Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
The Hebrews, on account of marriages contracted with the Canaanites and the resulting worship of idols, pressed under the servitude of tyrants, repent and call upon the Lord, who delivers them first from Cushan, king of Mesopotamia, through Othniel, who was accordingly their first Judge and Prince; second (verse 12), from Eglon king of Moab through Ehud, who was the second Judge; third (verse 31), from the Philistines through Shamgar, who was the third Judge.
Vulgate Text: Judges 3:1-31
1. These are the nations which the Lord left, so that through them He might instruct Israel — all those who did not know the wars of the Canaanites — 2. so that afterward their children might learn to fight against enemies and become accustomed to warfare: 3. the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath. 4. And He left them so that through them He might test Israel, whether they would obey the commandments of the Lord which He had commanded their fathers through the hand of Moses, or not. 5. And so the sons of Israel dwelt in the midst of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; 6. and they took their daughters as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. 7. And they did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot their God, serving the Baals and Ashtaroth. 8. And the Lord, being angry against Israel, delivered them into the hands of Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, and they served him for eight years. 9. And they cried out to the Lord, who raised up a savior for them and delivered them — Othniel, namely, the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. 10. And the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. And he went out to battle, and the Lord delivered Cushan-rishathaim, king of Syria, into his hands, and he prevailed over him. 11. And the land had rest for forty years, and Othniel the son of Kenaz died. 12. And the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, who strengthened Eglon king of Moab against them, because they had done evil in His sight. 13. And he joined to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and struck Israel, and took possession of the City of Palms. 14. And the sons of Israel served Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years. 15. And afterward they cried out to the Lord, who raised up for them a savior named Ehud, the son of Gera, a son of Benjamin, who used both hands as his right. And the sons of Israel sent gifts through him to Eglon king of Moab. 16. And he made himself a two-edged sword, having in the middle a handle the length of the palm of the hand, and he girded it under his cloak on his right thigh. 17. And he presented the gifts to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was an exceedingly fat man. 18. And when he had presented the gifts, he dismissed his companions who had come with him. 19. And returning from Gilgal, where the idols were, he said to the king: I have a secret word for you, O King. And the king commanded silence; and when all who were around him had gone out, 20. Ehud went in to him — and he was sitting alone in his summer upper room — and said: I have a word from God for you. And he immediately rose from his throne. 21. And Ehud stretched out his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly, 22. so forcefully that the handle followed the blade into the wound, and was clasped by the very thick fat. Nor did he draw out the sword, but left it in the body just as he had struck; and immediately the contents of his bowels burst forth through the secret parts of nature. 23. And Ehud, having very carefully closed the doors of the upper room and bolted them, 24. went out through the back way. And the king's servants, coming in, saw the doors of the upper room closed and said: Perhaps he is relieving himself in the summer chamber. 25. And waiting a long time until they were embarrassed, and seeing that no one opened, they took a key; and opening, they found their lord lying dead on the ground. 26. But Ehud, while they were in confusion, escaped and passed beyond the place of idols, and came to Seirath. 27. And immediately he sounded the trumpet on Mount Ephraim, and the sons of Israel came down with him, he himself leading the way. 28. And he said to them: Follow me; for the Lord has delivered our enemies the Moabites into our hands. And they went down after him, and seized the fords of the Jordan that cross into Moab; and they did not allow anyone to pass; 29. but they struck the Moabites at that time, about ten thousand, all strong and valiant men. Not one of them was able to escape. 30. And Moab was humbled that day under the hand of Israel, and the land had rest eighty years. 31. After him was Shamgar, son of Anath, who struck six hundred men of the Philistines with a plowshare; and he also defended Israel.
Verse 1: That He might instruct Israel
That is, that He might teach them to handle arms and the manner of fighting with enemies through constant exercise of warfare with the Canaanites. Again, that He might teach them to worship God, not idols; for on account of these sins they were handed over to the Canaanites, from whom God freed them.
Verse 2: So that their children might learn to fight
So that the younger Israelites, inexperienced in wars, might learn what it is to fight with the Canaanites; namely how harmful wars are, since through them they were stripped of their resources, liberty, and often their lives; and therefore they would guard against sins, on account of which God allowed these wars upon them. That is, war is sweet to the inexperienced, but bitter to the experienced.
Verse 3: The five satraps of the Philistines
That is, the five governors or princes of the Philistines. For there were five cities of theirs, namely Ashkelon, Ekron, Ashdod, Gath, and Gaza, which with their villages and districts each constituted a satrapy or prefecture. Here by "Canaanite" understand the Phoenicians; for these, descended from Canaan, are often called Canaanites. Hence the Canaanite woman, Matthew 15:22, is called by Mark a Syro-Phoenician, because she was from Phoenicia. For the Phoenicians were never subdued by the Hebrews, even though their territory was included within the boundaries of the Promised Land.
Verse 7: Serving the Baals and Ashtaroth
So our translator reads in the Hebrew. Others with the Septuagint read asheroth, that is, "groves." Groves were woods dedicated to the gods, in which they had erected altars for sacrificing to them. They served the groves, therefore, that is, the idols they worshipped in the groves. It is a metonymy.
Verse 8: Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia
HE DELIVERED THEM INTO THE HANDS OF CUSHAN-RISHATHAIM, KING OF MESOPOTAMIA, AND THEY SERVED HIM EIGHT YEARS. — This was the first servitude of the Hebrews, and the first punishment for their idolatry in the Holy Land. The region is called Mesopotamia because it is situated in the middle of two rivers, namely the Tigris and the Euphrates. In Hebrew it is called Aram Naharaim, that is, Syria of the two rivers.
Now Cushan-rishathaim in Hebrew means "Ethiopian of two impieties," says Pagninus — such was this tyrant, because he oppressed the Hebrews with tyranny, and because he enticed them to worship his gods.
Tropologically, such is the devil, says Origen, to whom God delivers men to be tormented when they are proud against Him, so that He may humble, afflict, and crush them, until they come to their senses and humble themselves under God.
Verse 9: Othniel the savior
It should be noted, says St. Augustine, Question 18: "A man is also called a savior, through whom God effects salvation." The Judges of Israel were therefore saviors, and thus figures and types of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Hence St. Jerome, writing to Paulinus, Epistle 103: "In the book of Judges, there are as many figures as there are leaders of the people." The Judges saved the people in body, Jesus heals the faithful in soul; the Judges routed tyrants, Jesus routs the demons oppressing the world.
Wherefore the name of Jesus is terrifying to demons, so much so that upon hearing it they flee. St. Chrysostom, Homily 8 on the Epistle to the Romans: "We have spiritual incantations — the very name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and also the power of His cross. An incantation of this kind not only drives the dragon from its caves, but also heals wounds. This is terrifying to demons, and salutary against disturbances and infirmities. Let us therefore adorn ourselves with this; let us fortify ourselves with this as with a wall."
For this reason St. Ignatius, the founder of our Society, did not want us to be called Ignatians, but members of the Society of Jesus, so that by this name he might spur us to the zealous pursuit of the salvation of souls.
Brilliantly St. Augustine says, Treatise 5 on the First Epistle of St. John: "How do you glory in being a Christian? You have the name but not the deeds. But if the deed follows the name, let anyone call you a pagan — you, show yourself a Christian by your deeds. For if you do not show yourself a Christian by your deeds, what use is the name where the reality is not found?"
Verse 10: The Spirit of the Lord was in him
"The Spirit of the Lord," that is, strength, prudence, and especially the impulse for fighting, and the ardor and zeal for vindicating his own countrymen into freedom, breathed and inspired into Othniel by God. For every virtue and quality, whether natural or supernatural, and every grace is called "spirit" in Scripture, as Abulensis rightly observes.
Verse 11: The land had rest forty years
"Forty years," that is, up to the fortieth year, in which Othniel completed his office as Judge and died. Our Salianus distributes these years as follows: in the first seventeen years the people served the true God; then they turned aside to worship the Baals for about five years; wherefore they served the king of Mesopotamia for eight years, up to the thirtieth year of Othniel, who in the last ten years defeated him and restored peace. Hence fittingly Othniel in Hebrew means "time of God," says Pagninus, and he was a type of Christ the Savior, says Rupert.
Verse 12: God strengthened Eglon king of Moab
Did God then stir up Eglon to wage an unjust war? I answer: God is said to have stirred up Eglon by increasing his strength, courage, and allies; and conversely by weakening the forces of the Hebrews and sending panic into them. He also instilled in King Eglon the thought that the land of Israel was fertile, rich, unarmed, and forsaken by God. All of which Eglon could use either well or badly. God foresaw that Eglon, from his evil will and ambition, would misuse them — which God decreed to permit, so that through him He might punish the sinning Hebrews.
Verse 14: The years of servitude and chronology
Note: In this book, many years of oppression and servitude are frequently recounted; but all of these are included within the years of the preceding or following Judges. This is confirmed by III Kings 6:1, where from the departure from Egypt to the fourth year of Solomon precisely 480 years are counted. If you count the servitude years separately, you find 591, not 480. The Hebrews served: Cushan for 8 years; Eglon for 18; Jabin for 20; the Midianites for 7; the Philistines and Ammonites for 18; and the Philistines again for 40 — a total of 111 years of servitude, all included within the Judges' years.
Verse 15: Ehud the savior
See here how useful affliction is: for it teaches, indeed compels, one to call upon God. Ehud in Hebrew means "I will glory" or "glorious"; for hod means glory. Such was Ehud, because over Eglon — "the calf" in Hebrew — that is, over the calf-like and wanton king, he triumphed with great glory.
WHO USED EITHER HAND AS THE RIGHT — the Septuagint call him amphoterodexion, that is, ambidextrous. It is a great advantage, especially for a soldier, to be ambidextrous: for he fights the enemy with both hands. Hence Homer praises Asteropaeus for being ambidextrous, for it is a sign of great manliness and strength.
Tropologically, a holy man is ambidextrous: for he knows how to use both adversity and prosperity for his own good, as did Job, David, and Paul when he says: "Through the weapons of justice on the right and on the left" (II Corinthians 6).
Verse 16: The two-edged sword
In Hebrew, "having two mouths," that is, two edges, which the Septuagint call distomon, sharp on both sides. This sword or dagger had two edges so that it could strike the king from either side. He wished to strike him not openly and with a slashing blow, but secretly and with a thrust. Therefore it was necessary for this sword to have a hilt in the middle.
AND HE GIRDED IT UNDER HIS CLOAK ON HIS RIGHT THIGH — both to conceal the dagger and the plot of assassination (for we usually gird a sword at the left thigh, not the right), and so that he could more easily draw it with his left hand, with which he was going to strike the unsuspecting king.
Verse 17: Eglon was exceedingly fat
Like a calf; for Eglon in Hebrew means "calf." He says this to signify that Eglon was weighed down and suffocated by his own great fat. See here how their own gluttony harms the gluttonous; for gluttony slew the gluttonous and obese Eglon. One who is obese can neither dodge a blow nor ward it off; but a lean man, by his slenderness and agility, can dodge or deflect the blow. As St. Jerome says: "A fat belly does not beget a keen mind."
Verse 19: Returning from Gilgal
Ehud, after presenting tribute to King Eglon, in order to conceal his plan, departed with his companions and accompanied them as far as Gilgal; from there he returned alone to the king — both so that he alone would face the danger, and so that the killing would be more secret and less subject to suspicion.
Verse 20: I have a word from God for you
Because God commands me to kill you, the oppressor of Israel. So says St. Augustine. He says this so that the king would rise from his throne, as if reverently to receive God's oracle, and thus Ehud could more easily strike and kill him. And so it happened; for Eglon "immediately rose from his throne" to show reverence to God and to His messenger Ehud, just as we rise for the Gospel when it is read.
Verse 21: He thrust it into his belly
He therefore struck him with a thrust, not a slash. Ehud did this by God's prompting, and thereby slew an enemy rather than a tyrant ruling the people, says St. Thomas, Book I On the Government of Princes, chapter 6.
Verse 28: They seized the fords of the Jordan
So that they might destroy the garrison of the king of Moab that was on this side of the Jordan at Jericho, lest it escape across the Jordan into Moab.
Verse 30: The land had rest eighty years
That is, up to the eightieth year from the death of Othniel, in which Ehud, his successor, died. In these 80 years are included the 18 years in which the Hebrews served the Moabites.
Verse 31: Shamgar and the plowshare
He was the third Judge in order, but of short tenure and only a few months. Hence Shamgar in Hebrew means "he has been a sojourner," says Origen. The Septuagint, Origen, and St. Augustine translate "plowshare"; but the Chaldean and Rabbis translate "ox-goad." It seems Shamgar was a farmer, and when the Philistines attacked, he suddenly seized the plowshare from the plow and sprang into battle, as the Hungarians still do when the Turks attack, and as the Spaniards formerly did when the Moors invaded. So Samson killed a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey (chapter 15:16); in sudden emergencies, whatever is at hand is seized, when rage supplies the arms.
In a similar way, the ancient Roman heroes were called from the plow to the dictatorship, such as Camillus, Curius, Cincinnatus, and Fabricius. "The bravest men and most energetic soldiers," says Pliny, "are produced from farmers, and they are the least inclined to evil thoughts."
Tropologically, the Gloss says: The plowshare is confession; for just as the earth is opened with a plowshare to receive seed and bear fruit, so by confession the earth of our heart is broken open to receive the seed of God's word and grace. Allegorically, Shamgar was a type of Christ, who with the plowshare of evangelical preaching struck down the Philistines, that is, demons, idolaters, and the impious.