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| 1 Now these are the nations which Jehovah left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; |
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| 2 only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as beforetime knew nothing thereof: |
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| 3 namely, the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entrance of Hamath. |
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| 4 And they were left, to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah, which he commanded their fathers by Moses. |
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| 5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites: |
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| 6 and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods. |
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| 7 And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and forgat Jehovah their God, and served the Baalim and the Asheroth. |
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| 8 Therefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. |
Eight years – One of many captivities, showing that the "seven times" of Lev. 26 could not be literal. B89
The chronological periods mentioned in Judges cover a total of 450 years; but the judges did not cover all the space of time, they were merely scattered over most of it. HG45:3
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| 9 And when the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah, Jehovah raised up a saviour to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. |
Cried – A cry of loyalty. R5646:3
Such a cry by a spiritual Israelite implies that the sin was contrary to the transgressor's will. R5646:3
The LORD raised up – All who cry to the Lord in sincerity and faith shall be heard and delivered. R5646:3
A deliverer – A judge in ancient times was one who executed justice and relieved the oppressed. The coming Judge of earth will be its deliverer. A142
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| 10 And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and Jehovah delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand: and his hand prevailed against Cushan-rishathaim. |
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| 11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. |
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| 12 And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and Jehovah strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah. |
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| 13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and smote Israel, and they possessed the city of palm-trees. |
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| 14 And the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. |
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| 15 But when the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah, Jehovah raised them up a saviour, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man left-handed. And the children of Israel sent tribute by him unto Eglon the king of Moab. |
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| 16 And Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh. |
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| 17 And he offered the tribute unto Eglon king of Moab: now Eglon was a very fat man. |
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| 18 And when he had made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people that bare the tribute. |
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| 19 But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king. And he said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. |
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| 20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. |
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| 21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body: |
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| 22 and the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, for he drew not the sword out of his body; and it came out behind. |
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| 23 Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room upon him, and locked them. |
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| 24 Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the upper chamber. |
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| 25 And they tarried till they were ashamed; and, behold, he opened not the doors of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened them, and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth. |
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| 26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirah. |
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| 27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the hill-country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill-country, and he before them. |
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| 28 And he said unto them, Follow after me; for Jehovah hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and suffered not a man to pass over. |
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| 29 And they smote of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man, and every man of valor; and there escaped not a man. |
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| 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years. |
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| 31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who smote of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad: and he also saved Israel. |
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