Judges 3:23-24

3:23 As Ehud went out into the vestibule, ¹  he closed the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

3:24 When Ehud had left, Eglon’s ²  servants came and saw the locked doors of the upper room. They said, “He must be relieving himself ³  in the well-ventilated inner room.” ⁴ 

[3:23]  ¹ tn Again the precise meaning of the Hebrew word, used only here in the OT, is uncertain. Since it is preceded by the verb “went out” and the next clause refers to Ehud closing doors, the noun is probably an architectural term referring to the room (perhaps a vestibule; see HALOT 604 s.v. מִסְדְּרוֹן) immediately outside the king’s upper chamber. As v. 24 indicates, this vestibule separated the upper room from an outer room where the king's servants were waiting.

[3:24]  ² tn Heb “his.”

[3:24]  ³ tn Heb “covering his feet” (i.e., with his outer garments while he relieves himself).

[3:24]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew expression translated “well-ventilated inner room” may refer to the upper room itself or to a bathroom attached to or within it.