Ehud
Encyclopedia
Ehud ben‑Gera is described in the biblical
Book of Judges
as a judge who was sent by God to deliver the Israelites from Moab
ite domination.
on the pretext of delivering the Israelites' annual tribute
. He had blacksmiths make a double-edged shortsword about eighteen inches long, useful for a stabbing thrust. Being left-handed
, he could conceal the sword on his right thigh, where it was not expected.
Once they met, Ehud told Eglon he had a secret message for him. Eglon dismissed his attendants and allowed Ehud to meet him in private. Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you", drew his sword, and stabbed the king in his abdomen. Eglon was eviscerated by the blow, which caused him to leak excrement; he was so overweight that the sword disappeared into the wound and Ehud left it there. He locked the doors to the king's chamber and left.
Eglon's assistants returned when too much time had elapsed and found the doors locked. Assuming that he was relieving himself, they waited "to the point of embarrassment" before unlocking the door and finding their king dead.
Ehud escaped to the town of Seriah in Ephraim
. He sounded the shofar
and rallied the Israelite tribes, who killed the Moabites, cutting off the fords of the Jordan River, and invaded Moab
itself, killing about 10,000 Moabite soldiers.
After the death of Eglon there was peace in the land for 80 years.
Coogan argues that the story of Ehud was likely a folk tale of local origin that was edited by the Deuteronomistic historians
. The Deuteronomistic historians “incorporated a variety of previously existing sources into their narrative of life in early Israel” and the story of Ehud is one such example of a “previously existing source” that has been edited to include “the cyclical pattern” typical of the stories of the major judges. This pattern consists of apostasy, hardship, crying out to the Lord, and rescue and it is clearly present in the tale of Ehud: apostasy and hardship occur in Judges 3.12, “The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord strengthened King Eglon of Moab against Israel.” The “crying out to the Lord” and the subsequent rescue are evident in Judges 3.15: “but when the Israelites cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera.” The rather lively and humorous tale is ended with the refrain of “and the land had rest 80 years,” (Judges 3.30) an editorially constructed ending typical to Gideon (biblical figure) and other “major” judge stories in the book of Judges.
Dr Barry Webb of Moore Theological College
sees Ehud as 'directed by the Lord, who used this most unlikely hero to bring deliverance to his undeserving but desperate people'.
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
Book of Judges
Book of Judges
The Book of Judges is the seventh book of the Hebrew bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its title describes its contents: it contains the history of Biblical judges, divinely inspired prophets whose direct knowledge of Yahweh allows them to act as decision-makers for the Israelites, as...
as a judge who was sent by God to deliver the Israelites from Moab
Moab
Moab is the historical name for a mountainous strip of land in Jordan. The land lies alongside much of the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. The existence of the Kingdom of Moab is attested to by numerous archeological findings, most notably the Mesha Stele, which describes the Moabite victory over...
ite domination.
Biblical narrative
Ehud was sent to the Moabite King EglonEglon (king)
Eglon was the king of Moab who suppressed Israel in the time of the Judges.He was the head of the confederacy of Moab, Ammon and Amalek in their assault. One day, Ehud came presenting a customary tribute and tricked Eglon and stabbed him with his sword, but when Ehud attempted to draw the sword...
on the pretext of delivering the Israelites' annual tribute
Tribute
A tribute is wealth, often in kind, that one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often the case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. Various ancient states, which could be called suzerains, exacted tribute from areas they had conquered or threatened to conquer...
. He had blacksmiths make a double-edged shortsword about eighteen inches long, useful for a stabbing thrust. Being left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
, he could conceal the sword on his right thigh, where it was not expected.
Once they met, Ehud told Eglon he had a secret message for him. Eglon dismissed his attendants and allowed Ehud to meet him in private. Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you", drew his sword, and stabbed the king in his abdomen. Eglon was eviscerated by the blow, which caused him to leak excrement; he was so overweight that the sword disappeared into the wound and Ehud left it there. He locked the doors to the king's chamber and left.
Eglon's assistants returned when too much time had elapsed and found the doors locked. Assuming that he was relieving himself, they waited "to the point of embarrassment" before unlocking the door and finding their king dead.
Ehud escaped to the town of Seriah in Ephraim
Ephraim
Ephraim ; was, according to the Book of Genesis, the second son of Joseph and Asenath. Asenath was an Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph as wife, and the daughter of Potipherah, a priest of On. Ephraim was born in Egypt before the arrival of the children of Israel from Canaan...
. He sounded the shofar
Shofar
A shofar is a horn, traditionally that of a ram, used for Jewish religious purposes. Shofar-blowing is incorporated in synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.Shofar come in a variety of sizes.- Bible and rabbinic literature :...
and rallied the Israelite tribes, who killed the Moabites, cutting off the fords of the Jordan River, and invaded Moab
Moab
Moab is the historical name for a mountainous strip of land in Jordan. The land lies alongside much of the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. The existence of the Kingdom of Moab is attested to by numerous archeological findings, most notably the Mesha Stele, which describes the Moabite victory over...
itself, killing about 10,000 Moabite soldiers.
After the death of Eglon there was peace in the land for 80 years.
Biblical criticism
Coogan argues that the story of Ehud was likely a folk tale of local origin that was edited by the Deuteronomistic historians
Deuteronomist
The Deuteronomist, or simply D, is one of the sources underlying the Hebrew bible . It is found in the book of Deuteronomy, in the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings and also in the book of Jeremiah...
. The Deuteronomistic historians “incorporated a variety of previously existing sources into their narrative of life in early Israel” and the story of Ehud is one such example of a “previously existing source” that has been edited to include “the cyclical pattern” typical of the stories of the major judges. This pattern consists of apostasy, hardship, crying out to the Lord, and rescue and it is clearly present in the tale of Ehud: apostasy and hardship occur in Judges 3.12, “The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord strengthened King Eglon of Moab against Israel.” The “crying out to the Lord” and the subsequent rescue are evident in Judges 3.15: “but when the Israelites cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera.” The rather lively and humorous tale is ended with the refrain of “and the land had rest 80 years,” (Judges 3.30) an editorially constructed ending typical to Gideon (biblical figure) and other “major” judge stories in the book of Judges.
Dr Barry Webb of Moore Theological College
Moore Theological College
Moore Theological College, otherwise known simply as Moore College, is the theological training seminary of the Diocese of Sydney in the Anglican Church of Australia...
sees Ehud as 'directed by the Lord, who used this most unlikely hero to bring deliverance to his undeserving but desperate people'.
Etymology
The etymology of Ehud's name is unknown. According to Amos Chacham, medieval rabbis favored one of two explanations, but neither of these are accepted by contemporary linguists.External links
- Book of Judges article (Jewish Encyclopedia)