Judges 20:31

31 The Benjamites came out against them and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about thirty men of Israel in the fields and on the roads, one of which led up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.

Judges 20:31 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:31

And the children of Benjamin went out against the people
Sallied out of Gibeah upon them, where they had put themselves in array against them:

and were drawn away from the city;
the Israelites retreating, and dissembling a flight, which drew the Benjaminites to pursue after them, by which means they were drawn off to a greater distance from the city of Gibeah:

and they began to smite the people, and kill as at other times;
at the other two battles;

in the highways;
where it seems two ways met:

of which one goeth up to the house of God;
to Bethel, as the Targum {t}; or rather to Shiloh, where the house or tabernacle of God was, and was two miles from Gibeah, as Bunting ^F21 says:

and the other to Gibeah in the field;
so called, to distinguish it from the other Gibeah situated on an hill:

about thirty men of Israel;
which were killed in this running fight; and it seems as if one part of the army of Israel took one road, and the other the other road, and so divided the army of the Benjaminites that pursued after them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 So the Septuagint, and Noldius, p. 69. No. 345.
F21 Travels p. 121.

Judges 20:31 In-Context

29 So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.

30 On the third day the Israelites went up against the Benjamites and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as they had done before.

31 The Benjamites came out against them and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about thirty men of Israel in the fields and on the roads, one of which led up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.

32 “We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”

33 So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah.