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the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Judges 3:16

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

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Assassination;   Confidence;   Dagger;   Deception;   Eglon;   Ehud;   Falsehood;   Gilgal;   Homicide;   Hypocrisy;   Israel;   Judge;   Regicide;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Arms, Military;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Abishua;   Eglon;   Ehud;   Moabites;   Thigh;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Moab;   Weapons;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Cubit;   Ehud;   Moabite;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Amalekites;   Bela;   Dress;   Eglon;   Ehud;   Gammadims;   Judges, the Book of;   Moab;   Philistia;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Arms and Armor;   Ax, Ax Head;   Dagger;   Government;   Judges, Book of;   Left Hand;   Moab and the Moabite Stone;   Sword;   Thigh;   Tribes of Israel, the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Armour, Arms;   Ehud;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Judah;   Judges (1);   Levi;   Moab, Moabites;   Quarry;   Thigh;   Weights and Measures;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Eglon ;   Ehud ;   Moab, Moabites ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Armor;   Arms;   Ehud;   Mesopotamia;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Arms, Armor;   Girdle,;   Mo'ab;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Arms;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Armor;   Crime;   Cubit;   Judges, Book of:;   Thigh;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Benjamin;   Dagger;   Ehud;   Joshua, Book of;   Moab;   Right and Left;   Sword;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Ehud made himself a double-edged sword eighteen inches long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes
Hebrew Names Version
Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his clothing on his right thigh.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
Ehud made for himself a short, two-edged sword (a cubit in length), and he fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh.
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.
New Century Version
Ehud made himself a sword with two edges, about eighteen inches long, and he tied it to his right hip under his clothes.
New English Translation
Ehud made himself a sword—it had two edges and was eighteen inches long. He strapped it under his coat on his right thigh.
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.
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.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Ehud made him a dagger with two edges of a cubite length, and he did gird it vnder his rayment vpon his right thigh,
Legacy Standard Bible
These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; and their mouth speaks arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of their own benefit.
Complete Jewish Bible
Ehud made himself a double-edged sword eighteen inches long and strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes.
Darby Translation
And Ehud made him a sword having two edges, it was of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right hip.
Easy-to-Read Version
Ehud made himself a sword with two sharp edges that was about 12 inches long. He tied the sword to his right thigh and hid it under his uniform.
George Lamsa Translation
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.
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.
Literal Translation
And Ehud made a sword for himself, and it had two edges, a cubit in length. And he girded it under his long robe, on his right thigh.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Ehud made him a two edged dagger of a spanne longe, & gyrded it vnder his garmet vpo his righte thye,
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.
Bible in Basic English
So Ehud made himself a two-edged sword, a cubit long, which he put on at his right side under his robe.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But Ahud made him a dagger with two edges, of a cubite length, and he did gyrde it vnto his raymet vpon his right thygh,
JPS Old Testament (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.
King James Version (1611)
But Ehud made him a dagger (which had two edges) of a cubite length, and he did gird it vnder his raiment, vpon his right thigh,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Aod made himself a dagger of two edges, of a span long, and he girded it under his cloak 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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
which Aioth made to hym a swerd keruynge on euer either side, hauynge in the myddis a pomel of the lengthe of the pawm of an hond; and he was gird therwith vndir `the sai, `that is, a knyytis mentil, `in the riyt hipe.
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;
Update Bible Version
And Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his raiment 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 him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his clothing on 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 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.
New Life Bible
Ehud made a sword for himself with two sharp sides, almost as long as an arm. He tied it to the top part of his right leg, under his coat.
New Revised Standard
Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length; and he fastened it on his right thigh under his clothes.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, - and girded it under his raiment, upon his right thigh.
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.
Revised Standard Version
And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it on his right thigh under his clothes.
New American Standard Bible (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.

Contextual Overview

12Once again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. So He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13After enlisting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms. 14The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. 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 cloak17and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an obese man. 18After Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he ushered out those who had carried it. 19But upon reaching the idols near Gilgal, he himself turned back and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." "Silence," said the king, and all his attendants left him. 20Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in the coolness of his upper room. "I have a word from God for you," Ehud said, and the king rose from his seat. 21And Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon's belly.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

two edges: Psalms 149:6, Hebrews 4:12, Revelation 1:16, Revelation 2:12

upon: Judges 3:21, Psalms 45:3, Song of Solomon 3:8

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat of any tree in the garden?'"
Genesis 3:6
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
Genesis 3:7
And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves.
Genesis 3:8
Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:9
So the LORD God called out to the man, "Where are you?"
Genesis 3:10
"I heard Your voice in the garden," he replied, "and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."
Genesis 3:11
"Who told you that you were naked?" asked the LORD God. "Have you eaten of the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?"
Genesis 3:12
And the man answered, "The woman whom You gave me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it."
Genesis 3:16
To the woman He said: "I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. You will desire your husband, and he will rule over you."
Genesis 3:17
And to Adam He said: "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree from which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But Ehud made him a dagger, which had two edges, of a cubit length,.... A little sword, as Josephus calls it y, with two edges, that it might cut both ways, and do the execution he designed by it, and was about half a yard long; which he could the more easily conceal, and use for his purpose:

and he did gird it under his raiment; that it might not be seen, and give occasion of suspicion; this was a military garment, the "sagum", as the Vulgate Latin version, which was coarse, and made of wool, and reached to the ankle, and was buttoned upon the shoulder, and put over the coat z; the Septuagint makes use of a word Suidas a interprets a coat of mail:

upon his right thigh; whereas a sword is more commonly girt upon the left; though some observe, from various writers, that the eastern people used to gird their swords on their right thigh; or this was done that it might be the less discernible and suspected, and chiefly as being most convenient for him, a lefthanded man, to draw it out upon occasion.

y Ibid. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 2.) z Vid. Valtrinum de re militar. Roman. l. 3. c. 13. a In voce μανδυας.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 Judges 3:21.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 3:16. 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.


 
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