Judges 3:16

Study note

Setting — The narrator describes Ehud preparing his concealed weapon immediately after his commission as deliverer and before he approaches King Eglon. This moment bridges the divine appointment and the physical approach to the Moabite court.

The words — The phrase שְׁנֵי פֵּיֹות (shənê pēyōṯ) literally means "two lips" or "two edges," denoting the sword’s double-edged construction. The verb וַ/יַּחְגֹּר (va/i.yach.Gor) denotes the specific action of girding or strapping the weapon to his right thigh.

The thread — The double-edged sword appears in Psalms 45:3 as a royal attribute, Hebrews 4:12 as a metaphor for divine judgment, and Revelation 2:12 as an emblem of Christ’s authority. These passages trace the object from a historical implement to a recurring biblical symbol of piercing power.

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to track the precise sequence of concealed preparation preceding a political encounter. It asks for observation of the narrative mechanics without importing later theological interpretations into the immediate historical action.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.