Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 3:24

When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlor [were] locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.

24. his servants came ]. It is implied that Eglon’s servants saw Ehud go out by the usual way, for they evidently believe their master to be alone, clause b; Moore.

he covereth his feet ] An euphemism, cf. 1Sa 24:3.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

He covereth his feet – Compare the marginal references. The explanation of the phrase as taking sleep suits both passages best.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 24. He covereth his feet] He has lain down on his sofa in order to sleep; when this was done they dropped their slippers, lifted up their feet, and covered them with their long loose garments. But the versions, in general, seem to understand it as implying a certain natural act.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Covereth his feet: this phrase is used only here and 1Sa 24:3. It is commonly understood in both places, of easing nature; because the men not then wearing breeches, as we do, but long coats, they did in that act cover their feet, as women do: but a late judicious interpreter expounds it of composing himself to take a little sleep or rest, as was very usual to do in the day-time in those hot countries, 2Sa 4:5; 11:2. And when they did so in cool places, such as this summer parlour unquestionably was, they used to cover their feet, as appears from Rth 3:7. And this may seem to be the more probable, both because the summer parlour was more proper for this use than for the former; and because this was a more likely reason of their long waiting at his door, lest they should disturb his repose. And this sense best agrees with Sauls case in the cave, when being asleep David could more securely cut off the lap of his garment, 1Sa 24:3, where See Poole “1Sa 24:3“. annotations.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

When he was gone out, his servants came,…. When Ehud was gone through the porch, and out of the palace, the servants of Eglon, who had been put out, came to the parlour door to reassume their former place, and finish their business with the king, or in order to wait upon him as usual:

and when they saw that behold the doors of the parlour [were] locked; which they supposed were done by the king himself with inside, having no suspicion of Ehud:

they said, surely, or “perhaps”, as Noldius f renders it,

he covereth his feet in his summer chamber; that is, was easing nature; and, as the eastern people wore long and loose garments, when they sat down on such an occasion, their feet were covered with them; or they purposely gathered them about their feet to cover them, and so this became a modest expression for this work of nature, see 1Sa 24:3; though some think that in that place, and also in this, is meant lying down to sleep; and that Eglon’s servants supposed that he had laid himself down on his couch in his summer chamber to take sleep, when it was usual to cover the feet with long garments, to hide those parts of nature which otherwise might be exposed; and it must be owned that this seems more agreeable to a summer parlour than the former, and better accounts for the servants waiting so long as they did; and Josephus g is express for it, that his servants thought he had fallen asleep. Indeed, the Jews in later times used the phrase in the first sense h, which seems to be taken from hence.

f Ebr. Concord. part. p. 47. No. 237. g Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 2.) h Misn. Yoma, c. 3. sect. 2.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

When the servants of Eglon came (to enter in to their lord) after Ehud’s departure and saw the door of the upper room bolted, they thought “surely ( , lit. only, nothing but) he covers his feet” (a euphemism for performing the necessities of nature; cf. 1Sa 24:3), and waited to shaming (cf. 2 King Jdg 2:17; Jdg 8:11), i.e., till they were ashamed of their long waiting (see at Jdg 5:28). At length they opened the door with the key, and found their lord lying dead upon the floor.

Ehud’s conduct must be judged according to the spirit of those times, when it was thought allowable to adopt any means of destroying the enemy of one’s nation. The treacherous assassination of a hostile king is not to be regarded as an act of the Spirit of God, and therefore is not set before us as an example to be imitated. Although Jehovah raised up Ehud as a deliverer to His people when oppressed by Eglon, it is not stated (and this ought particularly to be observed) that the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Ehud, and still less that Ehud assassinated the hostile king under the impulse of that Spirit. Ehud proved himself to have been raised up by the Lord as the deliverer of Israel, simply by the fact that he actually delivered his people from the bondage of the Moabites, and it by no means follows that the means which he selected were either commanded or approved by Jehovah.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

(24) Behold, the doors of the parlour were locked.It never occurred to them to suppose that they could have been fastened from without. They were not strictly on the watch, both because of the heat and because they had gone to dinner (Jos.).

Surely he covereth his feet.They assumed that the king had fastened the door inside for the sake of privacy. The margin correctly explains the phrase covereth his feet, following the LXX. in both their readings (apokenoi tous podas B. pros diphrous kathtai. A) and the Vulgate (purgat alvum), the Chaldee, and the Syriac. Josephus gives the same explanation when alluding to the scene described in 1Sa. 24:4 (Jos., Antt. vi. 13, 3), though here (Antt. v. 4, 2) he explains it erroneously of lying down to sleep. It is an Eastern euphemism taken from spreading out the garments while relieving the needs of nature (Bochart, Hierozoicon, i. 677).

In his summer chamber.The word used for chamber (cheder) is not the same as in Jdg. 3:20. It may mean either gynceum, i.e., womens apartments, or some retiring place, as rendered by the Alexandrian Codex of the LXX.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

24. He covereth his feet A euphemism for attention to a call of nature. See note on 1Sa 24:3.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘ When he had left, his servants came, and they saw, and behold the doors of the parlour were locked. And they said, “surely he covers his feet in the cooling room”.’

When the servants saw Ehud leave they returned to their duties with the king, but on discovering the door locked, assumed that he was resting and cooling himself, and had locked himself in, wanting to be alone.

“Covering the feet” with long garments was a means of ensuring that nothing was exposed. It was also a phrase used of relieving oneself naturally and carrying out the private functions (1Sa 24:3).

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Jdg 3:24. He covereth his feet Some have supposed, that this is a modest expression for one of the necessities of nature; but it more probably, I should imagine, means in this place, lying down to rest, which is usual in the Eastern countries during the heat of the day. The Arabic and Syriac versions render this expression, by going to sleep, 1Sa 24:3. Josephus too gives it the same sense in this place. See Observations, p. 90.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Jdg 3:24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour [were] locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.

Ver. 24. Surely he covereth his feet. ] Or, He doth his easement, as Saul did in the cave. 1Sa 24:3 The Scripture thus cleanly expressing foul things, teacheth us to beware of barbarology, and not to use broad language as the Cynics did, Atque sic committere in bonos mores.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)