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

19At the carved images near Gilgal he returned and said, “King Eglon, I have a secret message for you.” The king said, “Silence!” and all his attendants left him. 20Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in his upstairs room where it was cool. Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you,” and the king stood up from his throne. Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. 22Even the handle went in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And the waste came out. 23Ehud escaped by way of the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upstairs room behind him.

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 son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,
• 1 Samuel 15:33Samuel declared: As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women. Then he hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.
• Job 20:25He pulls it out of his back, the flashing tip out of his liver. Terrors come over him.
• Zechariah 13:3If a man still prophesies, his father and his mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You cannot remain alive because you have spoken a lie in the name of the Lord.’ When he prophesies, his father and his mother who bore him will pierce him through.
• 2 Corinthians 5:16From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet 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