Ehud
The Left-Handed Judge and Unexpected Deliverer
Name Information
- Meaning: "He is united" or "Unity"
- Language of Origin: Hebrew
- Gender Usage: Masculine
Ehud was a judge chosen by God to deliver Israel from Moabite oppression. Uniquely identified as left-handed, Ehud used this unexpected trait to conceal a weapon, infiltrate enemy ranks, and assassinate the Moabite king. His story reveals how God uses unlikely people and overlooked traits for decisive victory, and how deliverance often comes through the unexpected.
⏰ Judges
Roles
- Judge
- Deliverer
- Assassin
- Strategist
Relationships
- Tribe: Benjamin
- Enemy: Eglon and the Moabites
Story
During a time of rebellion, Israel was oppressed by Eglon, king of Moab, for 18 years. The people cried out to the Lord, and God raised up Ehud, a man from the tribe of Benjamin — whose name ironically means 'son of the right hand.'
Ehud is described as left-handed — a detail emphasized by the narrator and used strategically. In the ancient Near East, left-handedness was viewed as awkward, weak, or dishonorable. Yet God used this very trait for Ehud’s mission.
Tasked with delivering tribute to the Moabite king, Ehud crafted a double-edged sword and strapped it to his right thigh — the opposite of where a right-handed man would carry a weapon.
After presenting the tribute and sending his men away, Ehud returned alone, claiming to have a secret message. Eglon, curious and arrogant, dismissed his guards. In private, Ehud said, 'I have a message from God for you,' and used his left hand to draw the hidden sword, fatally stabbing Eglon.
Eglon was so obese that the sword disappeared into his belly. Ehud locked the doors and escaped while the guards assumed the king was relieving himself.
After escaping, Ehud led Israel to strike down 10,000 Moabite soldiers, securing 80 years of peace — the longest recorded in Judges up to that point.
Spiritual Significance
- Ehud is the only biblical judge explicitly described as left-handed — a rare and culturally disfavored trait in the ancient world.
- He used his left-handedness to hide a sword on his right thigh, where guards would not expect it, allowing him to bypass security.
- He assassinated King Eglon of Moab in a private chamber, delivering a surprise victory that led to Israel’s freedom after 18 years of oppression.
- His story highlights God’s use of unexpected individuals and unusual methods to deliver His people.
Christ Connection
Ehud delivered Israel through a solitary, unexpected act that brought freedom — foreshadowing how Christ, in a solitary and unexpected way (the cross), would bring deliverance to His people.
Like Ehud, Jesus was not what people expected — a carpenter, not a warrior; crucified, not crowned. But His victory was decisive.
Ehud’s bold entrance into the enemy’s stronghold and escape after striking down the oppressor mirrors Christ’s triumph over sin and death — breaking the enemy’s power from within.
What We Can Learn
- God uses what others consider weaknesses or oddities — even left-handedness — as tools for victory.
- Deliverance often comes through unexpected people and unconventional strategies.
- Faithfulness to God's calling may require boldness, creativity, and courage in high-risk situations.
- No detail is wasted in God's plan — what sets you apart may be what God uses most powerfully.
- Ehud challenges us to see God's hand in the ordinary and to trust His purposes through surprising means.
Memory Verses
And the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man.
— Judges 3:15
Key Passages
- Judges 3:12–30
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