What is the meaning of Judges 3:29? At that time – “At that time” (Judges 3:29) anchors the event in real history, right after Ehud’s bold assassination of Eglon (vv. 15–26) and Israel’s rally behind the trumpet blast (v. 27). – Scripture shows God often marks decisive moments when He moves to deliver His people—think of “that night” when the Passover angel came (Exodus 12:29) or “in the days of Shamgar” (Judges 3:31). – This phrase underscores that God’s timing is precise; deliverance comes neither early nor late (cf. Galatians 4:4, “when the fullness of time had come”). they struck down about ten thousand Moabites – The verb “struck down” signals a literal, decisive military victory, not a metaphor. – Ten thousand is a massive number for Israel’s fledgling forces. Similar large-scale victories appear in 1 Samuel 11:11 and 2 Chronicles 13:17, revealing a pattern: when God fights for His people, numbers favoring the enemy are overturned. – The defeat of Moab reverses Moab’s earlier oppression of Israel (Judges 3:14). God keeps His promise to curse those who curse His covenant people (Genesis 12:3). all robust and valiant men – Scripture highlights that the Moabites were “robust and valiant,” emphasizing they were elite warriors, the best Moab had. God’s power is magnified when the strongest opposition falls (cf. Psalm 33:16–17, “a horse is a vain hope for salvation”). – This echoes earlier triumphs over formidable foes, like the drowning of Pharaoh’s chosen chariots (Exodus 14:7, 28) and David slaying the champion Goliath (1 Samuel 17:4–50). God delights to show His sufficiency against apparent superiority. Not one of them escaped – Totality of judgment: the victory is complete, leaving no remnant to regroup. The phrase mirrors Joshua’s conquests where “he left no survivors” (Joshua 10:40). – It highlights covenant faithfulness—Israel will “possess the gates of their enemies” (Genesis 22:17). – Spiritually, it foreshadows the ultimate triumph of Christ, when every enemy is put under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25). No hostile power will slip away from divine justice. summary Judges 3:29 records a historical, God–engineered victory: at God’s appointed time, Israel, led by Ehud, slew about ten thousand of Moab’s strongest warriors, and none escaped. The verse showcases the Lord’s precise timing, His ability to overturn overwhelming odds, His delight in confounding human strength, and His total, covenant-keeping deliverance of His people. |
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