Who was Ehud in the Bible?
Judge, before Israel had a king
Ehud was a left-handed Benjamite who served as a judge and deliverer of Israel during the period of the judges. Ehud appears in 8 verses across 2 books of the Bible.
What does the Bible say about Ehud?
Ehud was a left-handed Benjamite who served as a judge and deliverer of Israel during the period of the judges. His story is primarily recorded in Jdg.3.12-30, with brief mentions in Jdg.4.1 and 1Ch.8.6. After the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord, God allowed Eglon, the king of Moab, to conquer and oppress them for eighteen years. When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for deliverance, God raised up Ehud as their deliverer (Jdg.3.12-15). Ehud is described as a left-handed man, which is significant because it allowed him to conceal a double-edged sword on his right thigh without arousing suspicion. He was sent to deliver tribute to King Eglon, who is portrayed as a very fat man (Jdg.3.16-17). After presenting the tribute, Ehud returned to Eglon, claiming to have a secret message for him. When Eglon dismissed his attendants, Ehud approached him and declared, "I have a message from God for you" (Jdg.3.18-20). He then drew his concealed sword with his left hand and thrust it into Eglon's belly, killing him (Jdg.3.21-22). Ehud escaped, locking the doors of the upper room behind him. He then rallied the Israelites, who seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab and struck down about 10,000 Moabites. This victory brought peace to the land for eighty years (Jdg.3.23-30).
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Where does Ehud appear in the Bible?
Ehud is referenced in 8 verses across 2 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- 1 Chronicles 8:6
- Judges 3:15
- Judges 3:16
- Judges 3:20
- Judges 3:21
- Judges 3:23
- Judges 3:26
- Judges 4:1
What else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Ehud.
Common questions
How many times does the Bible mention Ehud?
Ehud appears in 8 verses across 2 books, most often in Judges, which accounts for 7 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Ehud?
Judges, 1 Chronicles.
Where can I read every verse about Ehud?
This page lists 8 of them. Protos carries all 8, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
