Charles Ellicott Commentary Judges 3:16

"And Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh." — Judges 3:16 (ASV)

Made him a dagger which had two edges.—Probably, as in other periods of servitude, the children of Israel had been disarmed. The “two edges” show that it was not a mere knife (Hebrews 4:12). Jerome, in the Vulgate, after rightly rendering the word ancipitem, adds, “having a handle in the midst,” which seems useless and meaningless, and has no equivalent in the Hebrew.

A cubit length.—The Septuagint and Vulgate render it a span long (spithamçs, palmœ; Luther, eine elle lang). The Hebrew word is not ammâh, the usual word for a cubit, but gômed. A dagger of a span long hardly, however, suits the following narrative, and perhaps gômed is an archaic word for ammâh. It meant originally “a staff.”

Under his raiment.—The Septuagint and Vulgate have “under his war-cloak” (Septuagint manduan, Vulgate sagum). The Septuagint, however, are only adopting a method very common with them—of choosing a Greek or, as in this case, a Persian (Hesych.) word which resembles the Hebrew word (maddim) in sound. The root of the Hebrew word shows that a long flowing robe (vestís talaris) is intended. Dean Stanley suggests that he wore it as leader of the tribe. Prudentius describes Discord as “hiding a dagger under her robe.”

Upon his right thigh.—This would avert all suspicion. Doubtless the war-cloak was flung in folds over the left shoulder, and Eglon, unaware that the bearer of the tribute was left-handed, would see that the side at which arms were usually worn was covered with a flowing robe, and would not suspect the dagger hidden at the right side. Daggers were often, however, worn at the right side, when a sword was slung to the left. Amasa fell by a similar act of treachery. Joab, advancing to kiss him, clasped his beard with his right hand, while with his unsuspected left he gave the deadly thrust (2 Samuel 20:9–10).