left-handed (literally restricted in the right hand): This trait allowed Ehud to hide his weapon on his right hip. The Greek Old Testament translates this phrase as “ambidextrous.” The term is linked to the tribe of Benjamin (“son of my right hand,” Genesis 35:18; see Judges 20:16) and is associated with heroic military skills (compare 1 Chronicles 12:1–2).
The tribute money was either pieces of metal or, more likely, agricultural goods that needed a team of bearers (Judges 3:18).