User:Danishbaker/Ehud

Left handedness is significant because the left side of the body is often associated with deception or darkness, it is a tactical advantage in war against the majority who are often right-handed, and is symbolic for being outside of the culturally accepted social norm of leadership in ancient Israel.

The Hebrew for the location of the private meeting is  בַּעֲלִיַּת הַמְּקֵרָה, (`aliyah meqerah), translated as cooling roof chamber, which was likely a bathroom given that the servants believed Eglon was relieving himself (v24).

The Hebrew word for abdomen בְּבִטְנֽוֹ (beten), is the same word that is used for the womb of a woman After Ehud stabbed the king, the end of Judges 3:22 reads in Hebrew וַיֵּצֵא הַֽפַּרְשְׁדֹֽנָה (yatsa' parshedon) usually translated as “and the dirt came out,” a phrase of uncertain meaning as it is only used once in the Hebrew Bible. “Dirt” could be translated as feces. The translations of the room, abdomen, and dirt lend to a translation that implies sexual undertones and feminizes Eglon, demeaning him to a lower status. The weaker Ehud overcame the stronger Eglon.