So that Yisroel would be tested through them. This was a different generation, ignorant of the miracles of the Canaanite wars, and not having witnessed the great deeds, they rebelled, and betrayed the Omnipresent.

Only so that they should know. For this alone, He permitted these nations to remain, so that future generations of the Bnei Yisroel might grasp the consequence of iniquity—for it was now necessary for them to undergo martial training.

Whereas earlier when they stood worshiping Adonoy.

This was unknown. These wars and the art of battle. It was unnecessary.

Five Pelishtite sovereignties. These were the nations whom He permited to remain as a test.

The Divine spirit visited him. R' Tanchuma expounded: He studied the statement of the Holy One, blessed is He, to Moshe in Mitzrayim, "I have surely seen (lit. 'seeing, I have seen') the tribulation of my people."¹ What are the two sights?² He said to him, "I see that they are destined to err with the golden calf—nevertheless, 'I have seen the tribulation of my people.'" Asniel expounded upon this, saying, whether innocent or guilty, He is obliged to save them.³

footnotes: ¹ Shemos, 3:7. ² ‘Seeing’ I have ‘seen’. ³ Shemos Rabah, 3:2. Accordingly, “He judged Yisroel” in our passage does not refer to Asniel’s adjudication of litigation in the courtroom, but to his exposition of “I have seen” in his prayer before Adonoy. In his “judgement”, Yisroel was to be saved. (Radal there, 5)

The city of dates. Yericho.

Whose right arm was immobile. Yonasan renders "A man whose right arm was shrunken." "Gamid" in the Aramaic always indicates something shrunken by disease, "retrait", "shrunk" in old French. He could not utilize his right arm. In Hebrew, "closed", as in "Let not the well close its mouth over me."⁴ His right arm was "closed"—he could not utilize it.

footnotes: ⁴ Tehilim, 69:16.

One gomed long. An abridged amoh.⁵ In German, 'daumen lang'. In old French, 'espan courte'.

footnotes: ⁵ The length of the forearm. (Rashbam to Bava Basra, 100:a).

Over his right thigh. Since he was able to utilize his left hand, he would grasp it with the left hand.

Obese. Fat.

He escorted the people. He turned back to accompany the delegation of Yisroelites who came with him to bear the gift. He escorted them until Gilgal.

He then returned alone.

From the quarries. An area where stones were excavated from the mountain. Similarly, Yonasan renders "from the quarries." Then he went to Eglon,⁶ and declared to him.⁷

footnotes: ⁶ Ehud’s return to Eglon is not actually discussed in the text. Rashi mentions the return for the sake of clarification. ⁷ “…I have a matter, etc.”.

He said, "Hsst." Eglon said, "Silence everyone near me!" Yonasan renders, "Leave!"—remove everyone. Still, the term connotes silence.⁸

footnotes: ⁸ Silence them by removing them.

In his penthouse veranda. In the summer penthouse which was airy and cool.

I have a Divine message for you! Thus, you are required to rise.

He rose from the throne. He therefore merited that Rus was descended from him.

The hilt. The iron into which the blade is inserted, called 'hulot' in old French. This balances the sword in its scabbard.

The blade. The sharpened section, called "brant" and "lama" in old French.

The fat closed. His fat. He was extremely corpulent, so that he enclosed the entire length of the dagger.

Waste matter oozed. Yonasan renders, "Spilled waste matter oozed." He reads this as a contraction of two words with the 'shin' serving both.⁹ "spilled waste matter" [oozed].¹⁰שְׁפַךְ, "spilled", is the translation of שְׁדָא¹¹ according to Yonasan.

footnotes: ⁹ פַּרְשְׁדֹֽנׇה is read as פֶּרֶשׁ־שְׁדוֹנׇא, “spilled waste matter”, with the middle ש serving as the last letter of פֶּרֶשׁ and the first letter of שְׁדוֹנׇא. ¹⁰ The waste matter first spilled from the abdomen into the body, then it oozed from the wound. (Ralbag). ¹¹ Or שְׁדוֹנׇא.

And Ehud went out to the hallway. From the penthouse to the מסדרונה, translated by Targum Yonasan as 'hallway'.

And locked With the key.

As he left. Ehud left, and Eglon's servants came.

Relieving himself [lit. 'covering his legs']. Performing his necessary bodily functions. This refers to a bowel movement.¹²

footnotes: ¹² When the legs are covered as a matter of modesty. (Metzudas).

A considerable time. [lit.] Until [it constituted] delay, as if to say, a considerable time.

Escaped. Fled, "eschamocier" in old French.

While [lit. until] they tarried. As in,¹³ "While the king lounged,"¹⁴ "Affection, while still desired"¹⁵—while we both desire it.

footnotes: ¹³ Rashi cites these quotations to demonstrate that עַד, lit. “until”, may be translated as while”. ¹⁴ Shir Hashirim, 1:12. ¹⁵ Ibid, 2:7.

In the underbrush. A thin-branched, heavily wooded forest, called "brousaille", brush, in old French, excellent for concealment. Frequently, in the order of Zeraim, thin branches are called "sa'ar"—"[He] overturned the branches,"¹⁶ "If the branches meshed."¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁶ Kilayim, 4:9. ¹⁷ Peah, 2:3.

It happened that, when he arrived. He crossed the Yardein, and arrived at his place in the land of Canaan.¹⁸

footnotes: ¹⁸ The text omits Ehud’s crossing of the Yardein and his arrival in Canaan. Rashi mentions these events for clarification.

At Mount Ephrayim. Which was in the land of Canaan, on the western side of the Yardein. The land of Moav was on the eastern side of the Yardein, but as they had subdued Yisroel and crossed the Yardein, they occupied Yericho as stated above, and installed their princes and governors over Yisroel.

Charge behind me to wipe out all the Moabites on our side of the Yardein.

Took control of the Yardein passes so that the Moabites could not cross to escape and return to their country.

All horrific [lit. corpulent]. Every man awe inspiring.

With a goad. A saddle spur, "aiguillon" in old French.