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Verse

Judges 3:17

ESV And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.
NIV He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man.
NASB Then he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.
CSB and brought the tribute to King Eglon of Moab, who was an extremely fat man.
NLT He brought the tribute money to Eglon, who was very fat.
KJV And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
NKJV So he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.)

What does Judges 3:17 mean?

Hearing the people's cries for help from the oppression of their captivity under Moab, God has raised up a new judge to deliver them (Judges 3:12–16). Ehud has been selected to deliver Israel's required tribute to Moab in Jericho, where the king is staying. He has made what the Bible describes as a short, two-edged blade. In medieval times, such a weapon might have been called a rondel: a stabbing weapon with a thin point. Ehud conceals this homemade blade under his robes, on his right thigh. This is the opposite of where such a hidden weapon would normally be carried, but Ehud is proficient with his left hand (Judges 3:15).

When the day comes, Ehud presents the tribute to Eglon at the king's palace in Jericho. The writer of Judges indicates, rather bluntly, that Eglon was a very fat man. Modern readers might think this detail means to mock the Moabite king. That might be, but in the ancient world, being overweight was rare and often considered a sign of prestige. More importantly, the description adds context to a graphic moment in the verses to come.
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