Ehud—A Man of Faith and Courage

MANY years had passed since the Israelites first set foot in the Promised Land. Moses and his successor, Joshua, had long been dead. In the absence of such men of faith, appreciation for pure worship plummeted. The Israelites had even begun to serve the Baals and the sacred poles.a As a result, Jehovah gave his people into the hands of the Syrians for eight years. Then the Israelites cried out to God for help. Mercifully, he listened. Jehovah raised up a judge, Othniel, to deliver His people.—Judges 3:7-11.

These events should have taught the Israelites a basic truth—obedience to Jehovah brings blessings, whereas disobedience results in maledictions. (Deuteronomy 11:26-28) However, the people of Israel failed to learn this lesson. After a 40-year period of peace, they again abandoned pure worship.—Judges 3:12.

Overtaken by Moab

This time Jehovah let his people fall into the hands of King Eglon of Moab. The Bible describes him as “a very fat man.” With the help of Ammon and Amalek, Eglon attacked Israel and set up his palace in Jericho, “the city of palm trees.” How ironic that the first Canaanite city to be conquered by Israel now housed the headquarters of one who worshiped the false god Chemosh!b—Judges 3:12, 13, 17.

Eglon oppressed the Israelites for the next 18 years, evidently demanding a burdensome tax from them. By requiring periodic tribute, Moab strengthened its own economic position while draining Israel’s resources. Understandably, God’s people cried out for relief, and once again Jehovah listened. He raised up for them another savior—this time a Benjamite named Ehud. To put an end to Eglon’s tyranny over Israel, Ehud planned to take action on the day of the next payment of tribute.—Judges 3:14, 15.

To prepare for his courageous move, Ehud made a two-edged sword a cubit in length. If this was a short cubit, the weapon was about 15 inches [38 cm] long. Some would consider it to be a dagger. Evidently there was no crosspiece between the blade and the handle. Therefore, Ehud could conceal his small sword in the folds of his garment. Furthermore, since Ehud was left-handed, he could gird his sword on his right side—not the usual place for a weapon.—Judges 3:15, 16.

Ehud’s strategy was not without its risks. For example, what if the king’s attendants searched Ehud for weapons? Even if they did not, surely they would not leave their king alone with an Israelite! But if they did and Eglon could be killed, how would Ehud escape? How far could he run before Eglon’s attendants discovered what had happened?

No doubt Ehud pondered such details, perhaps imagining a number of disastrous outcomes. Nevertheless, he proceeded with his plan, displaying courage and exercising faith in Jehovah.

Ehud Meets Eglon

The day for presenting the next tribute arrived. Ehud and his men entered the king’s palace. Before long, they were standing before King Eglon himself. But the time had not yet arrived for Ehud to attack. After the presentation of the tribute, Ehud sent the tribute bearers on their way.—Judges 3:17, 18.

Why did Ehud delay in striking down Eglon? Did he give way to fear? By no means! To carry out his plan, Ehud needed a private audience with the king—something that was not accorded him on this initial encounter. Furthermore, Ehud would need to make a swift getaway. Escape would be far easier for one man than for the entire entourage of tribute bearers. Therefore, Ehud bided his time. The brief visit with Eglon enabled him to become familiar with the layout of the palace and to ascertain the extent of the king’s security.

After reaching “the quarries that were at Gilgal,” Ehud left his men and journeyed back to Eglon’s palace. The walk of approximately one mile [2 km] gave Ehud a little time to think about his mission and to pray for Jehovah’s blessing.—Judges 3:19.

Ehud Returns

Ehud was apparently welcomed back into the palace. Perhaps the generous tribute that he presented earlier put Eglon in a mellow mood. It may be that although the initial visit was brief, it gave Ehud sufficient opportunity to establish a rapport with the king. Whatever the case, Ehud was back in Eglon’s presence.

“I have a secret word for you, O king,” said Ehud. The fact that he had come this far was an indication that Jehovah was guiding him. Yet, there was a problem. The “secret word” that Ehud carried could not be spoken in the presence of the king’s attendants. If Jehovah was going to intervene, Ehud needed that help immediately. “Keep silence!” the king commanded. Since Eglon did not want this “secret word” to be overheard, he dismissed his attendants. Imagine Ehud’s relief!—Judges 3:19.

Eglon was sitting in his roof chamber when Ehud came to him and said: “A word of God I have for you.” By mentioning “God,” was Ehud referring to Chemosh? Eglon may have thought so. Intrigued, he hoisted his weight off his throne and stood expectantly. Ehud approached, likely moving carefully so as not to arouse the king’s suspicion of an attack. Then, with a swift movement, “Ehud thrust in his left hand and took the sword off his right thigh and plunged it into [Eglon’s] belly. And the handle kept going in also after the blade so that the fat closed in over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly, and the fecal matter began to come out.”—Judges 3:20-22.

Lingering nearby, the king’s attendants did not stir. But Ehud was still in danger. At any moment Eglon’s servants might rush in and discover the corpse of their fallen king. Ehud needed to get away quickly! Locking the doors, he made his escape through the air hole of the roof chamber.—Judges 3:23, 24a.

Discovery and Defeat

Soon Eglon’s servants became curious. Yet, they dared not risk the king’s displeasure by interrupting his private meeting. Then they noticed that the roof chamber doors were locked. “He is just easing nature in the cool interior room,” they reasoned. As time passed, however, mere curiosity was replaced by a wave of anxiety. Eglon’s attendants could wait no longer. “At this they took the key and opened [the doors of the roof chamber], and, look! their lord was fallen to the earth dead!”—Judges 3:24b, 25.

Meanwhile, Ehud had escaped. He passed the quarries at Gilgal and eventually reached Seirah, a place in the mountainous region of Ephraim. Ehud called together the men of Israel and led them in a united attack on the Moabites. The account relates that “they went striking down Moab, about ten thousand men, every one robust and every one a valiant man; and not a single one escaped.” With Moab subdued, the land of Israel had no further disturbance for 80 years.—Judges 3:26-30.

Learning From Ehud’s Example

Faith in God motivated Ehud. Hebrews chapter 11 does not specifically mention him as one “who through faith defeated kingdoms in conflict, . . . became valiant in war, routed the armies of foreigners.” (Hebrews 11:33, 34) Nevertheless, Jehovah supported Ehud as he acted in faith and delivered Israel from King Eglon’s tyrannical power.

Courage was one of Ehud’s qualities. He had to be courageous to wield a literal sword with telling effect. As God’s present-day servants, we do not take up such a sword. (Isaiah 2:4; Matthew 26:52) Yet, we do make use of “the sword of the spirit,” God’s Word. (Ephesians 6:17) Ehud was proficient in the use of his weapon. We too need to be skillful in using God’s Word as we preach the good news of the Kingdom. (Matthew 24:14) Personal study of the Bible, regular presence at Christian meetings, zealous participation in the ministry, and prayerful reliance on our heavenly Father will help us to imitate the qualities displayed by Ehud, truly a man of faith and courage.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 31]

Ehud and his men presented tribute to King Eglon

[Credit Line]

Reproduced from Illustrirte Pracht - Bibel/Heilige Schrift des Alten und Neuen Testaments, nach der deutschen Uebersetzung D. Martin Luther’s