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Monday, September 15th, 2025
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Literal Standard Version

Judges 3:16

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;

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.
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

12and the sons of Israel add to do evil in the eyes of YHWH; and YHWH strengthens Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because that they have done evil in the eyes of YHWH; 13and he gathers the sons of Ammon and Amalek to himself, and goes and strikes Israel, and they possess the city of palms; 14and the sons of Israel serve Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. 15And the sons of Israel cry to YHWH, and YHWH raises a savior to them, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite (a man [with] his right hand bound), and the sons of Israel send a present by his hand to Eglon king of Moab; 16and 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;17and he brings the present near to Eglon king of Moab, and Eglon [is] a very fat man. 18And it comes to pass, when he has finished to bring the present near, that he sends the people carrying the present away, 19and he himself has turned back from the carved images which [are] at Gilgal and says, "I have a secret word for you, O king"; and he says, "Hush!" And all those standing by him go out from him. 20And Ehud has come to him, and he is sitting in the cool upper chamber which he has for himself, and Ehud says, "I have a word of God for you"; and he rises from off the throne; 21and Ehud puts forth his left hand, and takes the sword from off his right thigh, and thrusts 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
And the serpent has been cunning above every beast of the field which YHWH God has made, and he says to the woman, "Is it true that God has said, You do not eat from every tree of the garden?"
Genesis 3:6
And the woman sees that the tree [is] good for food, and that it [is] pleasant to the eyes, and the tree is desirable to make [one] wise, and she takes from its fruit and eats, and also gives [some] to her husband with her, and he eats;
Genesis 3:7
and the eyes of them both are opened, and they know that they [are] naked, and they sew fig-leaves, and make girdles for themselves.
Genesis 3:8
And they hear the sound of YHWH God walking up and down in the garden at the breeze of the day, and the man and his wife hide themselves from the face of YHWH God in the midst of the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:9
And YHWH God calls to the man and says to him, "Where [are] you?"
Genesis 3:10
And he says, "I have heard Your sound in the garden, and I am afraid, for I am naked, and I hide myself."
Genesis 3:11
And He says, "Who has declared to you that you [are] naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I have commanded you not to eat?"
Genesis 3:12
And the man says, "The woman whom You placed with me—she has given to me from the tree, and I eat."
Genesis 3:16
To the woman He said, "Multiplying I multiply your sorrow and your conception; you will bear children in sorrow, and your desire [is] toward your Man [[or husband]], and He [[or he]] will rule over you."
Genesis 3:17
And to the man He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and eat from the tree concerning which I have charged you, saying, You do not eat of it, cursed [is] the ground on your account; in sorrow you eat of it [for] all 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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