Judges 20:25-35

25 the sons of Benjamin brake out from the gates of Gibeah, and came to (the sons of) Israel; and the sons of Benjamin were wild against Israel by so fierce slaying (and the Benjaminites were so wild against the Israelites with such fierce slaughter), that they threw down eighteen thousand men of Israel drawing out (the) sword.
26 Wherefore all the sons of Israel came (again) into the house of God, and they sat, and wept before the Lord, and they fasted in that day unto the eventide; and they offered to the Lord burnt sacrifices, and peaceable sacrifices (and they offered to the Lord burnt sacrifices, and peace offerings),
27 and they asked the Lord of their state. In that time, the ark of the bond of peace of God was there (For at that time, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was there);
28 and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was sovereign of the Lord's house. Then they counselled (with) the Lord, and said, Shall we go out more to battle against the sons of Benjamin, our brethren, either shall we rest? To whom the Lord said, Go ye up against them, for tomorrow I shall betake (the sons of) Benjamin into your hands. (and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was the ruler of the Lord's House. And again they counselled with the Lord, and said, Should we go out again to do more battle against our kinsmen the Benjaminites, or should we cease? To whom the Lord said, Go ye up against them, for tomorrow I shall deliver the Benjaminites into your hands.)
29 And the sons of Israel setted ambushments by compass of the city of Gibeah; (And so the Israelites set men in ambush all around the city of Gibeah;)
30 and the third time, as once and twice before, they brought forth the host against (the sons of) Benjamin.
31 But also then the sons of Benjamin brake out from the city boldly, and they pursued further the adversaries fleeing, so that they wounded of Israel, as they did in the first day, and the second, and they killed by two paths Israel turning (their) backs; of the which paths one was straight out into Bethel, and the tother into Gibeah. And Benjamin threw down about thirty men of Israel; (And then the Benjaminites broke out boldly from the city, and again they pursued their adversaries, and made them to flee; and they struck the Israelites, like they did on the first day, and on the second; and on two paths they killed the Israelites who had turned their backs to them; of the which paths one went straight out to Bethel, and the other into Gibeah. And so the Benjaminites threw down about thirty more men of Israel;)
32 for they guessed to destroy Israel as they did before; and by craft, Israel took counsel, feigning them to flee (but the Israelites had taken counsel, and by a carefully thought-out plan, feigned themselves to flee), (so) that they should draw (away the sons of) Benjamin from the city, and that they as fleeing should bring forth (the sons of) Benjamin to the foresaid paths.
33 Therefore all the sons of Israel rose (up out) of their seats, and setted battle array in the place which is called Baaltamar. And the ambushments, that were about the city, began to open themselves little and little, and to go forth from the west part of the city. (And so all the Israelites rose up out of their places, and made the battle array in the place which is called Baaltamar. And the men in ambush, who were all around the city, began to open themselves up little by little, and to go forth from the west part of the city.)
34 But also other ten thousand of men of all Israel excited the dwellers of the city to battles; and the battle was made grievous against the sons of Benjamin, and they understood not, that perishing nighed to them on each part. (And another ten thousand Israelites attacked the inhabitants of the city; and the battle was made grievous, or very hard, against the Benjaminites, and they did not understand, that death nighed to them on every side.)
35 And the Lord smote Benjamin in the sight of the sons of Israel, and Israel killed of them in that day five and twenty thousand and an hundred men, and all these were warriors and men drawing out sword. (And the Lord struck down the Benjaminites before the Israelites, and on that day the Israelites killed twenty-five thousand and a hundred men of them, and they were all warriors and men drawing out the sword.)

Judges 20:25-35 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.