The Meaning of Judges 3:28 Explained

Judges 3:28

KJV: And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.

YLT: and he saith unto them, 'Pursue after me, for Jehovah hath given your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand;' and they go down after him, and capture the passages of the Jordan towards Moab, and have not permitted a man to pass over.

Darby: And he said to them, "Follow after me; for the LORD has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand." So they went down after him, and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and allowed not a man to pass over.

ASV: And he said unto them, Follow after me; for Jehovah hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and suffered not a man to pass over.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said  unto them, Follow  after  me: for the LORD  hath delivered  your enemies  the Moabites  into your hand.  And they went down  after  him, and took  the fords  of Jordan  toward Moab,  and suffered  not a man  to pass over. 

What does Judges 3:28 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 3:28 mean?

And he said to them Follow [me] for has delivered Yahweh - your enemies the Moabites into your hand So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab and not did allow anyone to cross over
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ רִדְפ֣וּ אַחֲרַ֔י כִּֽי־ נָתַ֨ן יְהוָ֧ה אֶת־ אֹיְבֵיכֶ֛ם מוֹאָ֖ב בְּיֶדְכֶ֑ם וַיֵּרְד֣וּ אַחֲרָ֗יו וַֽיִּלְכְּד֞וּ מַעְבְּר֤וֹת הַיַּרְדֵּן֙ לְמוֹאָ֔ב וְלֹֽא־ נָתְנ֥וּ אִ֖ישׁ לַעֲבֹֽר

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲלֵהֶם֙  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
רִדְפ֣וּ  Follow 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
אַחֲרַ֔י  [me] 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
נָתַ֨ן  has  delivered 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
יְהוָ֧ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
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.
אֹיְבֵיכֶ֛ם  your  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
מוֹאָ֖ב  the  Moabites 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
בְּיֶדְכֶ֑ם  into  your  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וַיֵּרְד֣וּ  So  they  went  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
אַחֲרָ֗יו  after  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
וַֽיִּלְכְּד֞וּ  and  seized 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לָכַד  
Sense: to capture, take, seize.
מַעְבְּר֤וֹת  the  fords 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מַעֲבָר 
Sense: ford, pass, passing.
הַיַּרְדֵּן֙  of  the  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).
לְמוֹאָ֔ב  leading  to  Moab 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
וְלֹֽא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נָתְנ֥וּ  did  allow 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אִ֖ישׁ  anyone 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
לַעֲבֹֽר  to  cross  over 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.