English Standard Version
Judges 3:15
15Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.
Judges 3:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
- New International Version (NIV)Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord again raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed man of the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites sent Ehud to deliver their tribute money to King Eglon of Moab.
Context of Judges 3:15
13He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of the city of palms. 14And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. 16And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. 17And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.
Read all of Judges 3Judges 3:15 word by word
וַיִּזְעֲק֣וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ אֶל־יְהוָה֒ וַיָּקֶם֩ יְהוָ֨ה לָהֶ֜ם מוֹשִׁ֗יעַ אֶת־אֵה֤וּד בֶּן־גֵּרָא֙ בֶּן־הַיְמִינִ֔י אִ֥ישׁ אִטֵּ֖ר יַד־יְמִינ֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁלְח֨וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל בְּיָדוֹ֙ מִנְחָ֔ה לְעֶגְל֖וֹן מֶ֥לֶךְ מוֹאָֽב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But when the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- criedזָעַקzâ‛aq · to cry outH2199
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- raised them upקוּםqûm · to arise: raiseH6965
- a delivererיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467
- Ehudאֵהוּד'êhûd · EhudH164
- the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Geraגֵּרָאgêrâ' · GeraH1617
- a Benjamiteבֶּן־יְמִינִיben-yemîynîy ben-ha-yemînîy ben-'îysh yemîynîy · BenjaminiteH1145
- a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- lefthandedיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225
- lefthandedאִטֵּר'iţţêr · lefthandedH334
- and by himיָדyâd · handH3027
- sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- a presentמִנְחָהminchâh · offering: tributeH4503
- unto Eglonעֶגְלוֹן‛eglôn · EglonH5700
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Moabמוֹאָבmô'âb · MoabH4124
Cross-references for Judges 3:15
- Judges 3:9But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
- Psalms 50:15and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."
- Psalms 78:34When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly.
- Psalms 90:15Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.
- Jeremiah 29:12Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.
- Jeremiah 33:3Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
- Judges 20:16Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
- 1 Chronicles 12:2They were bowmen and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right or the left hand; they were Benjaminites, Saul's kinsmen.
- 1 Samuel 10:27But some worthless fellows said, "How can this man save us?" And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace.
- Proverbs 18:16A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.
- Proverbs 19:6Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
- Proverbs 21:14A gift in secret averts anger, and a concealed bribe, strong wrath.
- Isaiah 36:16Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern,
Commentaries on Judges 3:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Ehud the son of Gera - a man left handed - ימינו יד אטר איש ish itter yad yemino, a man lame in his right hand, and therefore obliged to use his left. The Septuagint render it , an ambidexter, a man who could use both hands alike. The Vulgate, qui utraque manu pro dextera utebatur, a man who could use either hand as a right hand, or to whom right and left were equally ready. This is not the sense of the original, but it is the sense in which most…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer - The very same words as are used at Judges 3:9. See, too, Judges 2:16, Judges 2:18, and Nehemiah 9:27. Ehud “the Benjamite” was of the family or house of Gera 2 Samuel 16:5, the son of Bela, Benjamin‘s first-born, born before Jacob‘s descent into Egypt Genesis 46:21, and then included among “the sons of Benjamin.” The genealogy in 1 Chronicles 8:6 intimates that Ehud…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-30Verses 12-30 When Israel sins again, God raises up a new oppressor. The Israelites did ill, and the Moabites did worse; yet because God punishes the sins of his own people in this world, Israel is weakened, and Moab strengthened against them. If lesser troubles do not do the work, God will send greater. When Israel prays again, God raises up Ehud. As a judge, or minister of Divine justice, Ehud put to death Eglon, the king of Moab, and thus executed the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15left-handed (literally restricted in the right hand): This trait allowed Ehud to hide his weapon on his right hip. The Greek Old Testament translates this phrase as “ambidextrous.” The term is linked to the tribe of Benjamin (“son of my right hand,” Genesis 35:18; see Judges 20:16) and is associated with heroic military skills (compare 1 Chronicles 12:1–2). The tribute money was either pieces of metal or, more likely, agricultural goods that needed a team…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. Ehud the son of Gera--descended from Gera, one of Benjamin's sons (Ge 46:21). left-handed--This peculiarity distinguished many in the Benjamite tribe (Jud 20:16). But the original word is rendered in some versions "both-handed," a view countenanced by 1Ch 12:2. by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab--the yearly tribute, which, according to Eastern fashion, would be borne with ostentatious ceremony and offered (Jud…Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 3:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Judges 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries