Topical Bible: Military Arms: Offensive: Dagger

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The dagger, a short, double-edged blade, is a weapon of ancient origin, often used for close combat. In biblical times, it served as a crucial tool for both military and personal defense purposes. The dagger's compact size made it ideal for stealth and surprise attacks, and it was often carried by soldiers and individuals for protection.

One of the most notable references to a dagger in the Bible is found in the account of Ehud, a judge of Israel. In Judges 3:16-22 , Ehud, a left-handed man from the tribe of Benjamin, crafted a double-edged dagger about a cubit long. He concealed it under his clothing on his right thigh. Ehud used this weapon to deliver Israel from the oppression of King Eglon of Moab. The narrative describes how Ehud, after presenting tribute to Eglon, requested a private audience with the king. Once alone, Ehud drew the dagger with his left hand and thrust it into Eglon's belly, effectively assassinating the Moabite king and leading to Israel's liberation.

The use of the dagger by Ehud highlights several aspects of its significance in biblical times. Firstly, it underscores the element of surprise and the strategic advantage provided by such a weapon. Ehud's left-handedness, combined with the concealed dagger, allowed him to catch Eglon off guard. Secondly, the account illustrates the dagger's role in divine deliverance. Ehud's act was not merely a political assassination but was seen as an act of divine intervention, as God raised him up to deliver Israel from their enemies (Judges 3:15).

In the broader biblical context, the dagger symbolizes both the potential for violence and the necessity of defense. While the Bible often advocates for peace and reconciliation, it also acknowledges the reality of conflict and the need for protection against oppressors. The account of Ehud and the dagger serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and His ability to use unexpected means and individuals to achieve His purposes.

The dagger, as an offensive military arm, thus holds a place in the biblical narrative as a tool of deliverance and justice, wielded by those whom God calls to act in times of oppression and need.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Judges 3:16,21,22
But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment on his right thigh.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Non-Resistants.
... not only against all wars, whether offensive or defensive ... won in battle, all
celebrations in honor of military or naval ... of a nation by force and arms, on the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/non-resistants.htm

The Same Night which Saw the Red Glare of the Burning Monastery ...
... relieved the watch" in the fashion of military sentries. ... He folded her in his arms,
too deeply moved to ... that the picture yonder, which, though offensive to the ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xxxvi the same night which.htm

The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
... without individual energy and destitute of military genius, so ... Persians had at once
assumed the offensive, most of ... but they laid down their arms before they ...
/.../chapter iithe last days of 2.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... against him," and was, therefore, offensive to the ... Xth century BC The Philistine
arms are described at ... Egyptians, who were unrivalled in military operations at ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

The Rise of the Assyrian Empire
... Budilu carried his arms against these tribes, and obtained successes over the Turuki ...
it as a purely Assyrian term used to designate the military confines or ...
/.../chapter iithe rise of the.htm

The Power of Assyria at Its Zenith; Esarhaddon and Assur-Bani-Pal
... their attack or to assume the offensive, but anxiously ... regularity to prevent any
important military expedition against ... He had first to carry his arms to the ...
/.../chapter iithe power of assyria 2.htm

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
... crisis, and to assume again the offensive along the ... moment pressure was withdrawn,
they again took up arms. ... and had been occupied by a military force, formed a ...
/.../chapter ithe assyrian revival and.htm

The Reaction against Egypt
... and queens: they brandished their arms, displayed the ... the convention, more commercial
than military, with which ... been content, into an offensive and defensive ...
/.../chapter iithe reaction against egypt.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... The lords of Babylon had, ordinarily, a twofold function, religious and military,
the priest ... goddess of light, Ishtar, has lent thee the shock of arms and the ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

The Iranian Conquest
... rank, he passed rapidly through all the superior grades of the military profession ...
He even carried his arms into Bithynia, where, to enforce his rule, he built ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm