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Judges 3:22

in Judges 3

Even the handle sank in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And Eglon’s bowels emptied.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

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.

KJV

And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

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This verse in Judges 3

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

The haft also went in after the blade - As the instrument was very short, and Eglon very corpulent, this might readily take place. And the dirt came out - This is variously understood: either the contents of the bowels issued through the wound, or he had an evacuation in the natural way through the fright and anguish.

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. 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.

This site's exposition

Even the handle sank in after the blade

Adam Clarke explains the handle sinking in by the short blade and Eglon's great size. He gives two readings of the last clause, either the bowels emptied through the wound or the body emptied itself from terror. The detail explains the servants' mistake in verse 24.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

But it will by no means justify any now in doing the like. No such commissions are now given, and to pretend to them is to blaspheme God, and made him patronize the worst of villanies. Christ bade Peter sheathe the sword, and we find not that he bade him draw it again. [5.] Providence wonderfully favoured his escape, when he had done the execution.
And the haft went in, after the blade,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

Ehud put forth his left hand--The whole circumstance of this daring act--the death of Eglon without a shriek, or noise--the locking of the doors--the carrying off the key--the calm, unhurried deportment of Ehud--show the strength of his confidence that he was doing God service.
The King James Version and margin give different explanations of the last words of this verse. Others explain it of a vestibule or chamber, through which Ehud passed into the porch where the entrance doors were. He locked the doors, took the key with him; and then retired through the midst of the attendants below (or: more probably, through the door which communicated directly with the outside).

The words behind it

16 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיָּבֹ֨אand it went

    vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times

  • גַֽם־also

    gam-H1571 →769 times

  • הַנִּצָּ֜בthe hilt

    hanitzavH5325 →

  • אַחַ֣רafter

    ʾacharH310 →715 times

  • הַלַּ֗הַבthe blade

    halahavH3851 →12 times

  • וַיִּסְגֹּ֤רand it closed up

    vaiyisgorH5462 →91 times

  • הַחֵ֙לֶב֙the fat

    hachelevH2459 →

  • בְּעַ֣דbehind

    beadH1157 →105 times

  • הַלַּ֔הַבthe blade

    halahavH3851 →12 times

  • כִּ֣יthat

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • לֹ֥אnot

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • שָׁלַ֛ףhe drew out

    shalafH8025 →25 times

  • הַחֶ֖רֶבthe sword

    hacherevH2719 →413 times

  • מִבִּטְנ֑וֹfrom belly his

    mibitnoH990 →72 times

  • וַיֵּצֵ֖אand he went out

    vaiyetze'H3318 →1067 times

  • הַֽפַּרְשְׁדֹֽנָה׃the hole towards

    haparshedonahH6574 →

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Where this verse is studied

About Judges

Jael, Deborah and Barak, Salomon de Bray, 1635. Public domain.
Jael, Deborah and Barak, Salomon de Bray, 1635. Public domain.
Judges: the study guide →Read Judges 3 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Judges 3 →