Judges 3:16
New International Version
Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing.

New Living Translation
So Ehud made a double-edged dagger that was about a foot long, and he strapped it to his right thigh, keeping it hidden under his clothing.

English Standard Version
And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes.

Berean Standard Bible
Now Ehud had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Now Ehud made himself a dagger (it was double-edged and a cubit in length) and fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh.

New American Standard Bible
Now Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he strapped it on his right thigh under his cloak.

NASB 1995
Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak.

NASB 1977
And Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak.

Amplified Bible
Now Ehud made for himself a sword a cubit long, which had two edges, and he bound it on his right thigh under his robe.

Christian Standard Bible
Ehud made himself a double-edged sword eighteen inches long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Ehud made himself a double-edged sword 18 inches long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes

American Standard Version
And Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

English Revised Version
And Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Ehud made a two-edged dagger for himself. He fastened it to his right side under his clothes.

Good News Translation
Ehud had made himself a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long. He had it fastened on his right side under his clothes.

International Standard Version
Ehud forged a double-edged sword that was one cubit long, tied it to his right thigh under his cloak,

Majority Standard Bible
Now Ehud had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak

NET Bible
Ehud made himself a sword--it had two edges and was eighteen inches long. He strapped it under his coat on his right thigh.

New Heart English Bible
Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, eighteen inches in length; and he girded it under his clothing on his right thigh.

Webster's Bible Translation
But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

World English Bible
Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he wore it under his clothing on his right thigh.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Ehud makes a sword for himself, and it has two mouths (its length [is] a cubit), and he girds it under his long robe on his right thigh;

Young's Literal Translation
and Ehud maketh for himself a sword, and it hath two mouths (a cubit is its length), and he girdeth it under his long robe on his right thigh;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Ehud will make to him a sword, and to it two mouths; a cubit its length: and he will gird it from under his garments upon his right thigh.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he made himself a two-edged sword, with a haft in the midst of the length of the palm of the hand, and was girded therewith under his garment on the right thigh.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he made for himself a two-edged sword, having a handle, reaching to the middle, the length of the palm of a hand. And he was girded with it under his cloak, on the right thigh.

New American Bible
Ehud made himself a two-edged dagger a foot long, and strapped it under his clothes on his right thigh.

New Revised Standard Version
Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length; and he fastened it on his right thigh under his clothes.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So Ehur made for himself a two edged dagger, and he made it short; and he girded it under his garment on his right thigh.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Ahor made for himself a blade of two edges; he made its length short and bound it within his clothing on his right thigh
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Aod made himself a dagger of two edges, of a span long, and he girded it under his cloak upon his right thigh.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ehud
15And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16Now Ehud had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak 17and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an obese man.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 17:50-51
Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. / David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword and pulled it from its sheath and killed him, and he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

2 Samuel 20:8-10
And while they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa joined them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire, with a dagger strapped to his belt. And as he stepped forward, he slipped the dagger from its sheath. / “Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him. / Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the ground. And Joab did not need to strike him again, for Amasa was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.

2 Kings 9:24
Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.

2 Kings 11:10-12
Then the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and shields of King David from the house of the LORD. / And the guards stood with weapons in hand surrounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple. / Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and declared, “Long live the king!”

1 Kings 18:28
So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them.

2 Samuel 2:23
But Asahel refused to turn away. So Abner thrust the butt of his spear into his stomach, and it came out his back, and he fell dead on the spot. And every man paused when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.

1 Samuel 21:9
The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want, you may take it. For there is no other but this one here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

1 Samuel 13:19-22
And no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews must not be allowed to make swords or spears.” / Instead, all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles. / The charge was a pim for sharpening a plowshare or mattock, a third of a shekel for sharpening a pitchfork or an axe, and a third of a shekel for repointing an oxgoad. ...

2 Samuel 23:21
He also struck down an Egyptian, a huge man. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.

1 Samuel 17:39
David strapped his sword over the tunic and tried to walk, but he was not accustomed to them. “I cannot walk in these,” David said to Saul. “I am not accustomed to them.” So David took them off.

2 Samuel 18:14
But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree.

1 Samuel 25:13
And David said to his men, “Strap on your swords!” So David and all his men strapped on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.

1 Samuel 17:45-47
But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. / This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. / And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.”

Matthew 26:51-52
At this, one of Jesus’ companions drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. / “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

Luke 22:36-38
“Now, however,” He told them, “the one with a purse should take it, and likewise a bag; and the one without a sword should sell his cloak and buy one. / For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about Me is reaching its fulfillment.” / So they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” “That is enough,” He answered.


Treasury of Scripture

But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment on his right thigh.

two edges

Psalm 149:6
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Revelation 1:16
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

upon

Judges 3:21
And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:

Psalm 45:3
Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.

Song of Solomon 3:8
They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.

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Bound Cloak Clothes Clothing Cubit Dagger Double-Edged Edges Ehud Half Length Maketh Mouths Raiment Right Robe Side Sword Thigh Two-Edged
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Bound Cloak Clothes Clothing Cubit Dagger Double-Edged Edges Ehud Half Length Maketh Mouths Raiment Right Robe Side Sword Thigh Two-Edged
Judges 3
1. The nations which were left to prove Israel
5. By communion with them they commit idolatry
8. Othniel delivered them from Chushan-Rishathaim
12. Ehud from Eglon
31. and Shamgar from the Philistines














Now Ehud
Ehud is introduced as a significant figure in the narrative of Judges. His name in Hebrew, אֵהוּד (Ehud), can mean "united" or "strong." Ehud is from the tribe of Benjamin, which is noteworthy because Benjamin means "son of the right hand," yet Ehud is left-handed. This detail sets the stage for the unfolding of God's providence through unexpected means, emphasizing that God often uses the unlikely to accomplish His purposes.

had made himself
The phrase indicates personal initiative and preparation. Ehud's action of crafting a weapon suggests forethought and determination. In the spiritual life, this can be seen as a call to be proactive in preparing for the battles we face, equipping ourselves with the Word of God, which is described as a sword in Ephesians 6:17.

a double-edged sword
The double-edged sword, or חֶרֶב (chereb) in Hebrew, symbolizes a weapon of precision and effectiveness. In the New Testament, the Word of God is likened to a double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), indicating its power to penetrate and discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Ehud's sword is a physical representation of the spiritual truth that God's Word is sharp and decisive.

a cubit long
A cubit, approximately 18 inches, was a standard unit of measure in ancient times. The specific mention of the sword's length suggests it was designed for concealment and close combat. This detail highlights the importance of strategy and wisdom in spiritual warfare, reminding believers to be shrewd and discerning in their approach to challenges.

and he strapped it
The act of strapping the sword signifies readiness and commitment. Ehud's preparation is a metaphor for the Christian's call to be ready at all times to give an answer for the hope within (1 Peter 3:15). It underscores the importance of being equipped and vigilant in our spiritual journey.

to his right thigh
Strapping the sword to his right thigh is significant because it would be unexpected for a left-handed man, allowing Ehud to surprise his adversary. This strategic placement reflects the wisdom of God, who often works in ways that confound human expectations. It serves as a reminder that God's ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

under his cloak
The cloak serves as a covering, concealing the weapon until the opportune moment. This imagery can be seen as a metaphor for the hidden work of God in our lives, where His plans are often concealed until the right time. It encourages believers to trust in God's timing and His ability to bring about His purposes in ways that may not be immediately visible.

(16) Made him a dagger which had two edges.--Probably, as in other servitudes, the children of Israel had been disarmed. The "two edges" (comp. Revelation 1:16) show that it was not a mere knife (comp. Psalm 144:6; Hebrews 4:12). Jerome, in the Vulgate, after rightly rendering the word ancipitem, adds, "having a handle in the midst," which seems useless and meaningless, and has no equivalent in the Hebrew.

A cubit length.--The LXX. and Vulgate render it a span long (spitham?s, palm?; Luther, eine elle lang). The Hebrew word is not amm?h, the usual word for a cubit, but gomed. A dagger of a span long hardly, however, suits the following narrative, and perhaps gomed is an archaic word for amm?h. It meant originally "a staff."

Under his raiment.--The LXX. and Vulgate have "under his war-cloak" (LXX. manduan, Vulg. sagum). The LXX., however, are only adopting a method very common with them--of choosing a Greek or, as in this case, a Persian (Hesych.) word which resembles the Hebrew word (maddim) in sound. The root of the Hebrew word shows that a long flowing robe (vestis talaris) is intended. Dean Stanley suggests that he wore it as leader of the tribe. Prudentius describes Discord as "hiding a dagger under her robe."

Upon his right thigh.--This would avert all suspicion. Doubtless the war-cloak was flung in folds over the left shoulder, and Eglon, unaware that the bearer of the tribute was left-handed, would see that the side at which arms were usually worn was covered with a flowing robe, and would not suspect the dagger hidden at the right side. Daggers were often, however, worn at the right side, when a sword was slung to the left. Amasa fell by a similar act of treachery. Joab, advancing to kiss him, clasped his beard with his right hand, while with his unsuspected left he gave the deadly thrust (2Samuel 20:9-10). . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now Ehud
אֵה֜וּד (’ê·hūḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 164: Ehud -- the name of several Israelites

had made
וַיַּעַשׂ֩ (way·ya·‘aś)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

for himself
ל֨וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

a double-edged
שְׁנֵ֥י (šə·nê)
Number - mdc
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

sword
חֶ֗רֶב (ḥe·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

a cubit
גֹּ֣מֶד (gō·meḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1574: A short cubit (from elbow to knuckles of clenched fist)

long.
אָרְכָּ֑הּ (’ā·rə·kāh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 753: Length

He strapped
וַיַּחְגֹּ֤ר (way·yaḥ·gōr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2296: To gird, gird on, gird oneself

it to
עַ֖ל (‘al)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

his right
יְמִינֽוֹ׃ (yə·mî·nōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3225: The right hand, side, the south

thigh
יֶ֥רֶךְ (ye·reḵ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3409: Thigh,loin, flank, side

under
מִתַּ֣חַת (mit·ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition-m
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

his cloak
לְמַדָּ֔יו (lə·mad·dāw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4055: Extent, height, a measure, a vesture, a carpet


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OT History: Judges 3:16 Ehud made him a sword which had (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 3:15
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