He said to them, “Follow me; for Yahweh has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” They followed him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn’t allow any man to pass over. They struck at that time about ten thousand men of Moab, every strong man and every man of valor. No man escaped. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. Then the land had rest eighty years.
Parallel Translations
-
He said to them, “Follow me; for Yahweh has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” They followed him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn’t allow any man to pass over.
They struck at that time about ten thousand men of Moab, every strong man and every man of valor. No man escaped.
So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. Then the land had rest eighty years.
-
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.
And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.
So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
Show all 3 translations
-
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 the Jordan against the Moabites, and suffered not a man to pass over.
And they smote of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man, and every man of valour; and there escaped not a man.
So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (2)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (14)
- Judges 12:5 (v28) The Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. Whenever a fugitive of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of…
- Joshua 2:7 (v28) The men pursued them along the way to the fords of the Jordan River. As soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.
- Judges 3:11 (v30) The land had rest forty years, then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
- Judges 7:9 (v28) That same night, Yahweh said to him, “Arise, go down into the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.
- Judges 7:15 (v28) It was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped. Then he returned into the camp of Israel…
Show all 14 cross-references
- 1 Samuel 17:47 (v28) and that all this assembly may know that Yahweh doesn’t save with sword and spear; for the battle is Yahweh’s, and he will give you into…
- Deuteronomy 32:15 (v29) But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked. You have grown fat. You have grown thick. You have become sleek. Then he abandoned God who made him, and…
- Judges 7:24 (v28) Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against Midian and take the waters before them as far…
- Judges 3:17 (v29) He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.
- Judges 4:10 (v28) Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh. Ten thousand men followed him; and Deborah went up with him.
- Judges 5:31 (v30) “So let all your enemies perish, Yahweh, but let those who love him be as the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had rest…
- Judges 7:17 (v28) He said to them, “Watch me, and do likewise. Behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so you shall…
- Job 15:27 (v29) because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
- Psalms 17:10 (v29) They close up their callous hearts. With their mouth they speak proudly.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (14 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv29–30 Or, strong, and big bodied.
Or, strong, and big bodied.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv28–30 Jdg 3:28 And he said unto them, Follow after…
Jdg 3:28 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.
Ver. 28. And he said unto them, Follow after me.] This was captain-like spoken. Caesar never said to his soldiers, Ite, Go ye, but Venite, Come along: I will lead you, neither shall ye go farther than ye have me before you. Hannibal was wont to be first in the battle, and last out. {a}
Read full note →
{a} Princeps proelium inibat: ultimus conserto proelio excedebat. - Liv.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv28, 30 The fords, where they passed over Jordan, that neither…
The fords, where they passed over Jordan, that neither the Moabites that were got into Canaan might escape, nor any more Moabites come over Jordan to their succour.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv28–30 And they slew of Moab at that time about…
And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men,.... Who had been sent into the land of Israel to keep it in subjection, or had settled themselves there for their better convenience, profit, and pleasure; it is very probable there were some of both sorts:
all lusty, and all men of valour; the word for "lusty" signifies "fat", living in ease for a long time, and in a plentiful country were grown fat; and, according to Ben Gersom, it signifies rich men, such as had acquired wealth by living in the land of Canaan; or who came over Jordan thither and settled about Jericho, because of the delightfulness of the place, and others were stout and valiant soldiers, whom the king of Moab had placed there to keep the land in subjection he had subdued, and to subdue what remained of it; but they were all destroyed:
Read full note →
and there escaped not a man; for there being no other way of getting into the land of Moab but at the fords of Jordan they fell into the hands of the Israelites possessed of them, as they made up unto them.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv28, 30 Fords of Jordan - Where they passed over Jordan,…
Fords of Jordan - Where they passed over Jordan, that neither the Moabites that were got into Canaan, might escape, nor any more Moabites come over Jordan to their succor.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv28–30 Verse 28. Took the fords of Jordan] It is…
Verse 28. Took the fords of Jordan] It is very likely that the Moabites, who were on the western side of Jordan, hearing of the death of Eglon, were panic-struck, and endeavoured to escape over Jordan at the fords near Jericho, when Ehud blew his trumpet in the mountains of Ephraim, and thus to get into the land of the Moabites, which lay on the east of Jordan; but Ehud and his men, seizing the only pass by which they could make their escape, slew ten thousand of them in their attempt to cross at those fords. What is called here the fords was doubtless the place where the Israelites had passed Jordan when they (under Joshua) took possession of the promised land.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v30 Jdg 3:30. The land had rest fourscore years —…
Jdg 3:30. The land had rest fourscore years — Not the whole land of Israel, but the eastern part of it, which had thus shaken off the yoke of Moab. For in the mean time the Philistines invaded the western parts, as it here follows, and were repulsed by Shamgar; and Jabin afflicted the northern, as it follows in the next chapter.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv28, 30 Ehud “went down” from the mountain of Ephraim into…
Ehud “went down” from the mountain of Ephraim into the Jordan valley beneath it, straight to the Jordan fords Jos 2:7, so as to intercept all communication between the Moabites on the west side and their countrymen on the east.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv28–30 Fords. That none, from the other side, might come…
Fords. That none, from the other side, might come to the assistance of the Moabites, (Menochius) who were at their prince’s court, in the territory of Jericho, and that none of these might make their escape. (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v28 they went down after him, and took the fords--(See…
they went down after him, and took the fords--(See on Jos 2:7). With the view of preventing all escape to the Moabite coast, and by the slaughter of ten thousand men [Jdg 3:29], Ehud rescued his country from a state of ignominious vassalage.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv28–29 28. Took the fords of Jordan toward Moab —…
28. Took the fords of Jordan toward Moab — That is, the fords by which the Moabites stationed at Jericho must pass to escape to their own land, on the east of the Jordan. Eglon occupied Jericho, and had built a palace there, (see note on Jdg_3:13.) and had ten thousand men (Jdg_3:29) with him. It was of the first importance for the Israelites to get possession of these fords, and thus cut off the retreat of the Moabite army to the eastern side of the Jordan.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv28–30 28. Follow after me] lit. pursue after me; the…
28. Follow after me] lit. pursue after me; the slight correction of the LXX come down after me, cf. clause b, is generally accepted.
against the Moabites] Cf. Jdg_7:24, Jdg_12:5, i.e. so as to prevent the Moabites on the west side of the river (Jdg_3:13) from crossing to their own country. Of the three fords near Jericho, the southernmost near Gilgal is probably meant; cf. Jos_2:7, 2Sa_19:15.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv28–30 (28) The Lord hath delivered your enemies the Moabites…
(28) The Lord hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.—Comp. Jdg_7:9-15; 1Sa_17:47; 1Ki_22:12.
Took the fords of Jordan.—This was a matter of extreme importance. The fords of Jordan were few, and far distant from each other. (Jos_2:7.) The steep ravine through which it flows forms a natural barrier to Western Palestine, and by securing the fords they cut off from the Moabites all chance of succour. The vehement rapidity of Ehud’s movements had rendered their escape impossible.
Read full note →
Suffered not a man to passover.—Comp. Jdg_12:5-6. It was a massacre of vengeance, like the Sicilian Vespers, or the massacre of the English of the Pale in Ireland, or that of the Danes in England on St. Brice’s day.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v28 General Information:
General Information:
Ehud speaks to the people of Israel in Ephraim.
Read full note →
for Yahweh is about to defeat your enemies
Yahweh helping the Israelites to defeat their enemies is spoken of as if Yahweh were a warrior who would fight and defeat their enemies. (See: Metaphor)
captured the fords
"gained control of the fords"
fords
the areas of a river where it is shallow and easy to walk across to the other side
did not allow anyone to cross
"did not let anyone cross"
ten thousand men
"10,000 men" (See: Numbers)
capable men
"able men" or "men able to fight well"
Moab was subdued by the strength of Israel
This can be stated in active form. AT: "the Israelite army defeated the Moabites" (See: Active or Passive)
the strength of Israel
Here "strength" represents the Israelite army. (See: Metonymy)
the land had rest
Here "land" represents the people. AT: "the Israelites lived peacefully" (See: Metonymy)
eighty years
"80 years" (See: Numbers)
translationWords
Yahweh
adversary
Moab
Jordan River
Israel
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.