Tanach
Shoftim 3:12-30 שופטים ג׳:י״ב-ל׳
Part of: Chapter 3
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיֹּסִפוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה וַיְחַזֵּק יְהֹוָה אֶת־עֶגְלוֹן מֶלֶךְ־מוֹאָב עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל כִּי־עָשׂוּ אֶת־הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָֽה׃
The Bnei Yisroel resumed acting wickedly in Adonoy's eyes, so Adonoy empowered Eglon, king of Moav, over Yisroel, since they had acted wickedly in Adonoy's eyes.
The Bnei Yisroel resumed acting wickedly in Adonoy's eyes, so Adonoy empowered Eglon, king of Moav, over Yisroel, since they had acted wickedly in Adonoy's eyes.
וַיֶּאֱסֹף אֵלָיו אֶת־בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וַעֲמָלֵק וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיַּךְ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּֽירְשׁוּ אֶת־עִיר הַתְּמָרִֽים׃
He mobilized the sons of Ammon and Amoleik. Then he advanced, and struck down Yisroel, and they occupied the City of Dates.
He mobilized the sons of Ammon and Amoleik. Then he advanced, and struck down Yisroel, and they occupied the City of Dates.
Rashi
וַיַּעַבְדוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־עֶגְלוֹן מֶלֶךְ־מוֹאָב שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָֽה׃
The Bnei Yisroel served Eglon, king of Moav, eighteen years.
The Bnei Yisroel served Eglon, king of Moav, eighteen years.
וַיִּזְעֲקוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהֹוָה וַיָּקֶם יְהֹוָה לָהֶם מוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת־אֵהוּד בֶּן־גֵּרָא בֶּן־הַיְמִינִי אִישׁ אִטֵּר יַד־יְמִינוֹ וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיָדוֹ מִנְחָה לְעֶגְלוֹן מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָֽב׃
Then the Bnei Yisroel cried out to Adonoy, and Adonoy provided them with a saviour—Ehud ben Gera, of Binyomin, a man whose right arm was immobile. The Bnei Yisroel dispatched, in his charge, a gift to Eglon, king of Moav.
Then the Bnei Yisroel cried out to Adonoy, and Adonoy provided them with a saviour—Ehud ben Gera, of Binyomin, a man whose right arm was immobile. The Bnei Yisroel dispatched, in his charge, a gift to Eglon, king of Moav.
Rashi
אטר יד ימינו. תרגם יהונתן: גבר גמיד יד ימיניה, וכל גמיד לשון ארמי הוא, דבר כווץ מחמת חולי, ריטרי"ט בלע"ז; לא היה שולט ביד ימינו. ובלשון עברי: אטר, אטום, כמו (תהלים סט טז) ואל תאטר עלי באר פיה, אטום ביד ימינו, שלא היה שולט בה:
Whose right arm was immobile. Yonasan renders "A man whose right arm was shrunken." "Gamid" in the Aramaic always indicates something shrunken by disease, "retrait", "shrunk" in old French. He could not utilize his right arm. In Hebrew, "closed", as in "Let not the well close its mouth over me."4Tehilim, 69:16. His right arm was "closed"—he could not utilize it.
וַיַּעַשׂ לוֹ אֵהוּד חֶרֶב וְלָהּ שְׁנֵי פֵיוֹת גֹּמֶד אׇרְכָּהּ וַיַּחְגֹּר אוֹתָהּ מִתַּחַת לְמַדָּיו עַל יֶרֶךְ יְמִינֽוֹ׃
Ehud fashioned, for himself, a double edged dagger one gomed long, and fastened it under his clothing, over his right thigh.
Ehud fashioned, for himself, a double edged dagger one gomed long, and fastened it under his clothing, over his right thigh.
Rashi
גומד ארכה. אמה גדומה, ובלשון אשכנז: דוימ"ן לאנ"ג, ובלשון לעז: גשקור"ט:
One gomed long. An abridged amoh.5The length of the forearm. (Rashbam to Bava Basra, 100:a). In German, 'daumen lang'. In old French, 'espan courte'.
על ירך ימינו. לפי שבשמאלו שולט, יאחזנה בשמאלו:
Over his right thigh. Since he was able to utilize his left hand, he would grasp it with the left hand.
וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת־הַמִּנְחָה לְעֶגְלוֹן מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וְעֶגְלוֹן אִישׁ בָּרִיא מְאֹֽד׃
Then he brought the gift to Eglon, king of Moav; Eglon was extremely obese.
Then he brought the gift to Eglon, king of Moav; Eglon was extremely obese.
Rashi
איש בריא. (תרגום:) פטים:
Obese. Fat.
וַֽיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלָּה לְהַקְרִיב אֶת־הַמִּנְחָה וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת־הָעָם נֹשְׂאֵי הַמִּנְחָֽה׃
Now, when he finished bringing the gift, he escorted the people who bore the gift.
Now, when he finished bringing the gift, he escorted the people who bore the gift.
Rashi
וישלח את העם. חזר לאחוריו וליוה את חבורת ישראל אשר באו עמו לשאת את המנחה, ולווה אותם עד הגלגל:
He escorted the people. He turned back to accompany the delegation of Yisroelites who came with him to bear the gift. He escorted them until Gilgal.
וְהוּא שָׁב מִן־הַפְּסִילִים אֲשֶׁר אֶת־הַגִּלְגָּל וַיֹּאמֶר דְּבַר־סֵתֶר לִי אֵלֶיךָ הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר הָס וַיֵּֽצְאוּ מֵעָלָיו כׇּל־הָעֹמְדִים עָלָֽיו׃
He then returned from the quarry near Gilgal, and declared: "I have a matter of secrecy for you, O king". He said, "Hsst!", and all his attendants left.
He then returned from the quarry near Gilgal, and declared: "I have a matter of secrecy for you, O king". He said, "Hsst!", and all his attendants left.
Rashi
והוא שב. יחידי:
He then returned alone.
מן הפסילים. מקום שפוסלים שם אבנים מן ההר, וכן תרגם יונתן: מן מחצביא, ובא אל עגלון ויאמר לו:
From the quarries. An area where stones were excavated from the mountain. Similarly, Yonasan renders "from the quarries." Then he went to Eglon,6Ehud’s return to Eglon is not actually discussed in the text. Rashi mentions the return for the sake of clarification. and declared to him.7“…I have a matter, etc.”.
ויאמר הס. אמר עגלון: שתקו את הכל מעלי, ויונתן תרגם הס: סליק, הוציא כל איש, ואף על פי כן ; 'הס', לשון שתוק:
He said, "Hsst." Eglon said, "Silence everyone near me!" Yonasan renders, "Leave!"—remove everyone. Still, the term connotes silence.8Silence them by removing them.
וְאֵהוּד ׀ בָּא אֵלָיו וְהֽוּא־יֹשֵׁב בַּעֲלִיַּת הַמְּקֵרָה אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ לְבַדּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵהוּד דְּבַר־אֱלֹהִים לִי אֵלֶיךָ וַיָּקׇם מֵעַל הַכִּסֵּֽא׃
Ehud came close to him, as he sat in his private penthouse veranda, and Ehud said, "I have a Divine message for you!" He rose from the throne.
Ehud came close to him, as he sat in his private penthouse veranda, and Ehud said, "I have a Divine message for you!" He rose from the throne.
Rashi
בעלית המקרה. (תרגום:) בעלית בית קיטא, שהיתה לאויר וצוננת:
In his penthouse veranda. In the summer penthouse which was airy and cool.
דבר אלהים לי אליך. וצריך אתה לעמוד:
I have a Divine message for you! Thus, you are required to rise.
ויקם מעל הכסא. לכך זכה ויצאה ממנו רות:
He rose from the throne. He therefore merited that Rus was descended from him.
וַיִּשְׁלַח אֵהוּד אֶת־יַד שְׂמֹאלוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת־הַחֶרֶב מֵעַל יֶרֶךְ יְמִינוֹ וַיִּתְקָעֶהָ בְּבִטְנֽוֹ׃
Ehud then extended his left hand, seized the dagger from his right thigh, and plunged it into his abdomen.
Ehud then extended his left hand, seized the dagger from his right thigh, and plunged it into his abdomen.
וַיָּבֹא גַֽם־הַנִּצָּב אַחַר הַלַּהַב וַיִּסְגֹּר הַחֵלֶב בְּעַד הַלַּהַב כִּי לֹא שָׁלַף הַחֶרֶב מִבִּטְנוֹ וַיֵּצֵא הַֽפַּרְשְׁדֹֽנָה׃
The hilt, as well, entered, after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, as he did not withdraw the dagger from his abdomen; and the waste matter oozed.
The hilt, as well, entered, after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, as he did not withdraw the dagger from his abdomen; and the waste matter oozed.
Rashi
הנצב. הוא הברזל שהשנון תחוב לתוכו, שקורין הול"ט בלע"ז, הוא המעמיד החרב על פי תערה:
The hilt. The iron into which the blade is inserted, called 'hulot' in old French. This balances the sword in its scabbard.
הלהב. הוא השנון שקורין ברונ"ט בלע"ז, ובלע"ז למ"א:
The blade. The sharpened section, called "brant" and "lama" in old French.
ויסגור החלב. שמנו, שהיה שמן מאד, וכסה את כל אורך החרב:
The fat closed. His fat. He was extremely corpulent, so that he enclosed the entire length of the dagger.
ויצא הפרשדנה. תרגם יונתן: ונפק אוכליה שפיך, עשאן כשתי תיבות ושי"ן משמשת לשתיהן, ויצא הפרש, שדונה, בשפיכה. שפך, 'שדא' כתרגומו:
Waste matter oozed. Yonasan renders, "Spilled waste matter oozed." He reads this as a contraction of two words with the 'shin' serving both.9 פַּרְשְׁדֹֽנׇה is read as פֶּרֶשׁ־שְׁדוֹנׇא, “spilled waste matter”, with the middle ש serving as the last letter of פֶּרֶשׁ and the first letter of שְׁדוֹנׇא. "spilled waste matter" [oozed].10The waste matter first spilled from the abdomen into the body, then it oozed from the wound. (Ralbag).שְׁפַךְ, "spilled", is the translation of שְׁדָא11Or שְׁדוֹנׇא. according to Yonasan.
וַיֵּצֵא אֵהוּד הַֽמִּסְדְּרוֹנָה וַיִּסְגֹּר דַּלְתוֹת הָעֲלִיָּה בַּעֲדוֹ וְנָעָֽל׃
Ehud went out to the hallway, closed the penthouse doors behind him, and locked them.
Ehud went out to the hallway, closed the penthouse doors behind him, and locked them.
Rashi
ויצא אהוד המסדרונה. מן העליה אל המסדרונה, תרגם יונתן: לאכסדרא:
And Ehud went out to the hallway. From the penthouse to the מסדרונה, translated by Targum Yonasan as 'hallway'.
ונעל. במפתח:
And locked With the key.
וְהוּא יָצָא וַעֲבָדָיו בָּאוּ וַיִּרְאוּ וְהִנֵּה דַּלְתוֹת הָעֲלִיָּה נְעֻלוֹת וַיֹּאמְרוּ אַךְ מֵסִיךְ הוּא אֶת־רַגְלָיו בַּחֲדַר הַמְּקֵרָֽה׃
As he left, his servants came, and noticed that the penthouse doors were locked. They said, "He is merely relieving himself in the veranda privy."
As he left, his servants came, and noticed that the penthouse doors were locked. They said, "He is merely relieving himself in the veranda privy."
Rashi
והוא יצא. אהוד יצא, ועבדיו של עגלון באו:
As he left. Ehud left, and Eglon's servants came.
מסיך רגליו. (תרגום:) עביד צורכיה, הם נקבים הגדולים:
Relieving himself [lit. 'covering his legs']. Performing his necessary bodily functions. This refers to a bowel movement.12When the legs are covered as a matter of modesty. (Metzudas).
וַיָּחִילוּ עַד־בּוֹשׁ וְהִנֵּה אֵינֶנּוּ פֹתֵחַ דַּלְתוֹת הָעֲלִיָּה וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת־הַמַּפְתֵּחַ וַיִּפְתָּחוּ וְהִנֵּה אֲדֹנֵיהֶם נֹפֵל אַרְצָה מֵֽת׃
They waited a considerable time, and yet, he did not open the penthouse doors. They took the key and opened up—there was their master. He had toppled to the ground, dead.
They waited a considerable time, and yet, he did not open the penthouse doors. They took the key and opened up—there was their master. He had toppled to the ground, dead.
Rashi
עד בוש. עד עיכוב, כלומר זמן ארוך:
A considerable time. [lit.] Until [it constituted] delay, as if to say, a considerable time.
וְאֵהוּד נִמְלַט עַד הִֽתְמַהְמְהָם וְהוּא עָבַר אֶת־הַפְּסִילִים וַיִּמָּלֵט הַשְּׂעִירָֽתָה׃
Ehud escaped while they dawdled. He passed the quarries and escaped in the underbrush.
Ehud escaped while they dawdled. He passed the quarries and escaped in the underbrush.
Rashi
נמלט. ברח, אישקימוצייר בלע"ז:
Escaped. Fled, "eschamocier" in old French.
עד התמהמהם. כמו (שיר השירים א יב) עד שהמלך במסבו, (שם ב ז) את האהבה עד שתחפץ, בעוד ששנינו חפצים בה:
While [lit. until] they tarried. As in,13Rashi cites these quotations to demonstrate that עַד, lit. “until”, may be translated as while”. "While the king lounged,"14Shir Hashirim, 1:12. "Affection, while still desired"15Ibid, 2:7.—while we both desire it.
השעירתה. יער דק ועב, שקורין ברוצ"ש בלע"ז, וטוב הוא להחבא והרבה יש בסדר זרעים שענפי אילנות דקים קרויין שער (כלאים ד ט) הופך את השער, (פאה ב ג) ואם היה השער כותש:
In the underbrush. A thin-branched, heavily wooded forest, called "brousaille", brush, in old French, excellent for concealment. Frequently, in the order of Zeraim, thin branches are called "sa'ar"—"[He] overturned the branches,"16Kilayim, 4:9. "If the branches meshed."17Peah, 2:3.
וַיְהִי בְּבוֹאוֹ וַיִּתְקַע בַּשּׁוֹפָר בְּהַר אֶפְרָיִם וַיֵּרְדוּ עִמּוֹ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן־הָהָר וְהוּא לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃
It happened that, when he arrived, he sounded the shofar at Mount Efrayim. The Bnei Yisroel descended the mountain with him, and he was at the forefront.
It happened that, when he arrived, he sounded the shofar at Mount Efrayim. The Bnei Yisroel descended the mountain with him, and he was at the forefront.
Rashi
ויהי בבואו. שעבר את הירדן ובא למקומו בארץ כנען:
It happened that, when he arrived. He crossed the Yardein, and arrived at his place in the land of Canaan.18The text omits Ehud’s crossing of the Yardein and his arrival in Canaan. Rashi mentions these events for clarification.
בהר אפרים. שהיה בארץ כנען בעבר הירדן המערבי, וארץ מואב היתה בעבר הירדן במזרחו, מתוך ששלטו בישראל ועברו את הירדן, ירשו את יריחו, כמו שכתוב למעלה (פסוק יג) ונתנו את סרניהם ושליטיהם על ישראל:
At Mount Ephrayim. Which was in the land of Canaan, on the western side of the Yardein. The land of Moav was on the eastern side of the Yardein, but as they had subdued Yisroel and crossed the Yardein, they occupied Yericho as stated above, and installed their princes and governors over Yisroel.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם רִדְפוּ אַחֲרַי כִּֽי־נָתַן יְהֹוָה אֶת־אֹיְבֵיכֶם אֶת־מוֹאָב בְּיֶדְכֶם וַיֵּרְדוּ אַחֲרָיו וַֽיִּלְכְּדוּ אֶֽת־מַעְבְּרוֹת הַיַּרְדֵּן לְמוֹאָב וְלֹא־נָתְנוּ אִישׁ לַעֲבֹֽר׃
He told them, "Charge behind me, for Adonoy has delivered your enemy, Moav, into your hands." They descended behind him, took control of the Yardein passes towards Moav, and did not permit anyone to cross.
He told them, "Charge behind me, for Adonoy has delivered your enemy, Moav, into your hands." They descended behind him, took control of the Yardein passes towards Moav, and did not permit anyone to cross.
Rashi
רדפו. להרוג את כל מואב שבעבר הירדן שלנו:
Charge behind me to wipe out all the Moabites on our side of the Yardein.
וילכדו את מעברות הירדן. שלא יעברו מואב לנוס ולשוב אל ארצם:
Took control of the Yardein passes so that the Moabites could not cross to escape and return to their country.
וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־מוֹאָב בָּעֵת הַהִיא כַּעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ כׇּל־שָׁמֵן וְכׇל־אִישׁ חָיִל וְלֹא נִמְלַט אִֽישׁ׃
They struck down Moav at that time—ten thousand men, all lusty, all valiant men. No one escaped.
They struck down Moav at that time—ten thousand men, all lusty, all valiant men. No one escaped.
Rashi
כל שמן. (תרגום:) כל גבר אימתן:
All horrific [lit. corpulent]. Every man awe inspiring.
וַתִּכָּנַע מוֹאָב בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא תַּחַת יַד יִשְׂרָאֵל וַתִּשְׁקֹט הָאָרֶץ שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָֽה׃ {פ}
Moav was subjugated, that day, under the hand of Yisroel, and the land was tranquil eighty years.
Moav was subjugated, that day, under the hand of Yisroel, and the land was tranquil eighty years.
את עיר התמרים. יריחו:
The city of dates. Yericho.