Judges 20:45

45 Then Benjamin turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel killed 5,000 men on the highways. They overtook them at Gidom and struck 2,000 more dead.

Judges 20:45 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:45

And they turned and fled toward the wilderness, unto the rock
of Rimmon
Which signifies pomegranate; perhaps it was in the form of one, and may be the same as in ( 1 Samuel 14:2 ) where Saul is said to be under a pomegranate tree, or under Rimmon, the rock Rimmon, for that is said to be near Gibeah, as this was. There was a village in the times of Jerom called Remmon, fifteen miles from Jerusalem to the north ^F3, but could not be near this rock to have its name from thence; hither the rest of the army fled for shelter:

and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men;
who were scattered one from another, and as they were found in the highways, and picked up, they were slain one after another, just as ears of corn are gleaned one by one, after the harvest is got in, or as grapes in single berries, after the vintage is over:

and pursued hard after them unto Gidom;
which perhaps had its name from the cutting off of the Benjaminites there:

and slew two thousand men of them;
that is, 2000 more besides the 5000 before mentioned.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 De loc. Heb. fol. 94. B.

Judges 20:45 In-Context

43 They surrounded the Benjaminites, pursued them, and easily overtook them near Gibeah toward the east.

44 There were 18,000 men who died from Benjamin; all were warriors.

45 Then Benjamin turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel killed 5,000 men on the highways. They overtook them at Gidom and struck 2,000 more dead.

46 All the Benjaminites who died that day were 25,000 armed men; all were warriors.

47 But 600 men escaped into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and stayed there four months.