years.

Mesopotamia... In Hebrew Aramnaharim. Syria of the two rivers: so called
because it lies between the Euphrates and the Tigris. It is absolutely
called Syria, ver. 10.

3:9. And they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a saviour, and
delivered them; to wit, Othoniel, the son of Cenez, the younger brother
of Caleb:

3:10. And the spirit of the Lord was in him, and he judged Israel. And
he went out to fight, and the Lord delivered Chusan Rasathaim, king of
Syria, and he overthrew him:

3:11. And the land rested forty years, and Othoniel, the son of Cenez,
died.

3:12. And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the
Lord: who strengthened against them Eglon, king of Moab: because they
did evil in his sight.

3:13. And he joined to him the children of Ammon, and Amalec: and he
went and overthrew Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

3:14. And the children of Israel served Eglon, king of Moab, eighteen
years.

3:15. And afterwards they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a
saviour, called Aod, the son of Cera, 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.

3:16. And he made himself a two-edged sword, with a haft in the midst of
the length of the palm of the hand, and was girded therewith, under his
garment, on the right thigh.

3:17. And he presented the gifts to Eglon, king of Moab Now Eglon was
exceeding fat.

3:18. And when he had presented the gifts unto him he followed his
companions that came along with him.

3:19. Then returning from Galgal, where the idols were, he said to the
king: I have a secret message to thee, O king. And he commanded silence:
and all being gone out that were about him,

3:20. Aod went in to him: now he was sitting in a summer parlour alone,
and he said: I have a word from God to thee. And he forthwith rose up
from his throne.

A word from God, etc... What Aod, who was judge and chief magistrate of
Israel, did on this occasion, was by a special inspiration of God: but
such things are not to be imitated by private men.

3:21. And Aod put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his
right thigh, and thrust it into his belly,

3:22. With such force that the haft went in after the blade into the
wound, and was closed up with the abundance of fat. So that he did not
draw out the dagger, but left it in the body as he had struck it in: and
forthwith,