What is the meaning of Judges 3:17? So he brought the tribute • “So he brought the tribute” (Judges 3:17) picks up after Israel’s eighteen years of Moabite domination (Judges 3:14). • Tribute was a public acknowledgement of Moab’s superiority—much like the demanded payments later made by Israel to Assyria (2 Kings 15:19) or by the Moabite king Mesha to Israel (2 Kings 3:4). • Ehud’s participation shows: – Obedience to the immediate civic requirement while planning deliverance under God’s direction (compare Joseph serving Pharaoh before rescuing his family, Genesis 41:46–57). – God working through ordinary duties to advance His redemptive agenda (Romans 8:28). to Eglon king of Moab • Eglon, a direct descendant of Lot (Genesis 19:36–37), rules from Jericho, “the City of Palms” (Judges 3:13), symbolically reclaiming ground Israel had first conquered under Joshua (Joshua 6). • Moab’s oppression fulfills the warning that foreign nations would rule Israel when they forsook the LORD (Deuteronomy 28:47–48; Judges 2:11–15). • The scene underscores the humiliation of God’s people—once conquerors, now bearing gifts to a pagan king (compare Psalm 106:41–42). • Yet even in subjugation, God is positioning a deliverer, echoing earlier patterns with Moses before Pharaoh (Exodus 3:10). who was an obese man • Scripture notes, “who was an obese man” (Judges 3:17), presenting a literal detail with theological weight. • The description highlights: – Excess and self-indulgence often linked with idolatry and oppression (Proverbs 23:20–21; Philippians 3:19). – A contrast between Eglon’s apparent strength and his impending vulnerability, foreshadowing 1 Corinthians 1:27 where God uses the weak to shame the strong. • Practically, Eglon’s size will factor into the method of deliverance (Judges 3:21–22), illustrating God’s control over every circumstance, even a ruler’s physique. • The narrator’s candor affirms historical accuracy; this is no allegory but an event anchored in space and time (compare Luke 1:1–4). summary Judges 3:17 records Ehud’s presentation of Israel’s tribute to Eglon, Moab’s obese king. The verse spotlights Israel’s humiliation, Eglon’s oppressive reign, and the striking physical detail that sets the stage for God’s dramatic rescue. Through an act that seemed to reinforce Moab’s dominance, the Lord was already orchestrating deliverance, reminding us that He turns even the tools of oppression into instruments of salvation. |
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