וְאֵלֶּה הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִנִּיחַ ה' לְנַסּוֹת בָּם אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדְעוּ אֵת כָּל מִלְחֲמוֹת כְּנָעַן

These are the nations that the Lord left and did not destroy entirely during the days of Joshua, in order to test Israel with them. In principle, Israel could have defeated all of the nations of the land, but they failed to do so, sometimes for lack of desire, at other times for lack of ability. God allowed those nations to survive in order to test all those who did not know all the wars of Canaan;

רַק לְמַעַן דַּעַת דֹּרוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְלַמְּדָם מִלְחָמָה רַק אֲשֶׁר לְפָנִים לֹא יְדָעוּם

it was only so that the generations of the children of Israel would know, to teach them war. The purpose of the continued presence of the enemies was to instruct Israel how to fight wars, since they did not know of it beforehand. Because they had no prior experience in battle, they therefore preferred to enact peace treaties rather than fight. The early commentaries explain the verse differently: The later generations needed to familiarize themselves with war due to their sins, unlike their more worthy predecessors, for whom miracles were performed.

חֲמֵשֶׁת סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וְכָל הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַצִּידֹנִי וְהַחִוִּי יֹשֵׁב הַר הַלְּבָנוֹן מֵהַר בַּעַל חֶרְמוֹן עַד לְבוֹא חֲמָת

Important rulers remained in place: The five governors of the Philistines, who controlled the five major Philistine cities, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites, inhabitants of the highlands of the Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Levo Hamat. All the foreign tribes that lived in the region of Tyre and Sidon, which was supposed to be part of the inheritance of Israel, remained there.

וַיִּהְיוּ לְנַסּוֹת בָּם אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לָדַעַת הֲיִשְׁמְעוּ אֶת מִצְוֹת ה' אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶת אֲבוֹתָם בְּיַד מֹשֶׁה

They were for the testing of Israel with them, to know whether they would heed the commandments of the Lord that He commanded their fathers at the hand of Moses, to destroy the Canaanites and eradicate their places of worship.

ובְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יָשְׁבוּ בְּקֶרֶב הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַחִתִּי וְהָאֱמֹרִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי

However, in practice the children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hitites, and the Emorites, and the Perizites, and the Hivites, and the Yevusites,

וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם לָהֶם לְנָשִׁים וְאֶת בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם נָתְנוּ לִבְנֵיהֶם וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם

and took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and they served their gods. As time passed, they lived alongside the foreign nations in harmony and even developed intimate relations with them.

וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה' וַיִּשְׁכְּחוּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֶת הַבְּעָלִים וְאֶת הָאֲשֵׁרוֹת

The children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and they forgot the Lord their God, and they served the Be’alim and the sacred trees.

וַיִּחַר אַף ה' בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּמְכְּרֵם בְּיַד כּוּשַׁן רִשְׁעָתַיִם מֶלֶךְ אֲרַם נַהֲרָיִם וַיַּעַבְדוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת כּוּשַׁן רִשְׁעָתַיִם שְׁמֹנֶה שָׁנִים

The wrath of the Lord was enflamed against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Kushan Rishatayim king of Aram Naharayim; and the children of Israel served Kushan Rishatayim for eight years.

וַיִּזְעֲקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל ה' וַיָּקֶם ה' מוֹשִׁיעַ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיּוֹשִׁיעֵם אֵת עָתְנִיאֵל בֶּן קְנַז אֲחִי כָלֵב הַקָּטֹן מִמֶּנּוּ

The children of Israel cried out to the Lord due to their subjugation, and the Lord raised a savior for the children of Israel, and he saved them: Otniel son of Kenaz, who was Caleb’s half-brother, as well as his son-in-law, as related above (1:12–13), who was younger than he.

וַתְּהִי עָלָיו רוּחַ ה' וַיִּשְׁפֹּט אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה וַיִּתֵּן ה' בְּיָדוֹ אֶת כּוּשַׁן רִשְׁעָתַיִם מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם וַתָּעָז יָדוֹ עַל כּוּשַׁן רִשְׁעָתָיִם

The spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. Like the other judges, Otniel was not officially appointed over the people; rather, he was an inspired individual. Moreover, he did not become a judge who guided Israel due to his distinguished lineage, but as a result of the spirit of God that rested upon him. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Kushan Rishatayim king of Aram into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Kushan Rishatayim.

וַתִּשְׁקֹט הָאָרֶץ אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה וַיָּמָת עָתְנִיאֵל בֶּן קְנַז

The land was tranquil for forty years; and Otniel the son of Kenaz died.

וַיֹּסִפוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה' וַיְחַזֵּק ה' אֶת עֶגְלוֹן מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל כִּי עָשׂוּ אֶת הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה'

The children of Israel continued to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, after they had been saved from the first subjugation; as a punishment the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moav, who prevailed against Israel, because they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

וַיֶּאֱסֹף אֵלָיו אֶת בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וַעֲמָלֵק וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיַּךְ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּירְשׁוּ אֶת עִיר הַתְּמָרִים

He also gathered to him the children of Amon, who resided nearby, and Amalek, a group of nomadic tribes that had harassed Israel on more than one occasion either alone or in collaboration with others; and he, Eglon, went and smote Israel, and they, the Moavites, took possession of the city of the date palms, in the region near Jericho (see 1:16).

וַיַּעַבְדוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עֶגְלוֹן מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה

The children of Israel served Eglon king of Moav for eighteen years. Eglon became ruler of the land, although he was apparently not a harsh master.

וַיִּזְעֲקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל ה' וַיָּקֶם ה' לָהֶם מוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת אֵהוּד בֶּן גֵּרָא בֶּן הַיְמִינִי אִישׁ אִטֵּר יַד יְמִינוֹ וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיָדוֹ מִנְחָה לְעֶגְלוֹן מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב

The children of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a savior, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, from the tribe of Benjamin, who was a left-handed man, an important detail for the continuation of the story. The children of Israel sent a gift in his hand to Eglon, to honor him as king of Moav.

וַיַּעַשׂ לוֹ אֵהוּד חֶרֶב וְלָהּ שְׁנֵי פֵיוֹת גֹּמֶד אָרְכָּהּ וַיַּחְגֹּר אוֹתָהּ מִתַּחַת לְמַדָּיו עַל יֶרֶךְ יְמִינוֹ

Ehud crafted for himself a sword with two edges; it was sharpened on both sides, unlike ordinary swords, which have only one sharpened edge and are dull on the other. Furthermore, its length was a relatively smaller measure than the typical cubit. He girded it under his garments on his right thigh. A right-handed person places his sword upon his left thigh, so that he can unsheathe it easily with his right hand. Since Ehud was left-handed, he could gird his sword on his right side without arousing suspicion, as people would not expect it to be there.

וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת הַמִּנְחָה לְעֶגְלוֹן מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וְעֶגְלוֹן אִישׁ בָּרִיא מְאֹד

He offered the gift to Eglon king of Moav, and Eglon was a very obese man. This detail is also significant for the story.

וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלָּה לְהַקְרִיב אֶת הַמִּנְחָה וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת הָעָם נֹשְׂאֵי הַמִּנְחָה

It was when he concluded presenting the gift that he, Ehud, sent away the rest of the people who had carried the gift.

וְהוּא שָׁב מִן הַפְּסִילִים אֲשֶׁר אֶת הַגִּלְגָּל וַיֹּאמֶר דְּבַר סֵתֶר לִי אֵלֶיךָ הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר הָס! וַיֵּצְאוּ מֵעָלָיו כָּל הָעֹמְדִים עָלָיו

He returned from the stone quarries that were near Gilgal. Ehud accompanied the rest of the delegation back to the quarries, where he dismissed them and returned alone to the king, as though he had suddenly recalled some forgotten message, and he said: I have a secret matter for you, king. He, the king, said: Silence; I will speak with Ehud in private; and all those who attended upon him went out from before him.

וְאֵהוּד בָּא אֵלָיו וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב בַּעֲלִיַּת הַמְּקֵרָה אֲשֶׁר לוֹ לְבַדּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵהוּד דְּבַר אֱלֹהִים לִי אֵלֶיךָ וַיָּקָם מֵעַל הַכִּסֵּא

Ehud came to him, and he was sitting alone in his cool upper chamber, an attic or upper room where the king would relax and cool himself off. Ehud said: I do not merely wish to speak with you, but I have the word of God for you. He, the king, rose from the chair out of respect for the word of God.

וַיִּשְׁלַח אֵהוּד אֶת יַד שְׂמֹאלוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת הַחֶרֶב מֵעַל יֶרֶךְ יְמִינוֹ וַיִּתְקָעֶהָ בְּבִטְנוֹ

While the king was standing, Ehud extended his left hand, and he took the sword from on his right thigh, and he stuck it into his, Eglon’s, belly. Perhaps Ehud did not stab him in the heart because the king was wearing armor, or because it was hard to do so due to all the layers of fat. In any case, Ehud arranged for Eglon to stand to make it easier to kill him, and then he thrust his sword in as deep as he could.

וַיָּבֹא גַם הַנִּצָּב אַחַר הַלַּהַב וַיִּסְגֹּר הַחֵלֶב בְּעַד הַלַּהַב כִּי לֹא שָׁלַף הַחֶרֶב מִבִּטְנוֹ וַיֵּצֵא הַפַּרְשְׁדֹנָה

Since Ehud used all his force and Eglon was extremely fat, the hilt also came in after the blade; and the fat closed around the blade, as the entire sword penetrated into Eglon’s stomach, as he did not draw the sword from his belly, and the excrement came out from the king’s intestines, as the sword split his bowels.

וַיֵּצֵא אֵהוּד הַמִּסְדְּרוֹנָה וַיִּסְגֹּר דַּלְתוֹת הָעֲלִיָּה בַּעֲדוֹ וְנָעָל

Ehud emerged into the vestibule, the hall in front of the king’s chamber, and he shut the doors of the upper chamber behind him, and he locked them in order to delay his pursuers as he fled.

וְהוּא יָצָא וַעֲבָדָיו בָּאוּ וַיִּרְאוּ וְהִנֵּה דַּלְתוֹת הָעֲלִיָּה נְעֻלוֹת וַיֹּאמְרוּ אַךְ מֵסִיךְ הוּא אֶת רַגְלָיו בַּחֲדַר הַמְּקֵרָה

He, Ehud, left, and his, Eglon’s, servants came and saw, and behold, the doors of the upper chamber were locked; they said: He is just relieving himself in the cool chamber, and therefore he has locked the door.

וַיָּחִילוּ עַד בּוֹשׁ וְהִנֵּה אֵינֶנּוּ פֹתֵחַ דַּלְתוֹת הָעֲלִיָּה וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת הַמַּפְתֵּחַ וַיִּפְתָּחוּ וְהִנֵּה אֲדֹנֵיהֶם נֹפֵל אַרְצָה מֵת

They waited to the point of embarrassment, or until they had wearied from the extended delay, and behold, he was not opening the doors of the upper chamber. Eventually, the servants realized that he could not be attending to his needs for so long, and so they took the key, and they opened the door, and behold, they discovered their lord, fallen to the ground, dead.

ואֵהוּד נִמְלַט עַד הִתְמַהְמְהָם וְהוּא עָבַר אֶת הַפְּסִילִים וַיִּמָּלֵט הַשְּׂעִירָתָה

In the meantime, Ehud had escaped while they still hesitated, and passed the quarries, the spot past which he was out of immediate danger. This is why Ehud had previously accompanied the other messengers to the quarries, to ensure their safety, only after which he returned by himself to the king. And he escaped to Se’ira. This is not the land of Se’ir, Edom, but a place of trees with thick branches like plaited hair [se’ar].

וַיְהִי בְּבוֹאוֹ וַיִּתְקַע בַּשּׁוֹפָר בְּהַר אֶפְרָיִם וַיֵּרְדוּ עִמּוֹ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הָהָר וְהוּא לִפְנֵיהֶם

It was upon his arrival back to his place that he sounded a shofar in the highlands of Ephraim to alert the people, and the children of Israel descended with him from the highlands, and he was passing before them as their champion. Although he was from the tribe of Benjamin, Ehud was now more than a local leader, as he had united other tribes behind him.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם רִדְפוּ אַחֲרַי כִּי נָתַן ה' אֶת אֹיְבֵיכֶם אֶת מוֹאָב בְּיֶדְכֶם וַיֵּרְדוּ אַחֲרָיו וַיִּלְכְּדוּ אֶת מַעְבְּרוֹת הַיַּרְדֵּן לְמוֹאָב וְלֹא נָתְנוּ אִישׁ לַעֲבֹר

He said to them: Pursue, following me, as the Lord has delivered your enemies, the Moavites, into your hand. They went down following him, and they captured the crossings, the crossing points of the Jordan of Moav, in the direction of Moav, to prevent any Moavites in Israel from fleeing to their land, and they did not allow any man to cross.

וַיַּכּוּ אֶת מוֹאָב בָּעֵת הַהִיא כַּעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ כָּל שָׁמֵן וְכָל אִישׁ חָיִל וְלֹא נִמְלַט אִישׁ

They smote Moav at that time, some ten thousand men, including every robust man and every valiant man, not a man escaped. In those times, heavy individuals were those who had sufficient resources of food, and therefore they were considered healthier and stronger than average.

וַתִּכָּנַע מוֹאָב בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא תַּחַת יַד יִשְׂרָאֵל וַתִּשְׁקֹט הָאָרֶץ שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה

Moav submitted that day under the hand of Israel, and the land was tranquil for eighty years. The Moavites no longer sought to fight Israel, and the border with them remained peaceful for many years.

וְאַחֲרָיו הָיָה שַׁמְגַּר בֶּן עֲנָת וַיַּךְ אֶת פְּלִשְׁתִּים שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אִישׁ בְּמַלְמַד הַבָּקָר וַיֹּשַׁע גַּם הוּא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל

After him, Ehud, was the judge Shamgar son of Anat, Anat was apparently the name of Shamgar’s father. He smote the Philistines, six hundred men with a cattle goad, a long pole with a sharp end, used for directing and spurring on plowing animals. Shamgar used this pole as a spear. It is likely that he did not kill all six hundred men himself but rather commanded a band of warriors. And he too saved Israel by defending his people from the oppressive Philistines.