Ehud

The story of Ehud begins by saying that he was “a left-handed man” (3:15), and in fact the Lord used Ehud’s left-handedness to defeat Israel’s enemy. Ehud led a delegation to pay tribute to Eglon, king of Moab, who was ruling over Israel. Because he was left-handed, Ehud was able to conceal a sword on his right thigh, where it would not be expected. He then pretended to have a secret message for the king. While he was alone with King Eglon, Ehud killed him, then managed to escape before the king’s servants realized what had happened. The graphic details in this account show the rough nature of this time in Israel’s history and the earthy character of many of its “heroes.” (Judges 3:28)