Who is king eglon

To begin with, it is striking that God's violence in this pericope initially falls not upon Israel's enemies, but upon Israel itself. It is, in other words, not about divine violence against Israel's oppressors with the goal of liberating the Israelites from a humiliating situation, as it was in the story of the exodus from Egypt.

On the contrary. By handing Israel over to the Moabites, God turns against Israel and makes use of a hostile nation. The divine violence is here part of a divine pedagogy - a theology that has become very problematic. God punishes the Israelites because they have turned away from him and followed other gods.

However, at the same time, it doesn't remain at the level of punishment. Each time that Israel repents and returns to YHWH, God shows himself to be merciful: "YHWH is a merciful and gracious God, patient, great in love and faithfulness, who shows goodness into the thousandth generation, who forgives misdeeds, transgressions and sins, but does not let the guilty remain unpunished" Exod The author has no problems with the divine pedagogy making use of others.

His aim is to show his readers how Israel continuously falls on the wrong side, is punished by God, and is ultimately set back on the right path. This is the message the author has for his readers. First, the author explains to his readers how the Israelites become victims of their own sinfulness, over and over again, and how this misery is of their own doing.

Next, the author seeks to encourage Israel to draw lessons out of its past and avoid falling back into idolatry again. The fact that the author uses precisely the Moabites for this reeducation process of the Israelites testifies all the more to his talent as an author.

Time and again the OT recounts how Israel and Moab lived constantly at war with each other. When the author pokes fun at the fat king of Moab in the most gruesome way, showing how the king was sacrificed like a bull for a good cause - as such, the story has been characterised as "ethnic humor" 38 or "verbal feud" 39 - the Israelites must undoubtedly have grinned with malicious pleasure.

As narrative theologian par excellence the author of Judg succeeds like no other in communicating his "deuteronomistic" message through a wonderfully composed story: things will go poorly for the one who turns away from God. But at the same time, he also attests to the certainty that God does not shun those who return to him. Despite all the unbelief and unfaithfulness, he always takes the Israelites back, and he is - at least for those who align themselves with him - a God of life. Aitken, James K.

Edited by Geoffrey Khan and Diana Lipton. Leiden: Brill, Amit, Yairah. Translated from the Hebrew by Jonathan Chipman. Biblical Interpretation Series BETL Leuven: Peeters, Berman, Joshua. Burney, Charles F. London: Rivingtons, Deist, Ferdinand. Dexinger, Ferdinand. Grottanelli, Cristiano. New York: Oxford University Press, Halpern, Baruch. Handy, Lowell K. Hartmann, T. A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. Subsidia Biblica Rome: Pontificio Istituto Biblico, Jugel, Erwin and Heinz-Dieter Neef.

Knauf, Ernst Axel. Lagrange, Marie-Joseph. Le livre des Juges. Paris: Victor Lecoffre, Miller, Geoffrey P. Mobley, Gregory. New York: Doubleday, Neef, Heinz-Dieter. Exegetische Beobachtungen zu Jdc Satterthwaite, Philip E. Edited by Albert Pietersma and Benjamin G. Sasson, Jack M. VTSup Scherer, Andreas. WMANT Neukirchen: Neukirchener Verlag, Soggin, J. Spangenberg, Izak J. Perspektiewe op die Bybel: God se woord in mensetaal. Kaapstad: Van Schaik, Teologie op die markplein. Centurion: Biblaridion, Stone, Lawson G.

LlB Paris: Cerf, History Talk 0. Sanhedrin a His descendants Orpah is a woman mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. References Some or all of this article is forked from Wikipedia. Dunn, James A. Eerdmans commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich: W. ISBN Sicker, Martin The rise and fall of the ancient Israelite states. New York: Praeger.

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When and how did the Twelve Apostles die? How Long In Prison? Why Wave Palm Leaves? Then he left, but when he passed some pagan idols near Gilgal, he went back and said to the king, "Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you. Eglon sent his servants away. Ehud approached the throne. When the king stood, Ehud drew his dagger from its hiding place and thrust it into Eglon's belly.

The king's fat closed in over the handle of the sword, and his bowels emptied in death. Ehud locked the door and escaped. The servants, thinking Eglon was relieving himself in a chamberpot, waited and waited, which let Ehud get away. When Ehud got to the hill country of Ephraim, he blew a trumpet, rallying the Israelites to him. He led them down to the fords of the Jordan River, which they captured to prevent Moabite reinforcements.

In the battles that followed, the Israelites killed about 10, Moabites, allowing no one to escape. After that victory, Moab fell under Israel's control, and there was peace in the land of Israel for 80 years.

Ehud killed a wicked tyrant, an enemy of God. He also led the Israelites in a military victory to destroy the Moabite domination. Ehud cleverly hid his sword in an unexpected place, regained entry to the king, and managed to get Eglon's guard to leave. He killed the enemy of Israel while giving credit for the victory to God. Some commentators say Ehud had a weak or deformed right hand. Ehud lied and deceived to gain his victory, morally questionable acts except in times of war.