Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 3:19
But he himself turned again from the quarries that [were] by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
19. the quarries ] Everywhere else (e.g. Isa 21:9; Mic 5:13 etc.), and in the margin of A. and RV. here, the word ( peslm) is rendered graven images (cf. pesel ‘graven image’), and such is the meaning in this place; idols, or perhaps in a more general sense, sculptured stones (Moore). They were connected with the sanctuary of Gilgal (see on Jdg 2:1), which was marked by a circle of sacred stones, traditionally those which Joshua set up to commemorate the crossing of the Jordan (Jos 4:20). The rendering quarries goes back to the Targum, and is due to the wish to avoid an objectionable reference. The idols by Gilgal may be mentioned merely as a familiar land-mark on the W. of the Jordan, cf. Jdg 3:26; or rather, perhaps, to account for what follows in Jdg 3:20. Ehud waited at the sanctuary to find a pretext for returning unexpectedly to speak with the king; he had received an oracle there, ‘a message from God,’ which he must communicate to the king personally (so Lagrange). The position of Gilgal, between Jericho and the Jordan, shews that Eglon’s residence must have been not at Jericho, but on the other side of the river, in Moab.
Keep silence ] Cf. Amo 6:10. The command is addressed to the courtiers, who are dismissed in order that the king may speak to Ehud in private. Ehud had entered the presence publicly.
20 And Ehud came unto him ] i.e. from the public hall to a private room: the king was sitting in his cool roof-chamber, such as is often built on the flat roof of an Eastern house. Ehud’s words in Jdg 3:19, spoken publicly in the king’s presence, contain a request for a private audience; the king thereupon dismisses his attendants, retires to his chamber on the roof, where he receives Ehud in the manner desired. The transition from Jdg 3:19-20 is not clearly expressed: we should gather from Jdg 3:19 that, after the attendants had left, the interview took place in the public room; but in Jdg 3:20 Ehud finds the king alone in his cool chamber. There is no need, however, to regard the two verses as doublets; the narrative is compressed, and the omission of details leaves something to be supplied by the imagination.
a message from God unto thee ] i.e. a divine communication. Josephus explains that it had been conveyed by a dream, Ant. Jdg 3:4; Jdg 3:2. The LXX adds O king, which may be right. Out of respect for the oracle the king rises from his chair; cf. Num 23:18.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gilgal was in the immediate neighborhood of Jericho Jdg 2:1, where doubtless Eglon held his court at this time Jdg 3:13.
Quarries – Some take the original of this word in its common meaning of carved images or idols (see the margin).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 19. He-turned – from the quarries] pesilim. Some of the versions understand this word as meaning idols or graven images, or some spot where the Moabites had a place of idolatrous worship. As pasal signifies to cut, hew, or engrave, it may be applied to the images thus cut, or to the place, or quarry whence they were digged: but it is most likely that idols are meant. Some think that trenches are meant, and that pesilim here may mean the boundaries of the two countries: and when Ehud had got thus far, he sent away the people that were with him, under pretense of having a secret message to Eglon, and so got rid of his attendants, in presence of whom he could not have executed his scheme, nor have secured his escape afterwards. But I do not see the evidence of this mode of interpretation.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He turned again, as if he had forgot and neglected some important business.
From the quarries; either, first, Whence they hewed stones. Or, secondly, The twelve stones which Joshua set up there; by the sight whereof he was animated to his work. Or, thirdly, The idols, as the word also signifies, which that heathen king might place there, either in spite and contempt to the Israelites, who had that place in great veneration; or that he might ascribe his conquest of the land to his idols, as the Israelites did to the true God, by setting up this monument in the entrance or beginning of it.
Keep silence till my servants be gone; whom he would not have acquainted with a business which he supposed to be of great and close importance.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. quarriesrather, “gravenimages” (Deu 7:25; Jer 8:19;Jer 51:52); statues of Moabiteidols, the sight of which kindled the patriotic zeal of Ehud toavenge this public insult to Israel on its author.
I have a secret errand untothee, O king: who said, Keep silence“Privacy”asignal for all to withdraw.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But he himself turned again from the quarries that [were] by Gilgal,…., For so far he accompanied the men that came with him. These quarries were places where they dug stones and hewed them, according to the Targum, and most Jewish writers; but some render the word “engravings”, and understand them of inscriptions engraved on pillars here, which remained from the times of Seth the son of Adam; of which see more on Jud 3:26; but according to the Vulgate Latin, and other versions, graven images or idols are meant, which the king of Moab set up here in contempt of the Israelites, it being a place where the ark remained some time, and circumcision had been performed, Jos 5:3; or in order to draw them into idolatry, those idols perhaps being made of the twelve stones they had set up there, Jos 4:20; or rather in honour of his gods, to invoke their assistance when he first entered into the land, or by way of gratitude and thankfulness for the subduing of it: and this it is thought by some stirred up the spirit of Ehud, and caused him to turn back, resolving to avenge this profaneness:
and said; when he came to the palace of the king of Moab, and into his presence:
I have a secret errand unto thee, O king; which he had forgot when with him before, as he might pretend; or something new had occurred unto him to acquaint him of, and which required privacy:
who said, keep silence; that is, the king of Moab said so either to Ehud, to be silent until be had sent out his servants that were about him, that they might not hear the secret; or to a person or persons that were speaking to him, whom he bid to desist and depart, it being his pleasure to hear Ehud before them; so Ben Gersom; but the former sense rather seems best:
and all that stood by him went out from him; his servants, his courtiers that were waiting upon him, or such as were admitted into his presence, to have audience of him, and deliver their messages, or make their petitions to him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(19) But he himself turned again.The plan of Ehud was deeply laid. He wished (1) to secure his end, which would be more difficult amid the soldiers and attendants who would guard the king during the presentation of the tribute; (2) to avoid endangering his comrades; (3) to provide, if possible, for his own escape. By going away with the deputation of serfs
which he had introduced, he would still more lull suspicion asleep.
From the quarries.The Hebrew word is pesilm. The LXX., followed by our margin, render it graven images; and the Vulgate, from Gilgal, where were idols. (Luther, Gtzen.) Such is the meaning of peslm in Deu. 7:5; 2Ki. 17:41; Psa. 97:7, &c. The rendering, stone quarries, is derived from the Chaldee and Rabbi Jarchi; but it probably means idols of some kindprobably those of Moab. Some explain it of the twelve stones which were taken out of Jordan, and pitched at Gilgal (Jos. 4:2). The LXX. (in some MSS.) make it mean that Eglon returned, but this is clearly a mistake. Gilgal was near Jericho, and when Ehud had accompanied his comrades to some well-known landmark at Gilgal, he returned to Jericho. Josephus says he had two attendants with him; but the word people in Jdg. 3:18 implies that many more had accompanied him.
By Gilgal.Ewald thinks that Gilgal belonged to Ephraim, and that he went to see if all was safe at this frontier-post. If the peslm were sacred stones to mark a boundary (cp. Jdg. 5:26), they would, like the Greek Herm, have been condemned by the Jews as idolatrous.
I have a secret errand unto thee, O king.Something in Ehuds position and antecedents enabled him to reckon on the kings credulity. Eglon, aware of discontent among the Israelites, may have supposed that Ehud had some secret to betray. Similarly Darius obtained an interview with the Pseudo-Smerdis, for the purpose of assassinating him, by pretending to have a secret message to him; and, in explaining it to his comrade, says, When lying is necessary, lie (Herod, iii. 72). In Josephuss version of the story, Ehud pretends that he has a dream to narrate.
Who said, Keep silence.Rather, And he said, Hush! (Heb., Hs.) The narrative is very graphic, but it does not appear whether the Hush! was addressed to Ehud, to prevent him from saying any more in the presence of the attendants, or as an intimation to the attendants to retire. They at once understood that the king wished to be left alone.
All that stood by him.Courtiers always stand in the presence of Eastern kings.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
19. He himself turned again At the ceremony of offering the present to Eglon “Ehud had no opportunity to attempt anything, for he neither came near the king nor saw him alone; nor yet was he willing, among so many bystanders, to involve his companions in the consequences of a possible failure. On the contrary, he accompanied them back to the border, in order to be sure that he was alone when making the dangerous attempt.” Cassel.
The quarries Our version follows the Chaldee in this rendering of the Hebrew word , pesilim, and Keil adopts this interpretation. But the word elsewhere always means graven images, or idols, and so the Septuagint and Vulgate here translate it. These pesilim were graven images set up by Gilgal, probably by the Moabites, to commemorate their conquests in that part of Palestine. It would especially vex and trouble the better part of Israel to have the site of their ancient camp profaned by idolatrous images. Some suggest that the sight of these images nerved Ehud for his daring work.
A secret errand Ehud affects to be Eglon’s friend, and seems to the king to have gone to such pains to favour him with a secret that his deadly purpose is not suspected.
Keep silence , hist! hush! To the king’s attendants it implied that they should leave the room.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ But he himself turned back from the graven images which were by Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret errand to you, Oh king.” And he said, “keep silence.” And all who stood by him went out from him.’
He returned to where the king’s party were. If anything went wrong he wanted it to be seen as an individual act, not bringing retribution on his people. Then he indicated that he had a message to convey that required utmost secrecy. In their eyes he was clearly unarmed.
“And he said, ‘keep silence.” And all who stood by him went out from him.’ The king’s words clearly indicated that they leave him alone with Ehud, and were probably a standard signal. Total silence was only possible in an emptied room. Then they all left the room. Alternately it may be that his words were to Ehud, telling him to say nothing until they were alone. Then by a signal he would dismiss his servants.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jdg 3:19. The quarries that were by Gilgal Both here, and in the 26th verse, says Houbigant, we take the word pesilim, rendered quarries, for the name of a place. The Vulgate and LXX render it graven images, which some suppose were erected here by the Moabites. The phrase keep silence means, that Ehud should awhile refrain from speaking, until the princes of the court were retired. It is in the Syriac, the king said, Do ye withdraw; and they that were present withdrew.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jdg 3:19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that [were] by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
Ver. 19. From the quarries that were by Gilgal. ] Or, Graven images; stone statues set up there to be worshipped, and haply to vex the Israelites, or to entice them to idolatry: at the sight whereof, saith Fetus, Ehud’s zeal so wrought with him, that he returned and killed the king. Or haply, saith another expositor, he made a show as if he had been at Gilgal to worship before the king’s idols set up there, and something touching the king revealed unto him that he might the better get an opportunity of being alone with him.
Keep silence,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
quarries = graven images. So Septuagint, Vulgate, and Targum, here and Jdg 3:26. Hebrew. pesilim. Deu 7:5, Deu 7:25; Deu 12:3. 2Ki 17:41. Psa 78:53, &c.
that were by Gilgal. Hebrew the same [as] at Gilgah.
errand. Hebrew word. See note on “message”, Jdg 3:20.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
quarries: or graven images, Jos 4:20
a secret: Jdg 3:20, 2Ki 9:5, 2Ki 9:6, Act 23:18, Act 23:19
And all that: Gen 45:1
Reciprocal: Gen 31:46 – an heap Jdg 3:26 – the quarries 2Sa 13:9 – And Amnon
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3:19 But he himself turned again from the {h} quarries that [were] by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep {i} silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
(h) Or, as some read from the places of idols.
(i) Till all be departed.