Giudici 20:43

43 Gl’Israeliti adunque intorniarono i Beniaminiti, e li perseguitarono, e li calpestarono a loro agio, fin dirincontro a Ghibea, dal sol levante.

Giudici 20:43 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:43

Thus they enclosed the Benjaminites round about
Surrounded them on all sides, the army of Israel being posted in different places, and people coming out of all the cities to their assistance. Josephus ^F1 says, they were forced into, and cooped up, in a hollow place in a valley, so that they could not escape:

and chased them;
or "caused to pursue" ^F2; calling after them a pursuit, crying to one another as they went along, saying, pursue them, pursue them; so Jarchi and Kimchi; which cry, as it inspired the pursuers with zeal, so they pursued with terror:

and trod them down with ease;
they making no resistance, being quite dispirited; the Targrim is,

``from the house of their rest,''

where they took up their rest, and designed to rest that night, but could not, being so closely pursued, and diligently sought after. Some take "menuchah", rendered "ease", to be the name of a place, from or unto which they were pursued and trodden down, see ( 1 Chronicles 2:52 ) and so the Septuagint seems to take it for the name of a place, rendering it, "from Noua":

over against Gibeah, towards the sunrising;
that is, as Jarchi interprets it, to the east of Gibeah, there was this overthrow and slaughter made.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 2. sect. 10.)
F2 (whpydrh) "persequi fecerunt eum", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "vel eos", Vatablus.

Giudici 20:43 In-Context

41 E gl’Israeliti voltarono faccia; e i Beniaminiti furono spaventati; perchè vedevano che il male era loro sopraggiunto.

42 E voltarono le spalle davanti agl’Israeliti, traendo verso la via dal deserto; ma la battaglia li perseguiva da presso; e anche quelli che uscivano della città li ammazzavano, avendoli rinchiusi nel mezzo di loro.

43 Gl’Israeliti adunque intorniarono i Beniaminiti, e li perseguitarono, e li calpestarono a loro agio, fin dirincontro a Ghibea, dal sol levante.

44 E caddero morti de’ Beniaminiti diciottomila uomini, tutti uomini di valore.

45 Or i Beniaminiti, voltate le spalle, fuggirono verso il deserto, alla rupe di Rimmon; ma gl’Israeliti ne raspollarono per le grandi strade cinquemila uomini; poi, perseguitandoli da presso fino a Ghideom, ne percossero ancora duemila.