Judges 3:21

Judges 3:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
• New International Version (NIV)Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.

Context of Judges 3:21

19But Ehud himself turned back from the sculptured stones at Gilgal, [and he returned to Eglon] and said [to him], “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon said “Keep silence.” And all who attended him left him. 20Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his [private] cool upper chamber, and Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And the king got up from his seat. Then Ehud reached out with his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. 22And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, because Ehud did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out. 23Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the upper chamber behind him, and locked them.

Judges 3:21 word by word

וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֵהוּד֙ אֶת־יַ֣ד שְׂמֹאל֔וֹ וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת־הַחֶ֔רֶב מֵעַ֖ל יֶ֣רֶךְ יְמִינ֑וֹ וַיִּתְקָעֶ֖הָ בְּבִטְנֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Ehudאֵהוּד'êhûd · EhudH164
• put forthשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: reachH7971
• his leftשְׂמֹאלώemô'l ώem'ôl · leftH8040
• handיָדyâd · handH3027
• and tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• the daggerחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• from his rightיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225
• thighיָרֵךְyârêk · thighH3409
• and thrustתָּקַעtâqa‛ · to blowH8628
• it into his bellyבֶּ֫טֶןbeţen · belly: abdomenH990

Cross-references for Judges 3:21

• Numbers 25:7When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he left the congregation and took a spear in his hand,
• 1 Samuel 15:33Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel cut Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.
• Job 20:25The arrow is drawn forth and it comes out of his back [after passing through his body]; Yes, the glittering point comes out of his gall. Terrors march in upon him;
• Zechariah 13:3And if anyone still [appears as a prophet and falsely] prophesies, then his father and his mother who gave birth to him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, for you have spoken lies in the name of the Lord’; and his father and his mother who gave birth to him shall pierce him through when he prophesies.
• 2 Corinthians 5:16So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values]. Though we have known Christ from a human point of view, now we no longer know Him in this way.

Commentaries on Judges 3:21

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-30Verses 12-30 When Israel sins again, God raises up a new oppressor. The Israelites did ill, and the Moabites did worse; yet because God punishes the sins of his own people in this world, Israel is weakened, and Moab strengthened against them. If lesser troubles do not do the work, God will send greater. When Israel prays again, God raises up Ehud. As a judge, or minister of Divine justice, Ehud put to death Eglon, the king of Moab, and thus executed the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-21The message needed to be secret so Ehud could be alone with the king. It had to be from God to make sure the plan worked. Eglon likely stood up because he expected a message from the Lord, which he did receive.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2621-26. Ehud put forth his left hand--The whole circumstance of this daring act--the death of Eglon without a shriek, or noise--the locking of the doors--the carrying off the key--the calm, unhurried deportment of Ehud--show the strength of his confidence that he was doing God service.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 3:21

• Assassination
• Confidence
• Dagger
• Deception
• Eglon
• Falsehood
• Gilgal
• Homicide
• Hypocrisy
• Israel
• Judge
• Regicide

In the dictionaries

• Left hand
• Close
• Dirt
• Ehud
• Errand
• Moabite
• Rest
• Secret
• Abdon (1)
• Crime; Crimes

Commentaries on Judges 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary