Judges 3:30

So Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The unnamed narrator describes the immediate aftermath of Ehud’s campaign, reporting Moab’s temporary defeat and the nation’s subsequent period of stability.

The words — וַ/תִּכָּנַ֤ע (va./ti.ka.Na') renders literally as "and it was subdued," while וַ/תִּשְׁקֹ֥ט (va./tish.Kot) means "and it was at peace." These consecutive verbs mark the shift from military action to territorial control.

The thread — The structural formula repeats Judges 3:11, which records forty years of rest after Othniel, and aligns with the cut-off phrase in Judges 5:31 concerning the land’s rest. Each usage punctuates a distinct cycle of deliverance in the book’s chronology.

Why it lands — The verse operates as a narrative checkpoint, requiring the reader to recognize the patterned alternation between oppression and temporary relief. It establishes a measured timeline that frames the next leader’s entry without offering permanent resolution.

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

וַתִּכָּנַ֤עva./ti.ka.Na'and/ it was subdued מוֹאָב֙mo.'AvMoab בַּיּ֣וֹםba/i.Yomon the/ day הַה֔וּאha./Hu'<the>/ that תַּ֖חַתTa.chatunder יַ֣דyad[the] hand of יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsrael וַתִּשְׁקֹ֥טva./tish.Kotand/ it was at peace הָאָ֖רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ land שְׁמוֹנִ֥יםshe.mo.Nimeighty שָׁנָֽה׃ סsha.Nahyear[s]

King James Version

So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.

Cross-references

Judges 3:11 So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
Judges 5:31 So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.