3:12 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. 1 The Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel 2 because they had done evil in the Lord’s sight. 3:13 Eglon formed alliances with 3 the Ammonites and Amalekites. He came and defeated Israel, and they seized the City of Date Palm Trees. 3:14 The Israelites were subject to 4 King Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.
3:15 When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he 5 raised up a deliverer for them. His name was Ehud son of Gera the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. 6 The Israelites sent him to King Eglon of Moab with their tribute payment. 7
1 tn Heb “in the eyes of the
2 tn Heb “strengthened Eglon…against Israel.”
3 tn Heb “and he gathered to him.”
4 tn Or “the Israelites served Eglon.”
5 tn Heb “the
6 tn 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,” BRev 4 (1988): 35.
7 tn Heb “The Israelites sent by his hand an offering to Eglon, king of Moab.”