After Joshua's time, the Lord left certain nations in Canaan to test the Israelites—people who had never fought in war. Through these nations, God wanted to teach His people the art of battle and test their loyalty to His commands. Among those left were the Philistines, Canaanites, Sidonians, and Hivites in the mountains of Lebanon.
But instead of driving them out, the Israelites settled among them. They married their daughters, gave their own in return, and began serving the foreign gods of Baal and Asherah. Angered by their unfaithfulness, the Lord handed them over to Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram Naharaim, and they served him for eight long years.
When the Israelites cried out for help, God raised a deliverer—Othniel, the son of Kenaz and nephew of Caleb. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, giving him strength and wisdom. Othniel led Israel into battle and defeated Cushan-Rishathaim, bringing forty years of peace to the land. But after Othniel died, the people once again turned from God.
This time, the Lord allowed Eglon, king of Moab, to rise against them. With the Ammonites and Amalekites, Eglon attacked Israel and captured the City of Palms. For eighteen years, Israel was enslaved to Moab. But once again, they cried out to the Lord, and He raised a new deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man from the tribe of Benjamin.
Ehud crafted a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long and strapped it beneath his clothes on his right thigh. When he brought tribute to Eglon, the very fat king of Moab, he sent away his companions and returned alone, saying, "I have a secret message for you, O king." The king sent his servants away, and Ehud approached, saying, "I have a message from God for you." As Eglon rose, Ehud drew the sword with his left hand and plunged it deep into his belly. The handle disappeared into the fat, and Ehud left the sword there as he locked the doors and escaped.
When the servants returned and found the doors locked, they thought their king was relieving himself. After waiting too long, they finally opened the doors and discovered him dead. Meanwhile, Ehud had escaped to the hill country of Ephraim, where he blew the trumpet and called Israel to battle. "Follow me," he declared, "for the Lord has given Moab into your hands!"
The Israelites followed, seized the fords of the Jordan, and struck down about ten thousand strong Moabite soldiers. Not one escaped. That day, Moab fell under Israel's control, and the land had peace for eighty years.
After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines using only an oxgoad. He, too, saved Israel.