STORY OF EHUD, THE LEFT-HANDED MAN. (JUDGES 3:12-30)

 THE STORY OF EHUD IS A POPULAR TALE ABOUT A CLEVER FELLOW WHO TURNS HIS HANDICAP INTO AN ASSET AS HE TRICKS THE KING UNDER WHOM HE AND HIS PEOPLE ARE SUBJUGATED. THERE ARE TWO MAIN CHARACTERS,EHUD AND KING EGLON. WE KNOW FROM THE BEGINNING HOW TO ASSESS EACH OF THEM.. EGLON IS "A VERY FAT" MAN;  HIS NAME IS ASSOCIATED WITH "COW" AND "ROUND." WHICH EVOKES A CHUCKLE. EHUD, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS A DELIVERER RAISED UP BY THE LORD. HE IS A BENJAMINITE, LITERALLY A "SON OF THE RIGHT HAND," AND LEFT-HANDED. THAT DESCRIPTION FOCUSES OUR ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY ON THE HAND WHICH PLAYS SUCH A CRITICAL ROLE THROUGHOUT THE NARRATIVE. AS THE STORY OPENS, THE PEOPLE ISRAEL ARE SUBJECT TO EGLON, THE KING OF MOAB (3:15). THEY SEND TRIBUTE BY EHUD TO THE KING. DRAMATIC CONFLICT IS SET IN MOTION WHEN EHUD MAKES A SWORD AND HIDES IT " ON HIS RIGHT THIGH UNDER HIS CLOTHS(3:16). AFTER A TRIBUTE HAS BEEN PRESENTED, EHUD ADDRESSES THE KING. HIS SPEECH IS CRITICAL, FOR ON IT TURNS THE PLOT: " I HAVE A SECRET MESSAGE FOR YOU O KING "(3:19). IN RESPONSE EGLON COMMANDS QUIET.  AND ALL HIS SERVANTS LEAVE. AS THEY GO OUT, EHUD COMES IN AND  REPEATS HIS MESSAGE WITH A SLIGHT VARIATION" " I HAVE A MESSAGE FROM GOD FOR YOU" THE SECRET WORD  BY THE TWO MOUTHED (TWO EDGED) SWORD, IS TAKEN FROM CONCEALMENT UNDER EHUD'S CLOAK AND THRUST INTO A NEW HIDING PLACE IN THE KING'S BELLY. WITH THE MURDER THE STORY REACHES A CLIMAX. ACTION SET IN MOTION BY SPEECH, MOVES RAPIDLY; THE LANGUAGE IS DENSE WITH VERBS. THE PLAYFUL IRONY WITH WHICH THE KING'S FATNESS HAS BEEN TREATED CHANGES TO A GRUESOME DETAIL OF DEATH.:"  AND THE HILT ALSO WENT IN AFTER THE BLADE, FOR HE DID NOT DRAW THE SWORD OUT OF THE BELLY; AND THE DIRT
 [FECES] CAME OUT. A SHIFT IN NAMING OCCURS. WHEREAS IN EARLIER NARRATION, EGLON IS NAMED AND EHUD IS REFERRED TO IMPERSONALLY AS "HE," OR "HIM." SCENE CLOSES WITH A REVERSAL OF THE OPENING MOVEMENT.. THE SCENE CLOSES WITH A  REVERSAL OF THE OPENING MOVEMENT. BODYGUARDS CROSS PATHS IN THE SPACE OF ONE VERSE. WHEN THE SERVANTS FIND THE DOORS LOCKED, THEY SAY:. HE IS ONLY RELIEVING HIMSELF IN THE CLOSET OF THE COOL CHAMBER (3:24). [EGLON]