Judges 3:20
in Judges 3Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in the coolness of his upper room. “I have a word from God for you,” Ehud said, and the king rose from his seat.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
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This verse in Judges 3
Commentary
11 notes on this verseHe was sitting in a summer parlor - Besides the platforms, says Dr. Shaw, which were upon the ancient houses of the East, and which are found there to this day, it is probable that heretofore, as well as at present, most of the great houses had a smaller one annexed, which seldom consisted of more than one or two rooms and a terrace. Others, built as they frequently are above the porch or gateway, have, if we except the ground-floor, all the conveniences belonging to the house, properly so called.
This site's exposition
the king rose from his seat
on Judges 3:20-22
Ehud says "I have a word from God for you", and the king rises, the only mark of respect in the scene. The account gives hand, thigh, belly, handle and fat in short clauses, and the King James softens none of it. No command to Ehud is recorded and no word from God follows the deed, so readers divide over whether it is commended or only told.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
What did you mean by saying, two thousand fall at the side? Naturally, when the right hand is designated and the left is not, the side is named in place of the left hand. It would not be right, certainly, for the just man to have a left hand: "If someone strikes you on the right cheek," counsels the Lord, "turn to him the other also." Notice that he did not say, "the left also," for it is not the left cheek that is offered, but another right cheek.
Let's observe how Ehud, whose name means "praise," discharged his leadership. History teaches us, in its writings about King Eglon, how this most wise Ehud with particular skill and, if I may say, cunning but praiseworthy deception, would kill the tyrant Eglon, whose name means "round" or "circular." It was necessary, then, to have the quality of judges of our people as was this Ehud, whose name means "praise," so to cut through all his rolling motion and circuit of evil ways and to destroy the king of the Moabites. But Moabite is translated as "flow" or "effusion." Who can the ruler or leader of this flowing and dissolute people be seen or understood to be, therefore, other than the word of that philosophy which adjudges pleasure to be the highest good, a philosophy which the word of the gospel, which has been compared to a sword, killed and destroyed? And this prophetic word would become enclosed within their belly and lowest stomach by means of the "ambidextrous" judge's arguments, to extinguish the Moabites by assertion of the truth, enclosing also every sense of perverse doctrine and dull understanding "which extols itself and rises against the spiritual knowledge of Christ," so that by acting thus and by doing battle with the word of God, each judge of the church may also become a praising Ehud, about whom the Lord would say, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few, so I will set you over many."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), and that message was a dagger. God sends to us by the judgments of his hand, as well as by the judgments of his mouth. Secondly, Eglon pays respect to a message from God.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
A summer parlor - Into which he used to retire from company: which is mentioned as the reason why his servants waited so long ere they went in to him, ver. 25.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-25-anchored-20-20
And Ehud came unto him,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
a summer parlour--Hebrew, "chamber of cooling"--one of those retired edifices which Oriental grandees usually have in their gardens, and in which they repose during the heat of the day.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3455: “A Message From God” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
CAN there be a person here present to whom God has never sent a message? Possibly the question may startle you. The very thought of the great invisible God sending such a message seems to you strange and unlikely. To me it is far more surprising that anyone should imagine He has never done so! Is He your Creator? And has He who made you launched you forth on the tempestuous sea of life to drift in solitude without compass or guide?
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3455: “A Message From God” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
CAN there be a person here present to whom God has never sent a message? Possibly the question may startle you. The very thought of the great invisible God sending such a message seems to you strange and unlikely. To me it is far more surprising that anyone should imagine He has never done so! Is He your Creator? And has He who made you launched you forth on the tempestuous sea of life to drift in solitude without compass or guide? We know that He has made you immortal—is it possible that during that short life which is a preface to eternity, upon which that never ending period depends—is it possible that He has left you without any sort of communication? Does it seem likely? You call Him, "Father," because He is the Author of your being—can He be your Father and yet have no concern for your well-being—never have spoken to you, never have sent a message from His great Throne to your hearts? How improbable this sounds! Is not the question open to another solution? The truth of the matter, I think, is that you have been deaf to God's messages! He has often desired to correspond with you, no, He has sent some communications to you, but you have resented and rejected them. Is it not likely that He has often spoken when you have not heard and that He has drawn near to you and called to you when you would not listen to Him? I think, from the analogy of nature, this looks like a correct statement of the case. It cannot be that God has left the world—it must be that the world has left God! It is not possible that God has ceased to speak to the soul.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Probably Ehud’s first message Jdg 3:19 had been delivered to the attendants, and by them carried to the king. Now Ehud is admitted to the king’s presence, into the cool upper chamber. I have a message from God unto thee - Ehud believed himself to be accomplishing the divine mandate, and so his words were true in a certain sense. But it was also a stratagem to cause the king to rise, that the thrust might be sure. (The king rose at once, in true Oriental respect for a divine message, or from fear, compare Jos 9:24.)
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאֵה֣וּד׀ | veehud | and Ehud | H164 → | 9 times |
| בָּ֣א | ba' | he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵלָ֗יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וְהֽוּא־ | vehu'- | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| יֹ֠שֵׁב | yoshev | [was] sitting | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בַּעֲלִיַּ֨ת | baaliyat | in [the] roof chamber of | H5944 → | 20 times |
| הַמְּקֵרָ֤ה | hamekerah | the coolness | H4747 → | |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | [belonged] to <the> him | ||
| לְבַדּ֔וֹ | levado | to only him | H905 → | 200 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵה֔וּד | ʾehud | Ehud | H164 → | 9 times |
| דְּבַר־ | devar- | a word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֥ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לִ֖י | li | [belongs] to <the> me | ||
| אֵלֶ֑יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וַיָּ֖קָם | vaiyakom | and he rose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| מֵעַ֥ל | meal | from on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַכִּסֵּֽא׃ | hakise' | the throne | H3678 → |
וְאֵה֣וּד׀and Ehud
veehudH164 →9 times
בָּ֣אhe came
ba'H935 →2568 times
אֵלָ֗יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
וְהֽוּא־and he
vehu'-H1931 →1879 times
יֹ֠שֵׁב[was] sitting
yoshevH3427 →1079 times
בַּעֲלִיַּ֨תin [the] roof chamber of
baaliyatH5944 →20 times
הַמְּקֵרָ֤הthe coolness
hamekerahH4747 →
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
לוֹ֙[belonged] to <the> him
lo
לְבַדּ֔וֹto only him
levadoH905 →200 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵה֔וּדEhud
ʾehudH164 →9 times
דְּבַר־a word of
devar-H1697 →1440 times
אֱלֹהִ֥יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
לִ֖י[belongs] to <the> me
li
אֵלֶ֑יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
וַיָּ֖קָםand he rose
vaiyakomH6965 →628 times
מֵעַ֥לfrom on
mealH5921 →5755 times
הַכִּסֵּֽא׃the throne
hakise'H3678 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Micah 6:9The voice of the LORD calls out to the city (and it is sound wisdom to fear Your name): “Heed the rod and the One who ordained it.
it leads to
- Revelation 3:19
Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hosea 14:9
Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them but the rebellious stumble in…
- Revelation 3:19
Through
Amos 3:15I will tear down the winter house along with the summer house; the houses of ivory will also perish, and the great houses will come to an end,” declares the LORD.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 22:39
As for the rest of the acts of Ahab, along with all his accomplishments and the ivory palace and all the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles…
- Jeremiah 36:22
Since it was the ninth month, the king was sitting in his winter quarters with a fire burning before him.
- Amos 6:11
For the LORD gives a command: “The great house will be smashed to pieces, and the small house to rubble.”
- Isaiah 5:9
I heard the LORD of Hosts declare: “Surely many houses will become desolate, great mansions left unoccupied.
- 1 Kings 22:39
Through
Jeremiah 10:7Who would not fear You, O King of nations? This is Your due. For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You.
it leads to
- Revelation 15:4
Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.”
- Psalms 22:28
For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.
- Revelation 15:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Judges
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3455: “A Message From God” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 20 (Ps 90); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JUDGES 4.1.