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JPS Old Testament

Judges 3:24

Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper chamber were locked; and they said: 'Surely he is covering his feet in the cabinet of the cool chamber.'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Deception;   Eglon;   Gilgal;   Hypocrisy;   Israel;   Judge;   Lock;   Summer;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Abishua;   Eglon;   Ehud;   Moabites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Moab;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ehud;   Lock;   Moabite;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Amalekites;   Bela;   David;   Eglon;   Ehud;   Moab;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Arms and Armor;   Chamber;   Gestures;   Government;   Judges, Book of;   Lock;   Moab and the Moabite Stone;   Parlour;   Quarry;   Tribes of Israel, the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ehud;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Judah;   Judges (1);   Levi;   Moab, Moabites;   Quarry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Closet ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ehud ;   Locks;   Moab, Moabites ;   Parlour;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Feet;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Ehud;   Mesopotamia;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Mo'ab;   Parlor,;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Banquet;   Judges, Book of:;   Male;   Parlor;   Summer;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ehud;   Euphemism;   Joshua, Book of;   Moab;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Ehud was gone when Eglon’s servants came in. They looked and found the doors of the upstairs room locked and thought he was relieving himself in the cool room.
Hebrew Names Version
Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the upper chamber.
King James Version
When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
Lexham English Bible
After he left, his servants returned. When they saw that the doors of the upper room were locked, they thought, "Surely he is relieving himself in the cool inner room."
English Standard Version
When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, "Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber."
New Century Version
When the servants returned just after Ehud left, they found the doors to the room locked. So they thought the king was relieving himself.
New English Translation
When Ehud had left, Eglon's servants came and saw the locked doors of the upper room. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the well-ventilated inner room."
Amplified Bible
When Ehud departed, Eglon's servants came. And when they saw that the doors of the upper room were locked, they said, "He is only relieving himself in the cool room."
New American Standard Bible
When he had left, the king's servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, "Undoubtedly he is relieving himself in the cool room."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when he was gone out, his seruantes came: who seeing that the doores of the parler were locked, they sayd, Surely he doeth his easement in his sommer chamber.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
Contemporary English Version
and left. When the king's officials came back and saw that the doors were locked, they said, "The king is probably inside relieving himself."
Complete Jewish Bible
After Ehud had left, the king's servants came. Seeing that the doors of the upper room were locked, they said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner part of the cool room."
Darby Translation
And when he was gone out, the servants of the [king] came and saw, and behold, the doors of the upper-chamber were bolted. And they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the summer chamber.
Easy-to-Read Version
Ehud then left the main room, and the servants went back in. The servants found the doors to the upper room locked, so they said, "The king must be relieving himself in his private toilet."
George Lamsa Translation
When he had gone out, the kings servants came in; and when they saw that the doors of the upper chamber were locked, they said, Perhaps he has gone to the toilet in the closet of the upper chamber.
Good News Translation
and left. The servants came and saw that the doors were locked, but they only thought that the king was inside, relieving himself.
Literal Translation
And when he had gone out, his servants came. And they looked, and, behold, the doors of the roof room were locked. And they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the cool roof room.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now whan he was gone, his seruauntes came in, and sawe that the dore of the Sommer perler was lockte, and they sayde: peraduenture he is gone to the preuye in the syled Sommer perler.
American Standard Version
Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the upper chamber.
Bible in Basic English
Now when he had gone, the king's servants came, and saw that the doors of the summer-house were locked; and they said, It may be that he is in his summer-house for a private purpose.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
When he was gone out, his seruauntes came: And when they sawe that the doores of the parler were locked, they sayde, Suerly he couereth his feete in his sommer chamber.
King James Version (1611)
When he was gone out, his seruants came, and when they saw, that behold, the doores of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he couereth his feet in his Summer chamber.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he went out: and Eglom’s servants came, and saw, and behold, the doors of the upper chamber were locked; and they said, Does he not uncover his feet in the summer-chamber?
English Revised Version
Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked; and they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
Berean Standard Bible
After Ehud was gone, Eglon's servants came in and found the doors of the upstairs room locked. "He must be relieving himself in the cool room," they said.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Aioth yede out bi a posterne. And the `seruauntis of the king entriden, not in the parlour, but in the porche, and thei sien the doris of the parlour closid, and seiden, In hap he purgith the wombe in the somer parlour.
Young's Literal Translation
and he hath gone out, and his servants have come in, and look, and lo, the doors of the upper chamber are bolted, and they say, `He is only covering his feet in the inner chamber of the wall.'
Update Bible Version
Now when he had gone out, his slaves came; and they saw, and noticed that the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, Surely he is relieving himself in the upper chamber.
Webster's Bible Translation
When he had gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlor [were] locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer-chamber.
World English Bible
Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the upper chamber.
New King James Version
When he had gone out, Eglon's [fn] servants came to look, and to their surprise, the doors of the upper room were locked. So they said, "He is probably attending to his needs in the cool chamber."
New Living Translation
After Ehud was gone, the king's servants returned and found the doors to the upstairs room locked. They thought he might be using the latrine in the room,
New Life Bible
When Ehud had gone out, Eglon's servants came. They saw that the doors of the summer room were locked. So they said, "He is only resting in there away from the heat."
New Revised Standard
After he had gone, the servants came. When they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, "He must be relieving himself in the cool chamber."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
When, he, had come out, his servants, went in, and looked, and lo! the doors of the parlour were bolted, - so they said, Surely he covereth his feet, in the summer chamber.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Went out by a postern door. And the king’s servants going in, saw the doors of the parlour shut, and they said: Perhaps he is easing nature in his summer parlour.
Revised Standard Version
When he had gone, the servants came; and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, "He is only relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When he had gone out, his servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, "He is only relieving himself in the cool room."

Contextual Overview

12 And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. 13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and smote Israel, and they possessed the city of palm-trees. 14 And the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. 15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a saviour, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man left-handed; and the children of Israel sent a present by him unto Eglon the king of Moab. 16 And Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh. 17 And he offered the present unto Eglon king of Moab--now Eglon was a very fat man. 18 And when he had made an end of offering the present, he sent away the people that bore the present. 19 But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said: 'I have a secret errand unto thee, O king.' And he said: 'Keep silence.' And all that stood by him went out from him. 20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting by himself alone in his cool upper chamber. And Ehud said: 'I have a message from God unto thee.' And he arose out of his seat. 21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

covereth: etc. or, doeth his easement, 1 Samuel 24:3

Cross-References

Genesis 3:2
And the woman said unto the serpent: 'Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
Genesis 3:8
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden toward the cool of the day; and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:9
And the LORD God called unto the man, and said unto him: 'Where art thou?'
Genesis 3:16
Unto the woman He said: 'I will greatly multiply thy pain and thy travail; in pain thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.'
Genesis 3:17
And unto Adam He said: 'Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying: Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.
Genesis 3:18
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.
Genesis 3:22
And the LORD God said: 'Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.'
Exodus 25:2
'Speak unto the children of Israel, that they take for Me an offering; of every man whose heart maketh him willing ye shall take My offering.
Numbers 22:23
And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field; and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
Joshua 5:13
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand; and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him: 'Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When he was gone out, his servants came,.... When Ehud was gone through the porch, and out of the palace, the servants of Eglon, who had been put out, came to the parlour door to reassume their former place, and finish their business with the king, or in order to wait upon him as usual:

and when they saw that behold the doors of the parlour [were] locked; which they supposed were done by the king himself with inside, having no suspicion of Ehud:

they said, surely, or "perhaps", as Noldius f renders it,

he covereth his feet in his summer chamber; that is, was easing nature; and, as the eastern people wore long and loose garments, when they sat down on such an occasion, their feet were covered with them; or they purposely gathered them about their feet to cover them, and so this became a modest expression for this work of nature, see 1 Samuel 24:3; though some think that in that place, and also in this, is meant lying down to sleep; and that Eglon's servants supposed that he had laid himself down on his couch in his summer chamber to take sleep, when it was usual to cover the feet with long garments, to hide those parts of nature which otherwise might be exposed; and it must be owned that this seems more agreeable to a summer parlour than the former, and better accounts for the servants waiting so long as they did; and Josephus g is express for it, that his servants thought he had fallen asleep. Indeed, the Jews in later times used the phrase in the first sense h, which seems to be taken from hence.

f Ebr. Concord. part. p. 47. No. 237. g Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 2.) h Misn. Yoma, c. 3. sect. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He covereth his feet - Compare the marginal references. The explanation of the phrase as “taking sleep” suits both passages best.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 3:24. He covereth his feet — He has lain down on his sofa in order to sleep; when this was done they dropped their slippers, lifted up their feet, and covered them with their long loose garments. But the versions, in general, seem to understand it as implying a certain natural act.


 
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