Judges 3:16

Jdg 3:16 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.

Ver. 16. Upon his right thigh.] As more convenient for him that was left handed; as those that are right handed used always to wear their weapons on the left side. Hence among the Turks for place the left hand is held uppermost, for a soldier: because it giveth a man possession of his companion’s sword. {a}

{a} Sir H. Blunt’s Voy. into Lev.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jdg 3:16. Ehud, made him a dagger — It is probable that none of the Israelites were suffered to wear arms, and therefore this particular is mentioned of Ehud; and that he wore it under his upper garment to conceal it: for it does not appear that he made it purposely for the occasion, in which we are told in the following verses, he employed it. A cubit length — Long enough for his design, and not too long for concealment. His right thigh — Which was most convenient both for the use of his left hand, and for avoiding suspicion.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Or, caused a dagger to be made.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Ehud made him a dagger . . . and he did gird it . . . upon his right thigh--The sword was usually worn on the left side; so that Ehud's was the more likely to escape detection.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 16. A dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length] The word גמד gomed, which we translate cubit, is of very doubtful signification. As the root seems to signify contracted, it probably means an instrument made for the purpose shorter than usual, and something like the Italian stiletto. The Septuagint translate it by σπιθαμη, a span, and most of the versions understand it in the same sense.

Upon his right thigh.] Because he was left-handed. Ordinarily the sword is on the left side, that it may be readily drawn out by the right hand; but as Ehud was left-handed, to be convenient his sword must be on the right side.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(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. Rev_1:16) show that it was not a mere knife (comp. Psa_144:6; Heb_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 (spithamçs, palmœ; Luther, eine elle lang). The Hebrew word is not ammâh, the usual word for a cubit, but gômed. A dagger of a span long hardly, however, suits the following narrative, and perhaps gômed is an archaic word for ammâh. 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 (vestís 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 (2Sa_20:9-10).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16. a sword … of a cubit length] The measure, a gômed, does not occur again in the O.T.; Jewish interpreters explain it as a short cubit, i.e. the length from the elbow to the knuckles, about 13½ in. (Gk. πυγμή). This is the measure required; Ehud’s weapon was a short two-edged sword, or long dagger, without a cross-piece (to judge from Jdg_3:22), such as could be buried, hilt and all, in the belly of the corpulent king.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he brought a present unto Eglon king of Moab,.... Accompanied by two servants, as Josephus says (b), and who doubtless bore the presents; for that there were such with him that did is clear from Jdg 3:18; nor can it be thought that so great a personage as a judge in Israel should go alone and carry a present in his own hands; though it is possible, when come to the king of Moab, he might take it from his servants, and deliver it to him with his own hands:

and Eglon was a very fat man: and so the less active, and unable to decline and avoid the stroke, he might see, when about to be given him.

(b) Antiqu. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Upon his right thigh - The proper side for a left-handed man. It would give him the appearance of being unarmed. The narrative shows clearly that his action was premeditated Jdg 3:21.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He made, or procured, though it was formerly honourable for a person to do such things himself. (Calmet) --- Hand. Hebrew gomed, is translated by the Protestants, "of a cubit length," (Haydock) though the term is never used elsewhere for that measure. Septuagint have spithame, a measure of 12 fingers. --- Garment. The sagum, as well as the Septuagint mandua, from the Hebrew mad, denote a military garment. But such a dress might have rendered Aod suspected, (Calmet) unless an uniform might then be deemed a suitable dress for an ambassador. (Haydock) --- Thigh. The Jews wore the sword there; (Psalm xliv. 4,) and it would be more convenient on the left thigh, as the nations of Gaul and Germany had it, while the Roman cavalry wore the sword on the right; and the infantry had two swords, the long one on the left, and a shorter, about an hand’s length, on the right. (Josephus, Jewish Wars iii. 3.) (Lipsius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

A cubit length; long enough for his design, and not too long for carriage and concealment.

Upon his right thigh; which was most convenient, both for the use of his left hand, and for the avoiding of suspicion.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

16. Of a cubit length — The Hebrew gomed, here rendered cubit, means a span, (Septuagint,) or a hand’s length, (Vulgate.) It occurs nowhere else in Scripture. Luther translates it an elle — twenty-three inches, a dagger too long to be hidden on the thigh.

Upon his right thigh — Where it would not be looked for by the king, and yet where it could be most easily unsheathed with the left hand.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A cubit length - Long enough for his design, and not too long for concealment. His right thigh - Which was most convenient both for the use of his left hand, and for avoiding suspicion.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Ehud availed himself of the opportunity to approach the king of the Moabites and put him to death, and thus to shake off the yoke of the Moabites from his nation. To this end he provided himself with a sword, which had two edges (פּיות from פּה, like שׂיו, Deu 22:1, from שׂה), a cubit long (גּמר, ἁπ. λεγ., signified primarily a staff, here a cubit, according to the Syriac and Arabic; not "a span," σπιθαμή, lxx), and "did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh."

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

one cubit

If it is necessary to use a modern measurement of length, here are two ways of doing it. AT: "46 centimeters" or "about one half meter" (See: Biblical Distance)

he strapped it on under his clothing on his right thigh

"he tied it to his right thigh under his clothing"

thigh

the part of the leg between the knee and the hip

Now Eglon was a very fat man

Here "Now" is used here to mark a break in the main story line. Here the narrator tells background information about Eglon. (See: Background Information)

translationWords

sword

tribute

king

Moab

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

One gomed long. An abridged amoh. In German, 'daumen lang'. In old French, 'espan courte'.

Over his right thigh. Since he was able to utilize his left hand, he would grasp it with the left hand.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.