Ehud - Encyclopedia

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES

EHUD, in the Bible, a "judge" who delivered Israel from the Moabites (Judg. iii. 12-30). He was sent from Ephraim to bear tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who had crossed over the Jordan and seized the district around Jericho. Being, like the Benjamites, left-handed (cf. xx. 16), he was able to conceal a ,dagger and strike down the king before his intentions were suspected. He locked Eglon in his chamber and escaped. The men from Mt Ephraim collected under his leadership and by seizing the fords of the Jordan were able to cut off the Moabites. He is called the son of Gera a Benjamite, but since both Ehud and Gera are tribal names (2 Sam. xvi. 5, r Chron. viii. 3, 5 sq.) it has been thought that this notice is not genuine. The tribe of Benjamin rarely appears in the old history of the Hebrews before the time of Saul. See further Benjamin; Judges.