He gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees.
The facts that Ehud did what he did as an act of war and that God nowhere condemned him for it have led most interpreters to believe he was correct in assassinating King Eglon (lit. fat ox). God used other tricksters (e.g., Jacob, Samson) and other murderers (e.g., Moses, David, Paul). Note that Ehud (possibly "loner" [Note: E. John Hamlin, Judges, p. 73.] ) had no other Israelites with him when he confronted Eglon. He stood alone for God.