What is "eglon"

Eglon may refer to:

• Eglon, Canaan, a Biblical city
• Eglon (king), a Biblical king
• Eglon, West Virginia, a community in the U.S. state of West Virginia
• Eglon, Washington, a community in the U.S. state of Washington on the Kitsap Peninsula

Eglon ( ‘Eḡlōn) was the king of Moab who oppressed Israel in the time of the Book of Judges.

He was the head of the confederacy of Moab, Ammon and Amalek in their assault. One day, Ehud came presenting a customary tribute and tricked Eglon and stabbed him with his sword, but when Ehud attempted to draw the sword back out, the obese king's excess fat prevented its retrieval. His servants, believing he was relieving himself, left him be.

Rabbis in the Talmudic tradition claimed that Ruth was Eglon's daughter. According to this tradition, Eglon was rewarded for rising out of respect when Ehud mentioned the Israelite God by having King David as a descendant. This can also be seen as an attempt to provide a royal lineage to David. The Talmud also describes Eglon as the grandson of Balak. There is, however, no basis in the actual verses for such an assertion.