Giudici 20:42

42 E voltaron le spalle davanti agli uomini d’Israele, e presero la via del deserto; ma gli assalitori si misero alle loro calcagna, e stendevano morti sul posto quelli che uscivano dalla città.

Giudici 20:42 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:42

Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel,
&c.] And fled from them:

unto the way of the wilderness;
what wilderness is not certain, perhaps the wilderness of Judah; they did not turn directly back towards Gibeah, perceiving that was taken, and in the hands of a body of men that would meet them, and therefore they turned on one side towards the wilderness, if happily they could make their escape thither, and shelter themselves:

but the battle overtook them;
that is, they that made war, as the Targum, the Israelites that were engaged in battle with them pursued them, and overtook them:

and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of
them;
either the Israelites that came out of their cities to assist their brethren destroyed the Benjaminites as they fled, or the Benjaminites who came out of other cities to Gibeah, these were destroyed in the midst of it with the inhabitants, by the liers in wait, when they entered it.

Giudici 20:42 In-Context

40 Ma quando il segnale, la colonna di fumo, cominciò ad alzarsi dalla città, que’ di Beniamino si volsero indietro, ed ecco che tutta la città saliva in fiamme verso il cielo.

41 Allora gli uomini d’Israele fecero fronte indietro, e que’ di Beniamino furono spaventati, vedendo il disastro che piombava loro addosso.

42 E voltaron le spalle davanti agli uomini d’Israele, e presero la via del deserto; ma gli assalitori si misero alle loro calcagna, e stendevano morti sul posto quelli che uscivano dalla città.

43 Circondarono i Beniaminiti, l’inseguirono, furon loro sopra dovunque si fermavano, fin dirimpetto a Ghibea dal lato del sol levante.

44 Caddero, de’ Beniaminiti, diciottomila uomini, tutta gente di valore.