OET interlinear JDG 3:20

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וְ⁠אֵה֣וּד ׀ בָּ֣א אֵלָ֗י⁠ו וְ⁠הֽוּא־יֹ֠שֵׁב בַּ⁠עֲלִיַּ֨ת הַ⁠מְּקֵרָ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־ל⁠וֹ֙

and,Ehud he/it_came to=him/it and=he was_sitting in/on/at/with,roof_chamber the,cool which/who to=him/it

The author is leaving some information implicit that he assumes readers will understand. You could state this information explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. The word came could indicate: (1) that Ehud walked up close to Eglon and stood in front of him. Alternate translation: “Then Ehud approached him. Now he was sitting in his upper room of coolness” (2) that Ehud came into the upper room where Eglon was sitting. If so, this could mean that Ehud actually sent word to Eglon through his servants that he had a message for him, and Eglon summoned Ehud to come into his room where the two of them could speak privately once all the servants had left. Alternate translation: “Then Ehud entered the upper room of coolness in which the king was sitting”

Note 2 topic: writing-background

וְ⁠הֽוּא־יֹ֠שֵׁב

and=he was_sitting

The author is introducing background information that will help readers understand what happens next in the story. In your translation, introduce this information in a way that would be natural in your own language and culture.

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

בַּ⁠עֲלִיַּ֨ת הַ⁠מְּקֵרָ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־ל⁠וֹ֙

in/on/at/with,roof_chamber the,cool which/who to=him/it

The phrase upper room of coolness describes a room in a palace that was designed to give rulers a place to go to escape the heat of summer, which was intense in this climate. Sometimes these were interior rooms on whose walls the sun did not shine, and sometimes they were rooms in a garden within the palace complex. In this case, it seems to have been a room on the roof that was exposed to currents of air, since the author describes it with the term upper room. Your language and culture may have an expression to describe such a room. Alternate translation: “in his summer parlor” or “in his cool roof chamber”

Note 4 topic: translate-symaction

וַ⁠יָּ֖קָם

and=he/it_rose_up

King Eglon arose as a symbolic action to show respect for God and the message he thought God was sending to him through Ehud. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could explain the significance of this action. Alternate translation: “And he stood up respectfully”