The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 134
SECT. CXXXIV.
AFter the death of Othniel the Iſraelites again did evil in the ſight of the Lord, and He ſtirred up Eglon, King of Moab, and gave him Courage and Reſolution to go againſt Iſrael, and he joyning with the Ammonites and Amalekites overthrew them, and took Jericho; that is, poſſeſſed himſelf of the Lands and Territories thereabout, where the City of Jericho once ſtood, and poſſibly built ſome great Fortreſs there, that he might have the Command of the Fords of Jordan, that being the paſſage over to his own Country.Second Oppreſſion under Eglon eighteen years. Ehud ſecond Judge. And this ſecond Oppreſſion continued eighteen years. The Iſraelites then crying unto the Lord for help, he raiſed up for them Ehud, Son of Gera, of the Tribe of Benjamin (which was but a little before almoſt wholly deſtroyed) a man left-handed. By Him the Children of Iſrael ſent a Preſent to Eglon; which Opportunity he readily embraced, having a deſign to kill Him; And being ſtirred up as 'tis probable by the Spirit of God to do it, He accordingly provided himſelf of a Dagger fit for the purpoſe; Then going with the Preſent to Eglon, and humbly preſenting it to Him, He with thoſe that brought it take their leave and depart. When they were come as far back as the Quarries by Gilgal, He himſelf returns again to the King (who was in his Summer-Parlour) and addreſſing himſelf to him, tells him, He had a ſecret Meſſage to him. The King bids him forbear delivering his Meſſage till his Servants and Attendants were gone out of the Room. They being gone, Ehud tells him, He had a Meſſage from God to him. Eglon hearing this, roſe up, (as if he would give ſome reſpect to ſuch a Meſſuage) Ehud then drawing out his Dagger, thruſt it into his Belly, and gave him ſuch a deadly blow, that he left him (who had ſo long oppreſſed the people of God) wallowing in his own blood and dung. Then ſhutting the door after him, and locking it (having as 'tis probable a Spring-lock) he quietly, and with a compoſed Countenance paſſed away. The Servants finding the door ſhut and locked, they concluded that the King covered his feet in his Summer-Chamber; that is, that He had laid himſelf down to ſleep, becauſe when they did ſo, they uſed to caſt ſome covering over their feet; as it is ſaid of Ruth, when ſhe went to lie down by Boaz, as he lay ſleeping at the end of his heap of Corn, Ruth 3.7. That ſhe uncovered his feet, and laid her ſelf down. So when Saul went into the Cave, where David and his men were, 1 Sam. 24.3. 'tis ſaid, Saul went in to cover his feet, that is, to lie down and ſleep there for a while, elſe how could David cut off the Skirt of his Garment, and not be perceived, if he had not been aſleep? The Servants having ſtaid a great while, and finding the King did not open the door, they began to be aſhamed they had ſtayed ſo long, and not looked after their Maſter ſooner, fearing that ſome evil had befallen him. Then taking a Key (it being uſual in Kings Houſes for the Servants to have Keys to their Maſters doors) and opening the door, they found their Lord dead. Ehud thus eſcaping, He came to Mount Ephraim, and there blew a Trumpet, and gathering the Children of Iſrael together, He tells them what he had done, and that the Lord had delivered the Moabites into their hands. Then bidding them follow him, he went down with them, and took the Fords of Jordan, that neither the Moabites now in Canaan might eſcape to their own Country, nor thoſe in the Land of Moab paſs over Jordan to aid their Brethren in Canaan. Then he fell with his Forces upon the Moabites, and the Iſraelites ſlew ten thouſand of them at that time, even luſty and ſtout men. So Moab was ſubdued that day under the hand of Iſrael, and the Land had reſt fourſcore years, to wit, after the former reſt, and Deliverance procured to them by Othniel.
In the time of thoſe 80 years, the Philiſtines making ſome Inroads into the Lands of the Iſraelites, Shamgar the Son of Anath (who ſeems to be ſome Country-man or Farmer of Note) did on a ſuddain raiſe the Country thereabouts, and they(h)Some think that this Victory of Shamgar's was miraculous, and that he himſelf ſlew 600, as Sampſon ſlew a 1000 of them with the Jawbone of an Aſſe, Ch. 15.15, 16. with their Ox-goads ſet upon the Philiſtines, and ſlew 600 of them. So that He was a Deliverer though not a Judge.
Judg. Ch. 3. from 12. to the end.