Judges 20:32

32 And the sons of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us as at the first. But the sons of Israel said, Let us flee and draw them from the city unto the highways.

Judges 20:32 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:32

And the children of Benjamin said, they are smitten down
before us, as at first
At the first battle, which gave them great spirit, and they concluded they should have victory, as before:

but the children of Israel said, let us flee, and draw them from the
city unto the highways;
pretending to be afraid of them, and not able to face them, and therefore made as if they fled through fear and cowardice, which inspired the Benjaminites with fresh ardour to pursue them closely, and so were drawn from the city to the highways, as expressed in the preceding verse.

Judges 20:32 In-Context

30 And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and put themselves in order against Gibeah as at the other times.

31 And the sons of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city, and they began to smite of the people and kill as at the other times in the highways, one of which goes up to the house of God and the other to Gibeah by the field, and they killed about thirty men of Israel.

32 And the sons of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us as at the first. But the sons of Israel said, Let us flee and draw them from the city unto the highways.

33 Then all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and put themselves in order at Baaltamar, and also those of the ambushes of Israel came forth out of their place, out of the meadows of Gibeah.

34 And ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel came against Gibeah, and the battle was sore; but they did not know that evil was near them.