Jueces 3:16

16 Y Aod se había hecho un cuchillo de dos filos, de un codo de largo; y se lo ciñó debajo de sus vestidos a su lado derecho.

Jueces 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) .

Jueces 3:16 In-Context

14 Y sirvieron los hijos de Israel a Eglón rey de los moabitas dieciocho años.

15 Y clamaron los hijos de Israel al SEÑOR; y el SEÑOR les despertó un salvador, a Aod, hijo de Gera, benjamita, el cual tenía cerrada la mano derecha. Y los hijos de Israel enviaron con él un presente a Eglón rey de Moab.

16 Y Aod se había hecho un cuchillo de dos filos, de un codo de largo; y se lo ciñó debajo de sus vestidos a su lado derecho.

17 Y presentó el presente a Eglón rey de Moab; y era Eglón hombre muy grueso.

18 Y luego que hubo presentado el presente, despidió al pueblo que lo había traído.