This verse is part of the story of Ehud assassinating the Moabite King Eglon in Judges 3. Here's a breakdown of what the verse means in context:
"They waited until they were ashamed...": Ehud had locked Eglon in the upper room after stabbing him. The servants of King Eglon waited outside, presumably because they were hesitant to disturb their king, perhaps assuming he was occupied with something private. The phrase "until they were ashamed" implies that they waited an unusually long time, to the point where they started feeling embarrassed or worried that something was wrong.
"...and behold, he didn’t open the doors of the upper room.": Their prolonged wait made them even more suspicious. The king usually would have opened the door or called for them by this point, but he remained unresponsive.
"Therefore they took the key and opened them...": Because Eglon was not opening the door, the servants finally decided to override protocol. They used a key (presumably one they had access to) to open the door themselves. This shows their increasing concern.
"...and behold, their lord had fallen down dead on the floor.": Upon opening the door, they discovered Eglon dead on the floor. Ehud's assassination had been successful.
In summary, the verse highlights:
Ehud's clever escape: By locking the door after the assassination, he bought himself time to escape before Eglon's servants became suspicious.
The servants' initial hesitation: The servants' reluctance to disturb the king further aided Ehud's escape.
The stark discovery: The verse provides the climactic moment of the story when the assassination is revealed to the king's servants.
The humiliation of Eglon's death: The manner of Eglon's death, lying alone and dead on the floor, underscores the ignominy of his defeat at the hands of Ehud.
The verse is a crucial part of the narrative, showing how Ehud's plan unfolded and how the Moabite king's death was discovered.
This verse is part of the story of Ehud assassinating the Moabite King Eglon in Judges 3. Here's a breakdown of what the verse means in context:
"They waited until they were ashamed...": Ehud had locked Eglon in the upper room after stabbing him. The servants of King Eglon waited outside, presumably because they were hesitant to disturb their king, perhaps assuming he was occupied with something private. The phrase "until they were ashamed" implies that they waited an unusually long time, to the point where they started feeling embarrassed or worried that something was wrong.
"...and behold, he didn’t open the doors of the upper room.": Their prolonged wait made them even more suspicious. The king usually would have opened the door or called for them by this point, but he remained unresponsive.
"Therefore they took the key and opened them...": Because Eglon was not opening the door, the servants finally decided to override protocol. They used a key (presumably one they had access to) to open the door themselves. This shows their increasing concern.
"...and behold, their lord had fallen down dead on the floor.": Upon opening the door, they discovered Eglon dead on the floor. Ehud's assassination had been successful.
In summary, the verse highlights:
Ehud's clever escape: By locking the door after the assassination, he bought himself time to escape before Eglon's servants became suspicious.
The servants' initial hesitation: The servants' reluctance to disturb the king further aided Ehud's escape.
The stark discovery: The verse provides the climactic moment of the story when the assassination is revealed to the king's servants.
The humiliation of Eglon's death: The manner of Eglon's death, lying alone and dead on the floor, underscores the ignominy of his defeat at the hands of Ehud.
The verse is a crucial part of the narrative, showing how Ehud's plan unfolded and how the Moabite king's death was discovered.
