Ehud
The Left-Handed Judge
Ehud was the second judge of Israel and a Benjaminite who delivered Israel from Moabite oppression. He is known for his bold assassination of the Moabite king Eglon and the subsequent victory over Moab, which gave Israel peace for eighty years.
Famille
Événements clés
Israel under Moabite rule
Because of Israel's sin, the Lord allowed King Eglon of Moab to oppress Israel for eighteen years, creating a need for a deliverer.
12Again the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD.
וַיֹּסִ֙פוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיְחַזֵּ֨ק יְהוָ֜ה אֶת־עֶגְל֤וֹן מֶֽלֶךְ־מוֹאָב֙ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עַ֛ל כִּֽי־עָשׂ֥וּ אֶת־הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
13Eglon gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and he went and struck Israel down, and they took possession of the City of Palms.
וַיֶּאֱסֹ֣ף אֵלָ֔יו אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּ֖וֹן וַעֲמָלֵ֑ק וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיִּֽירְשׁ֖וּ אֶת־עִ֥יר הַתְּמָרִֽים׃
14So the Israelites served Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.
וַיַּעַבְד֤וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־עֶגְל֣וֹן מֶֽלֶךְ־מוֹאָ֔ב שְׁמוֹנֶ֥ה עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה שָׁנָֽה׃ ס
Ehud Raised Up as Deliverer
When the Israelites cried out to the Lord, he raised up Ehud, son of Gera, a Benjaminite who was left-handed, to deliver them.
15Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent tribute by his hand to Eglon king of Moab.
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׃
The Hidden Sword
Ehud made a double-edged sword and fastened it on his right thigh under his clothes, hidden from the enemy as he went to bring tribute to King Eglon.
16Ehud had made himself a double-edged sword about a cubit long, and he strapped it under his clothing on his right thigh.
וַיַּעַשׂ֩ ל֨וֹ אֵה֜וּד חֶ֗רֶב וְלָ֛הּ שְׁנֵ֥י פֵי֖וֹת גֹּ֣מֶד אָרְכָּ֑הּ וַיַּחְגֹּ֤ר אוֹתָהּ֙ מִתַּ֣חַת לְמַדָּ֔יו עַ֖ל יֶ֥רֶךְ יְמִינֽוֹ׃
17He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.
וַיַּקְרֵב֙ אֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֔ה לְעֶגְל֖וֹן מֶ֣לֶךְ מוֹאָ֑ב וְעֶגְל֕וֹן אִ֥ישׁ בָּרִ֖יא מְאֹֽד׃
18When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the men who had carried it.
וַֽיְהִי֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר כִּלָּ֔ה לְהַקְרִ֖יב אֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֑ה וַיְשַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם נֹשְׂאֵ֖י הַמִּנְחָֽה׃
The Assassination of King Eglon
Ehud gained a private audience with the very fat King Eglon under the pretext of having a secret message, and killed him with his sword in his upper chamber.
19But he himself turned back at the carved stones near Gilgal and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." The king said, "Silence!" and all who were standing by him withdrew from his presence.
וְה֣וּא שָׁ֗ב מִן־הַפְּסִילִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶת־הַגִּלְגָּ֔ל וַיֹּ֕אמֶר דְּבַר־סֵ֥תֶר לִ֛י אֵלֶ֖יךָ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הָ֔ס וַיֵּֽצְאוּ֙ מֵֽעָלָ֔יו כָּל־הָעֹמְדִ֖ים עָלָֽיו׃
20Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool upper chamber, and Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." And the king rose from his seat.
וְאֵה֣וּד ׀ בָּ֣א אֵלָ֗יו וְהֽוּא־יֹ֠שֵׁב בַּעֲלִיַּ֨ת הַמְּקֵרָ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ֙ לְבַדּ֔וֹ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵה֔וּד דְּבַר־אֱלֹהִ֥ים לִ֖י אֵלֶ֑יךָ וַיָּ֖קָם מֵעַ֥ל הַכִּסֵּֽא׃
21Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and drove it into Eglon's belly.
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֵהוּד֙ אֶת־יַ֣ד שְׂמֹאל֔וֹ וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת־הַחֶ֔רֶב מֵעַ֖ל יֶ֣רֶךְ יְמִינ֑וֹ וַיִּתְקָעֶ֖הָ בְּבִטְנֽוֹ׃
22Even the hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over it, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the filth came out.
וַיָּבֹ֨א גַֽם־הַנִּצָּ֜ב אַחַ֣ר הַלַּ֗הַב וַיִּסְגֹּ֤ר הַחֵ֙לֶב֙ בְּעַ֣ד הַלַּ֔הַב כִּ֣י לֹ֥א שָׁלַ֛ף הַחֶ֖רֶב מִבִּטְנ֑וֹ וַיֵּצֵ֖א הֽ͏ַפַּרְשְׁדֹֽנָה׃
Flight and Mobilization
After locking the doors and fleeing, Ehud gathered the Israelites in the hill country of Ephraim and led them to battle against the Moabites.
26Ehud had escaped while they delayed. He passed the carved stones and got away to Seirah.
וְאֵה֥וּד נִמְלַ֖ט עַ֣ד הִֽתְמַהְמְהָ֑ם וְהוּא֙ עָבַ֣ר אֶת־הַפְּסִילִ֔ים וַיִּמָּלֵ֖ט הַשְּׂעִירָֽתָה׃
27When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him at their head.
וַיְהִ֣י בְּבוֹא֔וֹ וַיִּתְקַ֥ע בַּשּׁוֹפָ֖ר בְּהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וַיֵּרְד֨וּ עִמּ֧וֹ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מִן־הָהָ֖ר וְה֥וּא לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃
28He said to them, "Follow me, for the LORD has given your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand." So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, letting no one cross over.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ רִדְפ֣וּ אַחֲרַ֔י כִּֽי־נָתַ֨ן יְהוָ֧ה אֶת־אֹיְבֵיכֶ֛ם אֶת־מוֹאָ֖ב בְּיֶדְכֶ֑ם וַיֵּרְד֣וּ אַחֲרָ֗יו וַֽיִּלְכְּד֞וּ אֶת־מַעְבְּר֤וֹת הַיַּרְדֵּן֙ לְמוֹאָ֔ב וְלֹֽא־נָתְנ֥וּ אִ֖ישׁ לַעֲבֹֽר׃
Victory over Moab
Israel struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all strong and brave men, and the land had peace for eighty years under Ehud's leadership.
29At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men; not one escaped.
וַיַּכּ֨וּ אֶת־מוֹאָ֜ב בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗יא כַּעֲשֶׂ֤רֶת אֲלָפִים֙ אִ֔ישׁ כָּל־שָׁמֵ֖ן וְכָל־אִ֣ישׁ חָ֑יִל וְלֹ֥א נִמְלַ֖ט אִֽישׁ׃
30That day Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel, and the land had rest for eighty years.
וַתִּכָּנַ֤ע מוֹאָב֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא תַּ֖חַת יַ֣ד יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַתִּשְׁקֹ֥ט הָאָ֖רֶץ שְׁמוֹנִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃ ס