Ehud

Lore & Background

According to Judges 3:12–30, Ehud was sent by the Israelites to the Moabite King Eglon on the pretext of delivering the annual tribute. He made a double-edged shortsword about a cubit (eighteen inches) long, useful for a stabbing thrust. Being left-handed, he concealed the sword on his right thigh, where it was not expected. Left handedness is significant because the left side of the body is often associated with deception or darkness, it is a tactical advantage in war against the majority who are often right-handed, and is symbolic for being outside of the culturally accepted social norm of leadership in ancient Israel.

Once they met, Ehud told Eglon he had a secret message for him. Eglon dismissed his attendants and allowed Ehud to meet him in private in a cooling roof chamber, likely a bathroom. Ehud said, 'I have a message from God for you,' drew his sword, and stabbed the king in his abdomen. The Hebrew word for abdomen is the same word used for the womb of a woman. The sword disappeared into the wound and Ehud left it there, then locked the doors and escaped. Eglon's assistants, finding the doors locked, assumed he was relieving themselves and waited 'to the point of embarrassment' before discovering the king dead.

Ehud escaped to the town of Seraiah in Ephraim, sounded the shofar, and rallied the Israelite tribes. They killed the Moabites, cut off the fords of the Jordan River, and invaded Moab itself, killing about 10,000 Moabite soldiers. After the death of Eglon, the narrative reports that there was peace in the land for 80 years.

Reader's Guide

Ehud's significance lies in his role as a deliverer in the Book of Judges, embodying the Deuteronomistic pattern of apostasy, hardship, crying out to the Lord, and rescue. Biblical critic Coogan argues that the story was probably a folk tale of local origin edited by Deuteronomistic historians, who incorporated it into their narrative of early Israel. The tale is notable for its use of left-handedness as a tactical and symbolic element, and for the sexually charged language that feminizes and demeans King Eglon. Barry Webb sees Ehud as 'directed by the Lord, who used this most unlikely hero to bring deliverance to his undeserving but desperate people.' The story ends with the refrain 'and the land had rest 80 years,' typical of major judge narratives. Ehud is the second judge chosen by God, and his account highlights how unconventional traits—such as left-handedness—could be used for divine purposes.

Did You Know?

• Ehud was left-handed, which allowed him to conceal a sword on his right thigh, where it was not expected.
• The Hebrew word for abdomen used in the stabbing is the same word used for the womb of a woman.
• The phrase 'and the dirt came out' in Judges 3:22 is of uncertain meaning and appears only once in the Hebrew Bible.
• After Ehud's victory, the land had peace for 80 years.