Judges 20:45

45 And they turned ¹and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of ²Rimmon. Five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways. And they were pursued hard to Gidom, and 2,000 men of them were struck down.

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 Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gibeah on the east.

44 Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor.

45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. Five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways. And they were pursued hard to Gidom, and 2,000 men of them were struck down.

46 So all who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor.

47 But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and remained at the rock of Rimmon four months.

Cross References

• 1. [See ver. 42 above]
• 2. Judges 21:13; Joshua 15:32