Judges 3:15
And afterwards they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a saviour called Aod, the son of Gera, the son of Jemini, who used the left hand as well as the right. And the children of Israel sent presents to Eglon king of Moab by him.
Open Judges 3:15 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Et postea clamaverunt ad Dominum, qui suscitavit eis salvatorem vocabulo Aod, filium Gera, filii Jemini, qui utraque manu pro dextera utebatur. Miseruntque filii Israël per illum munera Eglon regi Moab.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἐκέκραξαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ πρὸς Κύριον· καὶ ἤγειρεν αὐτοῖς σωτῆρα τὸν Ἀὼδ υἱὸν Γηρὰ υἱὸν τοῦ Ἰεμενεί, ἄνδρα ἀμφοτεροδέξιον. καὶ ἐξαπέστειλαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ δῶρα ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ τῷ Ἐγλὼμ βασιλεῖ Μωάβ.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיִּזְעֲק֣וּ בְנֵֽי יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ אֶל יְהוָה֒ וַיָּקֶם֩ יְהוָ֨ה לָהֶ֜ם מוֹשִׁ֗יעַ אֶת אֵה֤וּד בֶּן גֵּרָא֙ בֶּן הַיְמִינִ֔י אִ֥ישׁ אִטֵּ֖ר יַד יְמִינ֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁלְח֨וּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל בְּיָדוֹ֙ מִנְחָ֔ה לְעֶגְל֖וֹן מֶ֥לֶךְ מוֹאָֽב
Haydock's commentary
Aod, signifies "praise," whence perhaps Josephus calls him Judes which has the same import. (Menochius)
He was a descendant of Jemini or Benjamin, by his son Gera, Genesis xlvi. 1.
Right. Septuagint and many interpreters agree, that Aod was "Ambidexter," a quality which Plato exhorted those who were designed for war, to strive to acquire. Several of the heroes before Troy are praised on this account; and the Scripture takes particular notice of 700 citizens of Gabaa, who could use both hands alike, and could hit even a hair with a stone, chap. xx. 16. The Jews explain itter, very absurdly; Aod "had his right hand maimed or tied:" (Calmet) and Protestants render "a man left-handed." (Haydock)
This would be a very awkward recommendation for a warrior, though it is pretended that such are more resolute, and more difficult to encounter than others. The number of the men at Gabaa who are praised for their skill, as well as the brave men of David, (1 Paralipomenon xii. 2,) shews sufficiently that the term does not mean left-handed. But the Scripture here takes notice that Aod could use his left hand so well, because he placed his dagger, contrary to custom, on his right side, and the motions of his left hand would not be so narrowly watched. Rufin does not agree with the present text of Josephus, which indeed seems very confused, saying, "that all the strength of Aod lay in his left hand." Gelenius also translates, utraque manu ex æquo promptus; (Antiquities v. 5,) so that perhaps the Greek of Josephus may have been altered.
Read on
Presents; that is, tribute; an odious expression, instead of which the Scripture often puts presents, 1 Kings x. 27., and 1 Paralipomenon xviii. 2. No tribute was imposed in Persia till the reign of Darius Hystaspes; the subjects had to make presents to the king. (Herodotus iii. 89.) (Calmet)
Haydock wrote amid the controversies of his day. The Church teaches that those born into communities separated from her cannot be charged with the sin of separation, and embraces them as brothers (CCC 818).
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St John Cassian The Conferences of John Cassian. Part I. Containing Conferences I-X, Chapter IV. An explanation of the three callings
To make clear therefore the main differences between these three kinds of calling, the first is from God, the second comes through man, the third is from compulsion. And a calling is from God whenever some inspiration has taken possession of our heart, and even while we are asleep stirs in us at desire for eternal life and salvation, and bids us follow God and cleave to His commandments with life-giving contrition: as we read in Holy Scripture that Abraham was called by the voice of the Lord from his native country, and all his dear relations, and his father’s house; when the Lord said “Get thee out from thy country and from thy kinsfolk and from thy father’s house.” And in this way we have heard that the blessed Antony also was called, the occasion of whose conversion was received from God alone. …
St John Cassian The Seven Books of John Cassian on the Incarnation of the Lord, Against Nestorius, Chapter XII. How the title of Saviour is given to Christ in one sense, and to men in another
“ Thou ,” he says, “art our God, and we knew Thee not, O God of Israel the Saviour.” Although holy Scripture has already shown by many and clear tokens, who is here spoken of, yet it has most plainly pointed to the name of Christ by using the name of Saviour: for surely the Saviour is the same as Christ, as the angel says: “For to you is born this day a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.” For everybody knows that in Hebrew “Jesus” means “Saviour,” as the angel announced to the holy Virgin Mary, saying: “And thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He it is that shall save His people from their sins.” And that you may not say that He is termed Saviour in the same sense as the title is given to others (“And the Lord raised up to them a Saviour, Othniel the Son of Kenaz,” and again, “the Lord raised up to them a Saviour, Ehud the son of Gera”), he added: “for He it is that shall save His people fro …