|
So the young man, when he had
offered his presents to the king, who then resided in a small parlor that stood
conveniently to avoid the heat, fell into discourse with him, for they were now
alone, the king having bid his servants that attended him to go their ways,
because he had a mind to talk with Ehud. He was now sitting on his throne; and
fear seized upon Ehud lest he should miss his stroke, and not give him a deadly
wound; so he raised himself up, and said he had a dream to impart to him by the
command of God; upon which the king leaped out of his throne for joy of the
dream; so Ehud smote him to the heart, and leaving his dagger in his body, he
went out and shut the door after him. Now the king's servants were very still,
as supposing that the king had composed himself to sleep.
3. Hereupon Ehud
informed the people of Jericho privately of what he had done, and exhorted them
to recover their liberty; who heard him gladly, and went to their arms, and
sent messengers over the country, that should sound trumpets of rams' horns;
for it was our custom to call the people together by them. Now the attendants
of Eglon were ignorant of what misfortune had befallen him for a great while;
but, towards the evening, fearing some uncommon accident had happened, they
entered into his parlor, and when they found him dead, they were in great
disorder, and knew not what to do; and before the guards could be got together,
the multitude of the Israelites came upon them, so that some of them were slain
immediately, and some were put to flight, and ran away toward the country of
Moab, in order to save themselves.
Their number was above ten
thousand. The Israelites seized upon the ford of Jordan, and pursued them, and
slew them, and many of them they killed at the ford, nor did one of them escape
out of their hands; and by this means it was that the Hebrews freed themselves
from slavery under the Moabites. Ehud also was on this account dignified with
the government over all the multitude, and died after he had held the
government eighty years (15) He was a
man worthy of commendation, even besides what he deserved for the forementioned
act of his. After him Shamgat, the son of Anath, was elected for their
governor, but died in the first year of his government.
Footnotes
(14) It appears by the sacred history, Judges 1:16; 3:13,
that Eglon's pavilion or palace was at the City of Palm-Trees, as the place
where Jericho had stood is called after its destruction by Joshua, that is, at
or near the demolished city. Accordingly, Josephus says it was at Jericho, or
rather in that fine country of palm-trees, upon, or near to, the same spot of
ground on which Jericho had formerly stood, and on which it was rebuilt by
Hiel, 1 Kings 16:31. Our other copies that avoid its proper name Jericho, and
call it the City of Palm-Trees only, speak here more accurately than Josephus.
(15) These eighty years for the government of Ehud are
necessary to Josephus's usual large numbers between the exodus and the building
of the temple, of five hundred and ninety-two or six hundred and twelve years,
but not to the smallest number of four hundred and eighty years, 1 Kings 6:1;
which lesser number Josephus seems sometimes to have followed. And since in the
beginning of the next chapter it is said by Josephus, that there was hardly a
breathing time for the Israelites before Jabin came and enslaved them, it is
highly probable that some of the copies in his time had here only eight years
instead of eighty; as had that of Theophilus of Antioch, Ad Autolye. 1. iii,
and this most probably from his copy of Josephus.
|
