Judges 20:22

22 The army took heart. The men of Israel took up the positions they had deployed on the first day.

Judges 20:22 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:22

And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves
That though they had lost a great number of men, yet still their forces were large and greatly superior to those of Benjamin, and above all their cause was good:

and set their battle again in array
formed a line of battle again facing their enemy, inviting to another battle, and bidding defiance:

and in the place where they put themselves in array the first day;
by which it seems they kept the field of battle; though they lost so many men, they did not flee before the children of Benjamin, but stood their ground; nor were they so superstitious as to fancy the place unlucky; nor was it a bad situation they were in, to which their want of success was owing, for then they would have changed it.

Judges 20:22 In-Context

20 The army of Israel marched out against Benjamin and took up their positions, ready to attack Gibeah.
21 But the Benjaminites poured out of Gibeah and devastated twenty-two Israelite divisions on the ground.
22 The army took heart. The men of Israel took up the positions they had deployed on the first day.
23 The Israelites went back to the sanctuary and wept before God until evening. They again inquired of God, "Shall we again go into battle against the Benjaminites, our brothers?" God said, "Yes. Attack."
24 On the second day, the Israelites again advanced against Benjamin.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.