Original Word: גֹּמֶד
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: gomed
Pronunciation: go'-med
Phonetic Spelling: (go'-med)
KJV: cubit
NASB: cubit
Word Origin: [from an unused root apparently meaning to grasp]

1. (properly) a span

cubit

From an unused root apparently meaning to grasp; properly, a span -- cubit.

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
a short cubit (from elbow to knuckles of clenched fist)
NASB Translation
cubit (1).

גֹּ֫מֶד noun masculine cubit (from elbow to knuckles of clenched (contracted) hand; Aq on Ezekiel 27:11, Ra and others; Greek πυγμή; Late Hebrew גּוֺמֶד cubit; so Aramaic גַּרְמִידָא ChWB^{1. 155}, (lexicons)) — Judges 3:16 of Ehud's sword אָרְכָּהּ ׳ג (see GFM).

Identification and Measurement

The גֹּמֶד (gomed) of Judges 3:16 designates a short, double-edged weapon, roughly a cubit in length. Ancient Near Eastern cubits varied, but the narrative implies a blade long enough to deal a lethal blow yet compact enough to be hidden beneath clothing. This combination of reach and concealability is central to the account that follows.

Biblical Occurrence and Narrative Context

Judges 3 records the first of Israel’s “minor” judges, Ehud, who crafts a gomed, straps it to his right thigh, gains private audience with the Moabite king Eglon, and plunges the blade so deeply that “the fat closed over the blade” (Judges 3:22). The lone appearance of the term underscores its purpose: an instrument of divine deliverance during a period of cyclical oppression when “the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord” (Judges 3:12).

Historical Background

The events occur early in the period of the judges, when Moab dominated Israel for eighteen years. Political intrigue, tribute payments, and border insecurity marked the era. Weapons were not mass-produced; a specially fashioned dagger signified personal preparation against tyranny. Ehud, a left-handed Benjamite, exploited cultural expectations—foreign guards would naturally check a warrior’s left thigh for a sword—illustrating both human ingenuity and the providence of God.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Sovereignty and Human Agency: The gomed is a tangible reminder that God often chooses unlikely means and individuals (“God chose the lowly and despised things” 1 Corinthians 1:28) to accomplish His purposes.
2. Deliverance Motif: The dagger sets in motion a larger victory, for Ehud rallies Israel and defeats ten thousand Moabites (Judges 3:29). The object itself is secondary to the redemptive act it initiates—foreshadowing a recurring biblical pattern of salvation through unexpected tools (a shepherd’s sling, a widow’s jar of oil, a manger).
3. Judgment and Mercy: While Eglon’s death is gruesome, it demonstrates the inevitability of judgment upon oppressors and the concomitant mercy extended to God’s covenant people (Judges 3:30).

Lessons for Ministry and Life

• Preparation matters. Ehud forged the dagger in secret, illustrating that decisive public moments are often preceded by private faithfulness.
• Spiritual warfare parallels. The gomed’s double edge evokes “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). Believers are reminded that victory is secured not by size or spectacle but by the precise application of God’s truth.
• Courage under constraints. Ehud’s left-handedness—possibly a limitation—became the strategic advantage by which liberation came, encouraging believers to yield perceived weaknesses to divine strategy.

Typological and Christological Reflections

Although Ehud’s act is temporal and violent, it anticipates a greater Deliverer who will overthrow oppression not with carnal weapons but through sacrificial death and resurrection (Colossians 2:15). Just as Ehud used an unexpected blade, the cross—“foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Corinthians 1:18)—becomes the instrument of ultimate victory.

Related Topics for Further Study

Measurements in Scripture; Left-handed warriors (Judges 20:16); Instruments of deliverance (Exodus 4:2; 1 Samuel 17:40); Divine judgment on oppressive nations; Typology of weapons and the Word.

גֹּ֣מֶד גמד gō·meḏ Gomed gōmeḏInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts