The people fall into idolatry – Judges, chapter 3

The people falling into idolatry are oppressed by their enemies; but repenting are delivered by Othoniel, Aod, and Samgar.

[1] These are the nations which the Lord left, that by them he might instruct Israel, and all that had not known the wars of the Chanaanites: [2] That afterwards their children might learn to fight with their enemies, and to be trained up to war: [3] The five princes of the Philistines, and all the Chanaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hevites that dwelt in mount Libanus, from mount Baal Hermon to the entering into Emath. [4] And he left them, that he might try Israel by them, whether they would hear the commandments of the Lord, which he had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses, or not. [5] So the children of Israel dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanite, and the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, and the Pherezite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite:

[6] And they took their daughters to wives, and they gave their own daughters to their sons, and they served their gods. [7] And they did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they forgot their God, and served Baalim and Astaroth. [8] And the Lord being angry with Israel, delivered them into the hands of Chusan Rasathaim king of Mesopotamia, and they served him eight years. [9] And they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a saviour, and delivered them, to wit, Othoniel the son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb: [10] And the spirit of the Lord was in him, and he judged Israel. And he went out to fight, and the Lord delivered into his hands Chusan Rasathaim king of Syria, and he overthrew him.

[11] And the land rested forty years, and Othoniel the son of Cenez died. [12] And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: who strengthened against them Eglon king of Moab: because they did evil in his sight. [13] And he joined to him the children of Ammon, and Amalec: and he went and overthrew Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees. [14] And the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years: [15] And afterwards they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a saviour called Aod, the son of Gera, the son of Jemini, who used the left hand as well as the right. And the children of Israel sent presents to Eglon king of Moab by him.

[16] And he made himself a two-edged sword, with a haft in the midst of the length of the palm of the hand, and was girded therewith under his garment on the right thigh. [17] And he presented the gifts to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was exceeding fat. [18] And when he had presented the gifts unto him, he followed his companions that came along with him. [19] Then returning from Galgal, where the idols were, he said to the king: I have a secret message to thee, O king. And he commanded silence: and all being gone out that were about him, [20] Aod went in to him: now he was sitting in a summer parlour alone, and he said: I have a word from God to thee. And he forthwith rose up from his throne,

[21] And Aod put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly, [22] With such force that the haft went in after the blade into the wound, and was closed up with the abundance of fat. So that he did not draw out the dagger, but left it in his body as he had struck it in. And forthwith by the secret parts of nature the excrements of the belly came out. [23] But Aod carefully shutting the doors of the parlour and locking them, [24] Went out by a postern door. And the king’s servants going in, saw the doors of the parlour shut, and they said: Perhaps he is easing nature in his summer parlour. [25] And waiting a long time till they were ashamed, and seeing that no man opened the door, they took a key: and opening, they found their lord lying dead on the ground.

[26] But Aod, while they were in confusion, escaped, and passed by the place of the idols, from whence he had returned. And he came to Seirath: [27] And forthwith he sounded the trumpet in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel went down with him, he himself going in the front. [28] And he said to them: Follow me: for the Lord hath delivered our enemies the Moabites into our hands. And they went down after him, and seized upon the fords of the Jordan, which are in the way to Moab: and they suffered no man to pass over. [29] But they slew of the Moabites at that time, about ten thousand, all strong and Valiant men: none of them could escape. [30] And Moab was humbled that day under the hand of Israel: and the land rested eighty years.

[31] After him was Samgar the son of Anath, who slew of the Philistines six hundred men with a ploughshare: and he also defended Israel.

Commentary

[8] “Mesopotamia”: In Hebrew Aramnaharim. Syria of the two rivers: so called because it lies between the Euphrates and the Tigris. It is absolutely called Syria, ver. 10.

[20] “A word from God”: What Aod, who was judge and chief magistrate of Israel, did on this occasion, was by a special inspiration of God: but such things are not to be imitated by private men.