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Judges 20:30-40

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30 The sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as at other times.
31 1The sons of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city, and they began to strike and kill some of the people as at other times, on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
32 The sons of Benjamin said, "They are struck down before us, as at the first." But the sons of Israel said, "Let us flee that we may draw them away from the city to the highways."
33 Then all the men of Israel arose from their place and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar; 2and the men of Israel in ambush broke out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba *.
34 When ten thousand choice men from all Israel came against Gibeah, the battle became fierce; 3but Benjamin did not know that disaster was close to them.
35 And the LORD struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 * * * men of Benjamin that day, all who draw the sword.
36 So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. 4When the men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah,
37 5the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush also deployed and struck all the city with the edge of the sword.
38 Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was 6that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city.
39 Then the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill * about thirty men of Israel, 7for they said, "Surely * they are defeated before us, as in the first battle."
40 But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked 8behind them; and behold, the whole city was going up in smoke to heaven.
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Judges 20:30-40 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 20

This chapter relates, how that there was an assembly of the children of Israel at Mizpeh, upon what had happened to the concubine of the Levite, where he appeared and related the whole affair to them, Jud 20:1-7 upon which they unanimously agreed to chastise the inhabitants of Gibeah for what they had done, Jud 20:8-11, and in order to do that sent to the tribe of Benjamin to deliver the guilty, but instead of that they took to their arms, and prepared for battle in defence of them, Jud 20:12-17 and two battles ensued on this, in which the Israelites, who were on the right side of the question, were worsted, Jud 20:18-25 but upon their seeking the Lord again, and their humiliation before him, they engaged a third time in battle, and got an entire victory over the Benjaminites, and destroyed them all excepting six hundred men, Jud 20:26-48.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 8

Footnotes 11

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.