Judges 3:24 - After he had gone, his servants came and saw that the doors of the upper room were locked. They said, “Surely he is covering his feet in the upper room.”

Generated Verse: Judges 3:24

What does "Judges 3:24" mean?


This verse from Judges 3:24 is part of the story of Ehud assassinating King Eglon of Moab. Let's break down the meaning:

"After he had gone..." This refers to Ehud leaving the room after stabbing King Eglon.

"...his servants came and saw that the doors of the upper room were locked." The king's servants arrived and found the doors locked, preventing them from immediately entering the room.

"They said, “Surely he is covering his feet in the upper room.”" This is the key part. "Covering his feet" is a euphemism, a polite or indirect expression used in place of a direct one. In ancient times, it often referred to relieving oneself (going to the toilet/bathroom). The servants assumed that because the door was locked, and the king was taking a while, he must be occupied with this private function.

Therefore, the servants' statement implies they believed King Eglon was in the upper room using the toilet. This assumption led to a delay in discovering the king's assassination, giving Ehud time to escape.

The Bible doesn't explicitly say the act of covering one's feet always meant using the toilet. However, based on other biblical passages and cultural understanding, this is the most probable interpretation.

In short, the verse highlights the servants' misinterpretation of the locked door and the euphemistic phrase, which ultimately allowed Ehud to escape unnoticed.

What categories does "Judges 3:24" have?