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Read the Bible

King James Version (1611 Edition)

Judges 3:16

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,

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.
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.
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
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

12 And the children of Israel did euill againe in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done euill in the sight of the Lord. 13 And hee gathered vnto him the children of Ammon, and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of Palme-trees. 14 So the children of Israel serued Eglon the King of Moab eighteene yeeres. 15 But when the children of Israel cried vnto the Lord, the Lord raised them vp a deliuerer, Ehud the sonne of Gera, a Beniamite, a man left handed: and by him the children of Israel sent a Present vnto Eglon the king of Moab. 16 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, 17 And he brought the present vnto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man. 18 And when he had made an end to offer the Present, he sent away the people that bare the Present. 19 But hee himselfe turned againe from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I haue a secret errand vnto thee, O king: who said, Keepe silence. And all that stood by him, went out from him. 20 And Ehud came vnto him, and he was sitting in a Summer parlour, which hee had for himselfe alone: And Ehud said, I haue a message from God vnto thee. And he arose out of his seat. 21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and tooke the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his 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 subtill then any beast of the field, which the LORD God had made, and he said vnto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of euery tree of the garden?
Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw, that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she tooke of the fruit thereof, and did eate, and gaue also vnto her husband with her, and hee did eate.
Genesis 3:7
And the eyes of them both were opened, & they knew that they were naked, and they sewed figge leaues together, and made themselues aprons.
Genesis 3:8
And they heard the voyce of the LORD God, walking in the garden in the coole of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselues from the presence of the LORD God, amongst the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:9
And the LORD God called vnto Adam, and said vnto him, Where art thou?
Genesis 3:10
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden: and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid my selfe.
Genesis 3:11
And he said, Who told thee, that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee, that thou shouldest not eate?
Genesis 3:12
And the man said, The woman whom thou gauest to be with mee, shee gaue me of the tree, and I did eate.
Genesis 3:16
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorowe and thy conception. In sorow thou shalt bring forth children: and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and hee shall rule ouer thee.
Genesis 3:17
And vnto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened vnto the voyce of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commaunded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eate of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake: in sorow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy 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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