Eglon

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A king of Moab, who, with the help of Ammon and Amalek, subdued the southern and eastern tribes of the Jews. He made Jericho his seat of government, and held his power eighteen years, but was then slain by Ehud, and his people expelled, Judges 3:12-31 .

Easton's Bible Dictionary

A city in Judah, near Lachish (Joshua 15:39 ). It was destroyed by (Joshua 10:5,6 ). It has been identified with Tell Nejileh, 6 miles south of Tell Hesy or Ajlan, north-west of Lachish. (See Lachish .)

Copyright StatementThese dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography InformationEaston, Matthew George. Entry for 'Eglon'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/e/eglon.html. 1897.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

1. King of Moab. With Amalekites and Ammonites crossed the Jordan and took Jericho the city of palmtrees, left unwalled, and therefore an easy prey to the foe, because of Joshua's curse in destroying it 60 years before. There (according to Josephus) Eglon built a palace. For 18 years he oppressed Israel. Ehud, a young Israelite of Jericho, gained his favor by a present (or in Keil's view presented the king tribute, as in 2 Samuel 8:2; 2 Samuel 8:6, "gifts" mean), and after dismissing its bearers turned again from "the graven images," or else stone quarries, where he had temporarily withdrawn from the king's reception room, and was cordially admitted by the king into his private summer parlor or cooling apartment.

On Ehud's announcing "I have a message from God unto thee," the king rose reverentially to receive it, and was instantly stabbed in the belly by Ehud's dagger in the left hand, and Eglon's fat closed over it. Ehud retired to Seirath, in Mount Ephraim, and summoning by trumpet Israel from the E. and W. descended upon the Moabites and took the fords, not suffering one of 10,000 to escape. So the land had rest for 80 years (Judges 3:12-30). The mode of deliverance, assassination, is not approved by the Spirit of God. Scripture simply records the fact, and that Ehud was raised up by Jehovah as Israel's deliverer. His courage, patriotism, and faith are commendable, but not his means of gaining his end.

2. An Amorite town (Joshua 15:39), in the shephelah (low country) of Judah. One of the confederacy of five towns (including Jerusalem), which attacked Gibeon on its making peace with Joshua; was destroyed with Debit, then its king (Joshua 10). Now Ajian, a "shapeless mass of ruins" (Porter, Handbook), 14 miles from Gaza, on the S. of the great coast plain.

Holman Bible Dictionary

Judges 3:12

2. A Canaanite city whose king entered an alliance with four other Canaanite rulers against Gibeon (Joshua 10:3 ). The Gibeonites had made a treaty with Israel (Joshua 9:1 ). Subsequently, Eglon was captured by the Israelite army under Joshua. It became a part of the territory of the tribe of Judah. Most scholars long held that the modern site of tell el-Hesi was the location of ancient Eglon. More recently, however, some have contended for tell Eton. Both places are to the southwest of Lachish. See Joshua; Judges; Ehud .

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

EGLON . King of Moab, under whose leadership the Ammonites and Amalekites joined with the Moabites in fighting and defeating the Israelites. The latter ‘served,’ i.e. paid tribute to, Eglon for eighteen years. Towards the end of this period Ehud assassinated Eglon, and brought to an end the Moabite ascendency over Israel ( Judges 3:12 ff.).

W. O. E. Oesterley.

EGLON . A town near Lachish, mentioned only in connexion with the campaign of Joshua. Its king, Debir, joined the coalition against the Gibeonites ( Joshua 10:3 ), and after the reduction of Lachish Joshua captured and destroyed it ( Joshua 10:34 f.). The site is probably Tell Nejileh , near Tell el-Hesy (Lachish); the neighbouring Khurbeh ‘Ajlan better preserves the name, but the site is of no great antiquity.

R. A. S. Macalister.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

1. One of the five confederate cities which attacked Gibeon, but were conquered by Joshua. Joshua 10:3-37; Joshua 12:12; Joshua 15:39 . Identified with the ruins at Ajlan, 31 35' N, 34 43' E .

2. King of the Moabites, who, aided by Ammon and Amalek, crossed the Jordan and captured the city of palm trees, or Jericho, and ruled over Israel eighteen years. He was stabbed by Ehud in his summer parlour. Judges 3:12-17 .

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Eglon (ĕg'lon), calf-like. 1. King of the Moabites, who held the Israelites in bondage eighteen years. Judges 3:14. He formed an alliance with the Ammonites and Amalekites, and took possession of Jericho, where he resided, and where he was afterward assassinated, by Ehud. See Ehud. 2. An Amorite town in Judah. Joshua 10:3-5; Joshua 15:39; now ʾAjlan, a hill of ruins, ten miles northeast of Gaza.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Eg'lon. (calf-like).

1. A king of the Moabites, Judges 3:12, ff., who, aided by the Ammonites and the Amelekites, crossed the Joran and took "the city of palm trees." (B.C. 1359). Here, according to Josephus, he built himself a palace, and continued, for eighteen years, to oppress the children of Israel, who paid him tribute. He was slain by Ehud. See Ehud.

2. A town of Judah, in the low country. Joshua 15:39. The name survives in the modern Ajlan, a shapeless mass of ruins, about 10 miles from Eleutheropolis and 14 from Gaza, on the south of the great maritime plain.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

a king of Moab, who oppressed the Israelites, and was slain by Ehud, Judges 3:14; Judges 3:21 . It is thought to have been a common name of the kings of Moab, as Abimelech was of the Philistines.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Eg´lon, a king of Moab, who, assisted by the Ammonites and Amalekites, subdued the Israelites beyond the Jordan, and the southern tribes on this side the river, and made Jericho the seat, or one of the seats, of his government. This subjection to a power always present must have been more galling to the Israelites than any they had previously suffered. It lasted eighteen years, when (B.C. 1428) they were delivered, through the instrumentality of Ehud, who slew the Moabitish king .

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Hebrews Eglon', עֵגְלוֹן , place of heifers, q.d. vituline), the name of a man, and also of two places.

1. (Sept. Ε᾿γλώμ, Josephus Ε᾿γλών,Vulgate Eglon.) An early king of the Moabites (Judges 3:12 sq.), who, aided by the Ammonites and the Amalekites, crossed the Jordan and took "the city of palm-trees," or Jericho (Josephus). B.C. 1527. Here he built himself a palace (Josephus, Ant. 5:4, 1 sq.), and continued for eighteen years to oppress the children of Israel, who paid him tribute (Josephus). Whether he resided at Jericho permanently, or only during the summer months (Judges 3:20; Josephus), he seems to have formed a familiar intimacy (συνήθης, Josephus, not Judg.) with Ehud, a young Israelite (νεανίας, Josephus) who lived in Jericho (Josephus, not Judg.), and who, by means of repeated presents, became a favorite courtier of the monarch. Eglon subdued the Israelites beyond the Jordan, and the southern tribes on this side the river, and made Jericho the seat, or one of the seats, of his government. This subjection to a power always present must have been more galling to the Israelites than any they had previously suffered. At length (B.C. 1509) they were delivered, through the instrumentality of Ehud, who slew the Moabitish king (Judges 3:12-31). (See Ehud).

2. (Sept. Ε᾿γλώμ v.r. Αἰλάμ , but in Joshua 10:1-43, Ο᾿δολλάμ; Vulgate Eglon, Aglon.) A city in the maritime plain of Judah, near Lachish (Joshua 15:39), formerly one of the royal cities of the Canaanites (Joshua 12:12). Its Almoritish king Debir (q.v.) formed a confederacy with the neighboring princes to assist Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, in attacking Gibeon, because that city had made peace with Joshua and the Israelites (Joshua 10:3-4). Joshua met the confederated kings near Gibeon and routed them (Joshua 10:11). Eglon was soon after visited by Joshua and destroyed (Joshua 10:34-35). Eusebius and Jerome (Onomast. s.v. Ε᾿γλώμ, Eglon) erroneously identify it with Odollam or ADULLAM (See Adullam) (q.v.), and say it was still "a large village," ten R. miles (Jerome, twelve) east of Eleutheropolis, being misled by the unaccountable reading of the Sept. as above. On the road from Eleutheropolis to Gaza, nine miles from the former and twelve from the latter, are the ruins of Ajlan, which mark the site of the ancient Eglon (Robinson, Researches, 2:392). The site is now completely desolate. The ruins are mere shapeless heaps of rubbish, strewn over a low, white mound (Porter, Handb. for Syria, page 262). The absence of more imposing remains is easily accounted for. The private houses, like those of Damascus, were built of sun-dried bricks; and the temples and fortifications of the soft calcareous stone of the district, which soon crumbles away. A large mound of rubbish, strewn with stones and pieces of pottery, is all we can now expect to mark the site of an ancient city in this plain (Van de Velde, Narrative, 2:188; Thomson, Land and Book, 2:356).

3. Another important place of this name (עגלון ), according to Schwarz (Palest; p. 235), is mentioned in Talmudical authorities as situated within the bounds of Gad. He identifies it with the present village Ajlun, one mile east of Kulat er-Rubud, or Wady Rejib, which runs parallel with Jebel Ajlun on the south (see Robinson's Map, and comp. Researches, 2:121). The village is built on both sides of the narrow rivulet Jenne, and contains nothing remarkable except a few ancient mosques (Burckhardt, Syria, page 266).