Ehud and Eglon in Judges 3:12–22: Power and Vulnerability in Mirror Image
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21906/rbl.3764Keywords:
Old Testament, Judges, Ehud ben Gera, power, vulnerability, narrative analysisAbstract
The book of Judges presents a series of narratives set between the conquest of the land and the establishment of the monarchy in Israel, a period characterized by figures referred to, in the Biblical text, as “judges”, that is, leaders raised to deliver Israel. Within these narratives, the relationship of power between YHWH, Israel, and foreign rulers is repeatedly renegotiated. Among the central figures in the early chapters is Ehud son of Gera, the left-handed judge who murders Eglon, king of Moab. The killing of the Moabite king Eglon by the Israelite hero Ehud (Judg 3:12–22) has often been interpreted either as a humorous or satirical narrative or as a straightforward account of heroic deliverance accomplished through the power of YHWH. Taking this divergence of interpretation as its point of departure, the present study offers a close reading of selected verses in order to examine how the text simultaneously constructs and destabilizes power. Particular attention is given to expressions whose formulation allows for multiple interpretations. In this light, Eglon’s kingship emerges as both imposing and vulnerable, while Ehud appears as his counterpart: initially presented as vulnerable, he ultimately rises through decisive agency.
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