Discovery BoxJudges 2:18 
Context2:18 When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people 1 from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them 2 when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them. 3
Judges 3:15
Context3:15 When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he 4 raised up a deliverer for them. His name was Ehud son of Gera the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. 5 The Israelites sent him to King Eglon of Moab with their tribute payment. 6
1 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn The phrase “for them” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
3 tn 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.
4 tn Heb “the
5 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.
6 tn Heb “The Israelites sent by his hand an offering to Eglon, king of Moab.”
