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.
Parallel translations
- WEB Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he wore it under his clothing on his right thigh.
- BSB Now Ehud had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak
- NKJV 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.
- NASB 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.
- NLT 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ehud crafts a short double-edged sword and hides it on his right thigh.
Overview
Ehud's left-handedness lets him conceal the weapon where guards would not search, since most warriors drew from the left. The narrative highlights careful, resourceful planning under God's providence. The hidden sword sets up the deliverance to come, with God working through the ingenuity of His chosen servant.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Ps 45:3Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.
- Heb 4:12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
- Rev 2:12And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
- Judg 3:21And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
- Song 3:8They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.
- Ps 149:6Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;
- Rev 1:16And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 3:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.