Shofetim 3:16

16 But Ehud made him a cherev which had two edges of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

Shofetim 3:16 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 3:16

But Ehud made him a dagger, which had two edges, of a cubit
length
A little sword, as Josephus calls it ^F25, with two edges, that it might cut both ways, and do the execution he designed by it, and was about half a yard long; which he could the more easily conceal, and use for his purpose:

and he did gird it under his raiment;
that it might not be seen, and give occasion of suspicion; this was a military garment, the "sagum", as the Vulgate Latin version, which was coarse, and made of wool, and reached to the ankle, and was buttoned upon the shoulder, and put over the coat ^F26; the Septuagint makes use of a word Suidas ^F1 interprets a coat of mail:

upon his right thigh;
whereas a sword is more commonly girt upon the left; though some observe, from various writers, that the eastern people used to gird their swords on their right thigh; or this was done that it might be the less discernible and suspected, and chiefly as being most convenient for him, a lefthanded man, to draw it out upon occasion.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Ibid. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 2.)
F26 Vid. Valtrinum de re militar. Roman. l. 3. c. 13.
F1 In voce (manduav) .

Shofetim 3:16 In-Context

14 So the Bnei Yisroel served Eglon Melech Moav eighteen years.

15 But when the Bnei Yisroel cried unto Hashem, Hashem raised them up a Moshi’a, Ehud ben Gera, from the tribe of Binyamin, a man left-handed; and by him the Bnei Yisroel sent a minchah unto Eglon Melech Moav.

16 But Ehud made him a cherev which had two edges of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

17 And he brought the minchah unto Eglon Melech Moav; and Eglon was an ish bari me’od (very fat man).

18 And when he had made an end to offer the minchah, he sent away the people that carried the minchah (tribute).