Was Ehud's right hand paralyzed?
Open Line Radio on August 16, 2025 Hour 2@2:04
Listener:
I am going through a study of Judges right now. In this study, it's about Ehud. Judges 3:15 literally says that Ehud was unable to use his right hand and that he was possibly paralyzed or disabled in someway. Yet, in all the translations of the bible I looked at only says that he was left handed. So, I am wondering where that comes from?
Answer from Dr Michael Rydelnik:
Summary of answer:
The suggestion of the paralysis of Ehud's right hand is in a published book titled "Judges for you" edited from a study by Timothy Keller. Dr Michael Rydelnik says that all he can say is Ehud is a left handed Benjamite. "Benjamin" means son of my right hand, my strength and it is kind of an ironic thing that he is a left handed Benjamite. The fact that Ehud is a left handed Benjamite should not be unusual as there were many left handed people from the tribe of Benjamites as illustrated in Judges 20:16.
Judges 3
15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. -nkjv
15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. -kjv
15 But when the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. -nasb
15 Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. -niv
Judges 20
16 Among all this people were seven hundred select men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss. -nkjv
16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss. -kjv
16 Out of all these people seven hundred choice men were left-handed; each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. -nasb
16 Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred select troops who were left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. -niv
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