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Eglon

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Moabite king defeated by the Israelite judge Ehud through a daring assassination

Detailed Definition
Eglon, described as very fat, was killed by Ehud who delivered tribute then plunged a dagger into his belly, leading to Moab’s defeat (Judges 3). In poetry, Eglon symbolizes oppressive foreign rule, the irony of tyrants undone by their own excess, and divine deliverance through unconventional means.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Eglon’s oppression (Judges 3) illustrates the cycle of sin and deliverance; In William Blake’s prophetic books, Eglon symbolizes bloated tyranny; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "The Drama of Exile," Eglon represents the enemy of liberty; In George Herbert’s "The Church-porch," Eglon’s fate warns against indulgence; In John Keble’s "Lyra Apostolica," Eglon embodies the wages of national sin; In Christina Rossetti’s "The World," Eglon’s upper room becomes a site of judgment.
Additional Notes
Eglon: Moabite king oppressed Israel, assassinated by Ehud (Judges 3:12–30). His obesity and private chamber add dark humor to the narrative. In poetry, Eglon represents oppressive complacency, the vulnerability of tyrants, and the irony of deliverance through the left-handed. His name evokes heaviness—ideal for poems on liberation, the body as political symbol, or the unexpected instruments of justice.
Also Known As
Eglon king of Moab
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