Was Ehud a Vigilante?

Continued from "Christian Vigilantism?"

But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh. And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.

And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present. But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence.

And all that stood by him went out from him. And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them. . . . And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.

(Jdg 3:15-23, 26)

We can see certain superficial parallels here between Ehud and the vigilante. He acts, not just outside the authority of King Eglon, but directly against the king. He also acts secretly, as vigilance committees tend to do.

The differences, however, far outweigh the similarities. Ehud was raised up by Yahweh. He was called by God to this specific task; he was not a self-appointed judge and jury.

Second, he initiates justice against an invading foreign king, not his own nation's governing authority.

Further, he had some official standing as one sent by Israel to bring a gift to Eglon. Here the doctrine of interposition applies. The lower magistrate interposes himself between the tyrant and God's people.

For these reasons, I think that, although Ehud serves as a Biblical example of Christian Martialism, he does not serve as a precedent for vigilantism.

Next, I'd like to consider David.