45 Heb “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
46 The phrase “for them” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
47 Heb “the ones oppressing them and afflicting them.” The synonyms “oppressing” and “afflicting” are joined together in the translation as “harsh oppressors” to emphasize the cruel character of their enemies.
48 Heb “they”; the referent (the next generation) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
49 The verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to turn”) is sometimes translated “turn back” here, but it is probably used in an adverbial sense, indicating that the main action (“act wickedly”) is being repeated.
50 Heb “their fathers.” The statement the next generation would again act more wickedly than the previous one must refer to the successive sinful generations after Joshua, not Joshua’s godly generation (cf. vv. 7, 17).
51 Or “serving [them]”; or “following [them].”
52 Or “drop.”
53 Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”
54 Heb “Because this nation.”
55 Heb “my covenant which I commanded their fathers.”
56 Heb “and has not listened to my voice.” The expression “to not listen to [God’s] voice” is idiomatic here for disobeying him.
57 The words “Joshua left those nations” are interpretive. The Hebrew text of v. 22 simply begins with “to test.” Some subordinate this phrase to “I will no longer remove” (v. 21). In this case the Lord announces that he has now decided to leave these nations as a test for Israel. Another possibility is to subordinate “to test” to “He said” (v. 20; see B. Lindars, Judges 1–5, 111). In this case the statement recorded in vv. 20b–21 is the test in that it forces Israel to respond either positively (through repentance) or negatively to the Lord’s declaration. A third possibility (the one reflected in the present translation) is to subordinate “to test” to “left unconquered” (v. 21). In this case the Lord recalls that Joshua left these nations as a test. Israel has failed the test (v. 20), so the Lord announces that the punishment threatened earlier (Josh 23:12–13; see also Judg 2:3) will now be implemented. As B. G. Webb (Judges [], ) observes, “The nations which were originally left as a test are now left as a punishment.” This view best harmonizes v. 23, which explains that the Lord did not give all the nations to Joshua, with v. 22. (For a grammatical parallel, where the infinitive construct of נָסָה [nasah] is subordinated to the perfect of עָזַב [’azav], see 2 Chr 32:31.)
58 The Hebrew text includes the phrase “by them,” but this is somewhat redundant in English and has been omitted from the translation for stylistic reasons.
59 The words “I [i.e., the Lord] wanted to see” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
60 Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
61 Or “way [of life].”
62 “The words “marked out by” are interpretive.
63 Or “fathers.”
64 The words “this is why” are interpretive.
65 Or “quickly.”
1 Heb “did not know the wars of Canaan.”
2 The Hebrew syntax of v. 2 is difficult. The Hebrew text reads literally, “only in order that the generations of the Israelites might know, to teach them war—only those who formerly did not know them.” The stated purpose for leaving the nations (to teach the subsequent generations … how to conduct holy war) seems to contradict 2:22 and 3:4, which indicate the nations were left to test Israel’s loyalty to the Lord. However, the two stated purposes can be harmonized. The willingness of later generations to learn and engage in holy war would measure their allegiance to the Lord (see B. G. Webb, Judges [], ).
3 The words “These were the nations,” though not present in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarity.
4 Or “the entrance to Hamath.”
5 Heb “to know if they would hear the commands of the Lord which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.”
6 Heb “to their sons.”
7 Or “served”; or “followed” (this term occurs in the following verse as well).
8 Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.”
9 The Asherahs were local manifestations of the Canaanite goddess Asherah.
10 Or “The Lord’s anger burned (or raged) against Israel.”
11 Heb “sold them into the hands of.”
12 Or “Cushan the Doubly Wicked.”
13 Or “they served Cushan-Rishathaim.”
14 Heb “the Lord.”
15 Or “delivered.”
16 “Caleb’s younger brother” may refer to Othniel or to Kenaz (in which case Othniel is Caleb’s nephew).
17 Heb “was on him.”
18 Heb “his hand was strong against Cushan-Rishathaim.”
19 Heb “in the eyes of the Lord” (also later in this verse).
20 Heb “strengthened Eglon … against Israel.”
21 Heb “and he gathered to him.”
22 Or “the Israelites served Eglon.”
23 Heb “the Lord.” This has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
24 The phrase, which refers to Ehud, literally reads “bound/restricted in the right hand,” apparently a Hebrew idiom for a left-handed person. See Judg 20:16, where 700 Benjaminites are described in this way. Perhaps the Benjaminites purposely trained several of their young men to be left-handed warriors by restricting the use of the right hand from an early age so the left hand would become dominant. Left-handed men would have a distinct military advantage, especially when attacking city gates. See B. Halpern, “The Assassination of Eglon: The First Locked-Room Murder Mystery,” 4 (1988): 35.
25 Heb “The Israelites sent by his hand an offering to Eglon, king of Moab.”
26 The Hebrew term גֹּמֶד (gomed) denotes a unit of linear measure, perhaps a cubit (the distance between the elbow and the tip of the middle finger—approximately 18 inches [45 cm]). Some suggest it is equivalent to the short cubit (the distance between the elbow and the knuckles of the clenched fist—approximately 13 inches [33 cm]) or to the span (the distance between the end of the thumb and the end of the little finger in a spread hand—approximately 9 inches [23 cm]). See 167 ; ; B. Lindars, Judges 1–5, 142.
27 Heb “the tribute payment.”
28 Or “returned” (i.e., to Eglon’s palace).
29 The words “when he reached” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text simply reads “from.”
30 Or “idols.”
31 The words “to Eglon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
32 Heb “he”; the referent (Eglon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
33 Or “Hush!”
34 Or “cool.” This probably refers to a room with latticed windows which allowed the breeze to pass through. See B. Lindars, Judges 1–5, 144.
35 Heb “word of [i.e., from] God.”
36 Or “throne.”
37 Heb “his”; the referent (Eglon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
38 Heb “he”; the referent (Ehud) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
39 The Hebrew text has “and he went out to the [?].” The meaning of the Hebrew word פַּרְשְׁדֹנָה (parshédonah) which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. The noun has the article prefixed and directive suffix. The word may be a technical architectural term, indicating the area into which Ehud moved as he left the king and began his escape. In this case Ehud is the subject of the verb “went out.” The present translation omits the clause, understanding it as an ancient variant of the first clause in v. 23. Some take the noun as “back,” understand “sword” (from the preceding clause) as the subject, and translate “the sword came out his [i.e., Eglon’s] back.” But this rendering is unlikely since the Hebrew word for “sword” (חֶרֶב, kherev) is feminine and the verb form translated “came out” (וַיֵּצֵא, vayyetse’) is masculine. (One expects agreement in gender when the subject is supplied from the preceding clause. See Ezek 33:4, 6.) See B. Lindars, Judges 1–5, 146–48, for discussion of the options.
40 Again the precise meaning of the Hebrew word, used only here in the OT, is uncertain. Since it is preceded by the verb “went out” and the next clause refers to Ehud closing doors, the noun is probably an architectural term referring to the room (perhaps a vestibule; see מִסְדְּרוֹן) immediately outside the king’s upper chamber. As v. 24 indicates, this vestibule separated the upper room from an outer room where the king’s servants were waiting.
41 Heb “his.”
42 Heb “covering his feet” (i.e., with his outer garments while he relieves himself).
43 The Hebrew expression translated “well-ventilated inner room” may refer to the upper room itself or to a bathroom attached to or within it.
44 The words “the doors” are supplied.
45 Heb “See, their master, fallen to the ground, dead.”
46 Heb “When he arrived.”
47 That is, “mustered an army.”
48 Heb “now he was before them.”
49 Heb “for the Lord has given your enemies, Moab, into your hand.” The verb form (a Hebrew perfect, indicating completed action from the standpoint of the speaker) emphasizes the certainty of the event. Though it had not yet taken place, the Lord speaks of it as a “done deal.”
50 The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarity.
51 Or “against Moab,” that is, so as to prevent the Moabites from crossing.
52 Heb “They struck Moab that day—about ten thousand men.”
53 Heb “him”; the referent (Ehud) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
54 Heb “was.”
55 Heb “also he”; the referent (Ehud) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

Cross references

1 See Exod 14:19; 23:20.