Othniel the Gold Standard and Ehud the Left-Handed Assassin

Judges 3-4

In Judges 3 and 4, instead of discussing the spiritual or military introductions of the judges like in previous episodes, we are going to go into each Judge and their story. We start with Othniel.

HAYLEY’S BIBLE BENDER:

My Bible bender for this episode is the same as Susan’s. I love how creative the Bible can be. This is still the case when analyzing Eglon, the King of Moab. Susan notes that, the phrase “presented the tribute” used in this passage is a combination that is only used elsewhere in the Old Testament in reference to grain offerings presented to God. If you listened to season 3 of Leviticus, you would know that a grain offering was often accompanied by a burnt or sin offering. These other offerings involved the sacrifice of an animal, often a bull, and the meaning of the name Eglon is well, bull with a diminutive ending, meaning “little calf”. The word interpreted as “fat” in the NIV, in Hebrew, is used only in the description of animals as “fat or meaty.” All together the name suggests that Eglon was a fatted calf ready for slaughter.

Ehud has brought the grain offering, and Eglon will be the other. Ehud has a creative heart for the Lord! So before he leaves, Ehud plots out his solo plan and prepares his instrument for the slaughter, a short double-edged sword, probably about 12 – 18 inches long.”

To think that stories like this one exist is so interesting to read! It like a movie script since the poetic justice is there.

What was your Bible bender from Judges 3? Did you learn anything new?

VERSES MENTIONED:

• Luke 2:36
• Judges 6
• Judges 20
• 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

SHOW NOTES MENTIONED:

The 12 Judges of Israel

The author of this article is Hayley Mowatt, producer of Bible Book Club.