Judges 3:20

Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in the coolness of his upper room. “I have a word from God for you,” Ehud said, and the king rose from his seat.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Ehud speaks to King Eglon while the king sits alone in his upper room after dismissing his attendants. This occurs at the precise moment Ehud claims to deliver a divine message, prompting the king to rise from his seat.

The words — בַּעֲלִיַּת הַמְּקֵרָה (ba'aliyat hammeqerah) translates literally to "in the coolness of the roof chamber," denoting the isolated, climate-controlled space where the king withdraws.

The thread — The motif of a ruler's private chamber facing divine confrontation appears in Amos 3:15 and Jeremiah 10:7, where royal isolation meets sovereign judgment. The claim of a message from God follows the prophetic pattern of confronting earthly authority with a higher mandate.

Why it lands — It requires the reader to acknowledge that divine action often proceeds through concealed human agency, demanding readiness to act when authority yields to a claimed mandate.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאֵה֣וּד׀ve./'e.Hudand/ Ehud בָּ֣אba'he came אֵלָ֗יו'e.La/vto/ him וְהֽוּא־ve./hu'-and/ he יֹ֠שֵׁבYo.shev[was] sitting בַּעֲלִיַּ֨תba./'a.li.Yatin/ [the] roof chamber of הַמְּקֵרָ֤הha./me.ke.Rahthe/ coolness אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-whichלוֹ֙l/o[belonged] to <the>/ himלְבַדּ֔וֹle./va.D/oto/ only/ him וַיֹּ֣אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he said אֵה֔וּד'e.HudEhud דְּבַר־de.var-a word of אֱלֹהִ֥ים'E.lo.HimGodלִ֖יl/i[belongs] to <the>/ meאֵלֶ֑יךָ'e.Lei./khato/ you וַיָּ֖קָםva/i.Ya.komand/ he rose מֵעַ֥לme./'Alfrom/ on הַכִּסֵּֽא׃ha./ki.Se'the/ throne

King James Version

And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

Cross-references

Jeremiah 10:7 Who would not fear You, O King of nations? This is Your due. For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You.
Amos 3:15 I will tear down the winter house along with the summer house; the houses of ivory will also perish, and the great houses will come to an end,” declares the LORD.
Judges 3:19 But upon reaching the idols near Gilgal, he himself turned back and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” “Silence,” said the king, and all his attendants left him.
2 Samuel 12:1 Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.
2 Samuel 24:12 “Go and tell David that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am offering you three options. Choose one of them, and I will carry it out against you.’”
Psalms 29:1 A Psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Micah 6:9 The voice of the LORD calls out to the city (and it is sound wisdom to fear Your name): “Heed the rod and the One who ordained it.

People named

Ehud