Verse 19
19. He himself turned again At the ceremony of offering the present to Eglon “Ehud had no opportunity to attempt anything, for he neither came near the king nor saw him alone; nor yet was he willing, among so many bystanders, to involve his companions in the consequences of a possible failure. On the contrary, he accompanied them back to the border, in order to be sure that he was alone when making the dangerous attempt.” Cassel.
The quarries Our version follows the Chaldee in this rendering of the Hebrew word פסילים , pesilim, and Keil adopts this interpretation. But the word elsewhere always means graven images, or idols, and so the Septuagint and Vulgate here translate it. These pesilim were graven images set up by Gilgal, probably by the Moabites, to commemorate their conquests in that part of Palestine. It would especially vex and trouble the better part of Israel to have the site of their ancient camp profaned by idolatrous images. Some suggest that the sight of these images nerved Ehud for his daring work.
A secret errand Ehud affects to be Eglon’s friend, and seems to the king to have gone to such pains to favour him with a secret that his deadly purpose is not suspected.
Keep silence הס , hist! hush! To the king’s attendants it implied that they should leave the room.
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