Judges 3:13He gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees.
The setting
Jordan Valley near Jericho, ~1320 BC. King Eglon forms a military alliance and captures the 'city of palm trees' (Jericho), establishing an occupation headquarters in modern-day West Bank, Palestine.
The emotion here: recording systematic defeat with growing alarm
The original word
ʾāsap (אָסַף) — deliberately gathered, assembled for coordinated attack
Why it matters
Jericho was called 'city of palm trees' because it was an oasis in the desert — controlling it meant controlling water and trade routes
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 3:13
This wasn't random warfare — it was strategic occupation of Israel's most symbolic victory site
Common misconceptionPeople read this as random military history, but Eglon strategically chose Jericho to mock Israel's greatest victory and break their confidence in God's power.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 3:13
Bible Genome reading
Judges 3:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 3:13 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include oppression, alliance. Notable phrases: gathered to him; struck Israel.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Judges 3:13 mean to you, today?
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