Ehud
maleJudgesMeaning: “United; strong”
A left-handed Benjamite judge who assassinated the oppressive Moabite king Eglon and freed Israel for eighty years of peace.
Biography
Ehud, a left-handed man of the tribe of Benjamin, was the second judge of Israel, raised up to deliver the nation from eighteen years of Moabite oppression under King Eglon.
A daring deliverance
Ehud strapped a double-edged dagger to his right thigh — where a guard checking a right-handed man would not look — and gained a private audience with the very fat king Eglon under pretext of a secret message. He drove the dagger into Eglon's belly and escaped (Judges 3:16–23).
Eighty years of rest
Ehud then rallied Israel, who struck down about ten thousand Moabites and subdued Moab. As a result, "the land had rest fourscore years" (Judges 3:30) — the longest peace recorded in the book of Judges.
Life Timeline
Assassinates the Moabite king Eglon
Frees Israel; the land rests eighty years
On the Bible timeline
Ehud belongs to the Conquest & the Judges era (c. 1400 – 1050 BC).
- c. 1375 – 1050 BCThe Age of the Judges
Themes & lessons from Ehud
Biblical themes that run through the passages where Ehud appears.
People they appear with
Scripture Appearances
7 verses in 1 bookJudges7 verses
Judges 3:15
But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. a Benjamite: or, the son of Jemini lefthanded: Heb. shut of his right hand
Judges 3:16
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.
Judges 3:20
And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. a summer: Heb. a parlour of cooling
Judges 3:21
And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
Judges 3:23
Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
Judges 3:26
And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
Judges 4:1
And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.
Frequently asked about Ehud
Who was Ehud in the Bible?
A left-handed Benjamite judge who assassinated the oppressive Moabite king Eglon and freed Israel for eighty years of peace.
What does the name Ehud mean?
The name Ehud means “United; strong”.
What did Ehud do in the Bible?
Ehud served as judge of israel, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Where does Ehud appear in the Bible?
Ehud is mentioned 7 times across 1 book: Judges.
What can we learn from Ehud?
The story of Ehud touches on themes of regicide, dagger, houses, canaanites — explore each to study the lessons drawn from Ehud's life.
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