The Meaning of Judges 3:15 Explained

Judges 3:15

KJV: But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

YLT: And the sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah, and Jehovah raiseth to them a saviour, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite (a man -- shut of his right hand), and the sons of Israel send by his hand a present to Eglon king of Moab;

Darby: But when the people of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

ASV: But when the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah, Jehovah raised them up a saviour, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man left-handed. And the children of Israel sent tribute by him unto Eglon the king of Moab.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But when the children  of Israel  cried  unto the LORD,  the LORD  raised them up  a deliverer,  Ehud  the son  of Gera,  a Benjamite,  a man  lefthanded:  and by him  the children  of Israel  sent  a present  unto Eglon  the king  of Moab. 

What does Judges 3:15 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 3:15 mean?

But when cried out the sons of Israel to Yahweh and raised up Yahweh for them a deliverer - Ehud son of Gera in the Benjamite a man restricted hand right and sent the sons of Israel by him tribute to Eglon king of Moab
וַיִּזְעֲק֣וּ בְנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ אֶל־ יְהוָה֒ וַיָּקֶם֩ יְהוָ֨ה לָהֶ֜ם מוֹשִׁ֗יעַ אֶת־ אֵה֤וּד בֶּן־ גֵּרָא֙ בֶּן־ הַיְמִינִ֔י אִ֥ישׁ אִטֵּ֖ר יַד־ יְמִינ֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁלְח֨וּ בְנֵי־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל בְּיָדוֹ֙ מִנְחָ֔ה לְעֶגְל֖וֹן מֶ֥לֶךְ מוֹאָֽב

וַיִּזְעֲק֣וּ  But  when  cried  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: זָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, call for help.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֮  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
יְהוָה֒  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיָּקֶם֩  and  raised  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
יְהוָ֨ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לָהֶ֜ם  for  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
מוֹשִׁ֗יעַ  a  deliverer 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
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.
אֵה֤וּד  Ehud 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵהוּד  
Sense: Benjamite judge of Israel, deliverer of Israel from Moab.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
גֵּרָא֙  of  Gera 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֵּרָא  
Sense: a son of Benjamin.
הַיְמִינִ֔י  the  Benjamite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֶּן־יְמִינִי 
Sense: one of the tribe of Benjamin.
אִ֥ישׁ  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אִטֵּ֖ר  restricted 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אִטֵּר  
Sense: bound, impeded (on the right, ie, left-handed), shut, shut up.
יַד־  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
יְמִינ֑וֹ  right 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָמִין  
Sense: right, right hand, right side.
וַיִּשְׁלְח֨וּ  and  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
בְנֵי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בְּיָדוֹ֙  by  him 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מִנְחָ֔ה  tribute 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִנְחָה  
Sense: gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering.
לְעֶגְל֖וֹן  to  Eglon 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶגְלֹון 
Sense: king of Moab who oppressed the children of Israel for 8 years before he was killed by the judge Ehud.
מֶ֥לֶךְ  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מוֹאָֽב  of  Moab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.