The Meaning of Judges 3:24 Explained

Judges 3:24

KJV: When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.

YLT: and he hath gone out, and his servants have come in, and look, and lo, the doors of the upper chamber are bolted, and they say, 'He is only covering his feet in the inner chamber of the wall.'

Darby: When he had gone, the servants came; and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, "He is only relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber."

ASV: Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the upper chamber.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

When he was gone out,  his servants  came;  and when they saw  that, behold, the doors  of the parlour  [were] locked,  they said,  Surely he covereth  his feet  in his summer  chamber. 

What does Judges 3:24 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 3:15-31 - The "message From God"
The sword is usually worn at the left hand, and Ehud escaped suspicion because his was girded under his raiment on his right thigh. Eglon was also the more ready to listen to him and give a secret audience, because he had just received a tribute from Ehud's hand. It was a terrible deed of vengeance, which must not be judged by our ethical standards. But can we not understand how the hatred of a downtrodden and high-spirited race would express itself in just this manner?
That dagger, thrust in up to the hilt, was indeed a message from God, for it ended Eglon's life and summoned his soul to stand at the bar of divine judgment. A supreme tragedy cannot befall except by the divine permission. Though God's silent permission of evil cannot be construed as acquiescence, yet the results of an evil deed may be wrought into the scheme of His providence, as in the case of Genesis 50:20-21 and Acts 2:23. It is our frequent experience to have thrusts made at us; let us ask if they may not be messages from God! There is no chance in life. [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 3

1  The nations which were left to prove Israel
5  By communion with them they commit idolatry
8  Othniel delivered them from Chushan-Rishathaim
12  Ehud from Eglon
31  and Shamgar from the Philistines

What do the individual words in Judges 3:24 mean?

And when he had gone out and Eglon's servants came and to look and [to their] surprise the doors of the upper room were locked so they said probably is attending to He - his needs in chamber the cool
וְה֤וּא יָצָא֙ וַעֲבָדָ֣יו בָּ֔אוּ וַיִּרְא֕וּ וְהִנֵּ֛ה דַּלְת֥וֹת הָעֲלִיָּ֖ה נְעֻל֑וֹת וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אַ֣ךְ מֵסִ֥יךְ ה֛וּא אֶת־ רַגְלָ֖יו בַּחֲדַ֥ר הַמְּקֵרָֽה

וְה֤וּא  And  when  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יָצָא֙  had  gone  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
וַעֲבָדָ֣יו  and  Eglon's  servants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
בָּ֔אוּ  came 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וַיִּרְא֕וּ  and  to  look 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
וְהִנֵּ֛ה  and  [to  their]  surprise 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
דַּלְת֥וֹת  the  doors 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: דַּל 
Sense: door, gate.
הָעֲלִיָּ֖ה  of  the  upper  room 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲלִיָּה  
Sense: roof-room, roof chamber.
נְעֻל֑וֹת  were  locked 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine plural
Root: נָעַל 
Sense: to bar, lock, bolt.
וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ  so  they  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אַ֣ךְ  probably 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
מֵסִ֥יךְ  is  attending  to 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סוּךְ 
Sense: (Qal) to hedge, fence about, shut in.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
רַגְלָ֖יו  his  needs 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
בַּחֲדַ֥ר  in  chamber 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֶדֶר  
Sense: chamber, room, parlour, innermost or inward part, within.
הַמְּקֵרָֽה  the  cool 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְקֵרָה  
Sense: coolness, cooling.

What are the major concepts related to Judges 3:24?

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