Judges 3:22

Judges 3:22

And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

a. ASV: And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, for he drew not the sword out of his body; and it came out behind.

b. YLT: And the haft also goeth in after the blade, and the fat shutteth on the blade, that he hath not drawn the sword out of his belly, and it goeth out at the fundament.

c. Classic Amplified: And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed upon the blade, for [Ehud] did not draw the sword out of his belly, and the dirt came out.

d. Septuagint: And drove in also the haft after the blade, and the fat closed in upon the blade, for he drew not out the dagger from his belly.

e. Rubin Edition Early Prophets Joshua & Judges: Even the hilt went in after the blade and the fat closed around the blade, for he did not pull the sward out of his belly; the excrement poured out.

1. “And the haft also went in after the blade…”

a. And [Strong: 1571  gam gam by contraction from an unused root meaning to gather; properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and:--again, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and , but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.]

b. [the] haft [Strong: 5325 nitstsâb, nits-twawb'; passive participle of H5324; fixed, i.e. a handle:—haft.] [Gesenius: haft, handle of a sword.]

c. [also] went in [Strong: 935  bôwʼ, bo; a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications):—abide, apply, attain, × be, befall, besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, ×certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, ×doubtless again, eat, employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, have, × indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, × (well) stricken (in age), × surely, take (in), way.]

d. after [Strong: 310 ʼachar, akh-ar'; from H309; properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses):—after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth), when, with.]

e. [the] blade [3851 * lahab][Strong: from an usused root meaning to gleam; a flash; figuratively, a sharply polished blade or point of a weapon:--blade, bright, flame, glittering.]

2. “…and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly…”

a. [and the] fat [Strong: 2459 cheleb, kheh'-leb from an unused root meaning to be fat; fat, whether literally or figuratively; hence, the richest or choice part:--X best, fat(-ness), X finest, grease, marrow.]

b. closed [5462 * cagar][Strong: a primitive root; to shut up; figuratively, to surrender:--close up, deliver (up), give over (up), inclose, X pure, repair, shut (in, self, out, up, up together), stop, X straitly.]

c. upon [Strong: 1157 bᵉʻad, beh-ad'; from H5704 with prepositional prefix; in up to or over against; generally at, beside, among, behind, for, etc.:—about, at by (means of), for, over, through, up (-on), within.]

d. [the] blade [Strong: 3851 lahab, lah'-hab; from an usused root meaning to gleam; a flash; figuratively, a sharply polished blade or point of a weapon:—blade, bright, flame, glittering.]

e. so that [Strong: 3588 kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

f. [he could] not [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

g. draw [Strong: 8025  shâlaph, saw-laf'; a primitive root; to pull out, up or off:—draw (off), grow up, pluck off.] [Gesenius: to draw out or off, take off]

h. [the] dagger [Strong: 2719 chereb, kheh'-reb; from H2717; drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implement:—axe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.] [Gesenius: sword, knife, sword, knife, tools for cutting stone.]

i. [out of his] belly [Strong: 990 beṭen, beh'-ten; from an unused root probably meaning to be hollow; the belly, especially the womb; also the bosom or body of anything:—belly, body, as they be born, within, womb.]

1). This is quite a word picture we are given. Ehud thrust the sword into Eglon’s gut with such force, the handle went in with the blade.

3. “…and the dirt came out…”

a. dirt [Strong: 6574  parshᵉdôn, par-shed-one'; perhaps by compounding H6567 and H6504 (in the sense of straddling) (compare H6576); the crotch (or anus):—dirt.]    

b. came out [Strong: 3318 yâtsâʼ, yaw-tsaw' a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.:--X after, appear, X assuredly, bear out, X begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), + be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, X scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, X still, X surely, take forth (out), at any time, X to (and fro), utter.]

1). Patrick/Lowth/Whitby/Lowman Commentary: All agree the word parshedona, which is nowhere found but here, signifies the dung or excrements; which came not out at the wound (for it was closed), but at the usual place; it being common for bodies to purge after they are dead, especially with such corpulent ones as his was, in whose bowels, no doubt, there were violent convulsions made by this sudden stroke.