Who was Eglon in the Bible?
Eglon was the Amorite king of Lachish who joined an alliance against Israel during the conquest under Joshua. Eglon appears in 9 verses across 2 books of the Bible.
The Bible uses the name Eglon for 2 different people. All 2 are below, each with its own passages.
Eglon in Joshua
Eglon was the Amorite king of Lachish who joined an alliance against Israel during the conquest under Joshua. He allied with Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem, Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, and Debir king of Eglon to attack Gibeon for making a treaty with Israel (Joshua 10:3-5). However, the Israelites came to Gibeon's aid and pursued the Amorite kings, defeating them with God's help. Eglon and the other kings fled and hid in a cave at Makkedah, but were captured and executed by Joshua (Joshua 10:16-27). Eglon's city of Lachish was also captured and destroyed.
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Eglon in Judges
Eglon was the king of Moab who oppressed the Israelites for eighteen years, as recorded in the book of Judges. After the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord, God strengthened Eglon against them and allowed him to conquer and rule over Israel (Jdg.3.12-14). During this period of oppression, the Israelites cried out to the Lord for deliverance. In response, God raised up Ehud, a left-handed Benjamite, as a deliverer (Jdg.3.15). Ehud crafted a double-edged sword and concealed it under his clothing. Acting as an emissary, Ehud brought tribute to Eglon, who is described as a very fat man (Jdg.3.17). After presenting the tribute, Ehud sent away the people who had carried it and returned to Eglon, claiming to have a secret message for him. When Eglon dismissed his attendants, Ehud approached him and declared, "I have a message from God for you" (Jdg.3.18-20). Ehud then drew his concealed sword with his left hand and thrust it into Eglon's belly. The sword's hilt sank in after the blade, and Eglon's fat closed over it. Ehud left the sword in Eglon's body and escaped, locking the doors of the upper room behind him (Jdg.3.21-23). Eglon's servants later discovered their king dead and Ehud long gone. Ehud rallied the Israelites, who seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab and struck down about 10,000 Moabites. This victory brought peace to the land for eighty years (Jdg.3.24-30). The story of Eglon's oppression and Ehud's assassination highlights the cycle of sin, oppression, and deliverance that characterizes the book of Judges. It also demonstrates God's faithfulness in raising up deliverers for His people when they cry out to Him.
4 verses: Judges 3:12, Judges 3:14, Judges 3:15, Judges 3:17
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Where does Eglon appear in the Bible?
Eglon is referenced in 9 verses across 2 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- Joshua 10:34
- Joshua 10:36
- Joshua 10:37
- Joshua 12:12
- Joshua 15:39
Showing the first 5 of 9.
Open all 9 references in ProtosWhat else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Eglon.
Common questions
How many people in the Bible are called Eglon?
Eglon refers to 2 different people in the Bible: Eglon in Joshua; Eglon in Judges.
How many times does the Bible mention Eglon?
Eglon appears in 9 verses across 2 books, most often in Joshua, which accounts for 5 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Eglon?
Joshua, Judges.
Where can I read every verse about Eglon?
This page lists 5 of them. Protos carries all 9, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
