Rashi on TanakhJudges 3

So that Yisroel would be tested through them. This was a different generation, ignorant of the miracles of the Canaanite wars, and not having witnessed the great deeds, they rebelled, and betrayed the Omnipresent.

Only so that they should know. For this alone, He permitted these nations to remain, so that future generations of the Bnei Yisroel might grasp the consequence of iniquity—for it was now necessary for them to undergo martial training.

Whereas earlier when they stood worshiping Adonoy.

This was unknown. These wars and the art of battle. It was unnecessary.

Five Pelishtite sovereignties. These were the nations whom He permited to remain as a test.

The Divine spirit visited him. R' Tanchuma expounded: He studied the statement of the Holy One, blessed is He, to Moshe in Mitzrayim, "I have surely seen (lit. 'seeing, I have seen') the tribulation of my people."¹ Shemos, 3:7. What are the two sights?²‘Seeing’ I have ‘seen’. He said to him, "I see that they are destined to err with the golden calf—nevertheless, 'I have seen the tribulation of my people.'" Asniel expounded upon this, saying, whether innocent or guilty, He is obliged to save them.³Shemos Rabah, 3:2. Accordingly, “He judged Yisroel” in our passage does not refer to Asniel’s adjudication of litigation in the courtroom, but to his exposition of “I have seen” in his prayer before Adonoy. In his “judgement”, Yisroel was to be saved. (Radal there, 5)

The city of dates. Yericho.

Whose right arm was immobile. Yonasan renders "A man whose right arm was shrunken." "Gamid" in the Aramaic always indicates something shrunken by disease, "retrait", "shrunk" in old French. He could not utilize his right arm. In Hebrew, "closed", as in "Let not the well close its mouth over me."⁴Tehilim, 69:16. His right arm was "closed"—he could not utilize it.

One gomed long. An abridged amoh.⁵The length of the forearm. (Rashbam to Bava Basra, 100:a). In German, 'daumen lang'. In old French, 'espan courte'.

Over his right thigh. Since he was able to utilize his left hand, he would grasp it with the left hand.

Obese. Fat.

He escorted the people. He turned back to accompany the delegation of Yisroelites who came with him to bear the gift. He escorted them until Gilgal.

He then returned alone.

From the quarries. An area where stones were excavated from the mountain. Similarly, Yonasan renders "from the quarries." Then he went to Eglon,⁶Ehud’s return to Eglon is not actually discussed in the text. Rashi mentions the return for the sake of clarification. and declared to him.⁷“…I have a matter, etc.”.

He said, "Hsst." Eglon said, "Silence everyone near me!" Yonasan renders, "Leave!"—remove everyone. Still, the term connotes silence.⁸Silence them by removing them.

In his penthouse veranda. In the summer penthouse which was airy and cool.

I have a Divine message for you! Thus, you are required to rise.

He rose from the throne. He therefore merited that Rus was descended from him.

The hilt. The iron into which the blade is inserted, called 'hulot' in old French. This balances the sword in its scabbard.

The blade. The sharpened section, called "brant" and "lama" in old French.

The fat closed. His fat. He was extremely corpulent, so that he enclosed the entire length of the dagger.

Waste matter oozed. Yonasan renders, "Spilled waste matter oozed." He reads this as a contraction of two words with the 'shin' serving both.⁹ פַּרְשְׁדֹֽנׇה is read as פֶּרֶשׁ־שְׁדוֹנׇא, “spilled waste matter”, with the middle ש serving as the last letter of פֶּרֶשׁ and the first letter of שְׁדוֹנׇא. "spilled waste matter" [oozed].¹⁰The waste matter first spilled from the abdomen into the body, then it oozed from the wound. (Ralbag).שְׁפַךְ, "spilled", is the translation of שְׁדָא¹¹Or שְׁדוֹנׇא. according to Yonasan.

And Ehud went out to the hallway. From the penthouse to the מסדרונה, translated by Targum Yonasan as 'hallway'.

And locked With the key.

As he left. Ehud left, and Eglon's servants came.

Relieving himself [lit. 'covering his legs']. Performing his necessary bodily functions. This refers to a bowel movement.¹²When the legs are covered as a matter of modesty. (Metzudas).

A considerable time. [lit.] Until [it constituted] delay, as if to say, a considerable time.

Escaped. Fled, "eschamocier" in old French.

While [lit. until] they tarried. As in,¹³Rashi cites these quotations to demonstrate that עַד, lit. “until”, may be translated as while”. "While the king lounged,"¹⁴Shir Hashirim, 1:12. "Affection, while still desired"¹⁵Ibid, 2:7.—while we both desire it.

In the underbrush. A thin-branched, heavily wooded forest, called "brousaille", brush, in old French, excellent for concealment. Frequently, in the order of Zeraim, thin branches are called "sa'ar"—"[He] overturned the branches,"¹⁶Kilayim, 4:9. "If the branches meshed."¹⁷Peah, 2:3.

It happened that, when he arrived. He crossed the Yardein, and arrived at his place in the land of Canaan.¹⁸The text omits Ehud’s crossing of the Yardein and his arrival in Canaan. Rashi mentions these events for clarification.

At Mount Ephrayim. Which was in the land of Canaan, on the western side of the Yardein. The land of Moav was on the eastern side of the Yardein, but as they had subdued Yisroel and crossed the Yardein, they occupied Yericho as stated above, and installed their princes and governors over Yisroel.

Charge behind me to wipe out all the Moabites on our side of the Yardein.

Took control of the Yardein passes so that the Moabites could not cross to escape and return to their country.

All horrific [lit. corpulent]. Every man awe inspiring.

With a goad. A saddle spur, "aiguillon" in old French.