Judges 20:46

46 And so it was done, that all that felled down of (the sons of) Benjamin in diverse places, were five and twenty thousand, fighters most ready to battles. (And so it was done, that all of the Benjaminites who fell down in diverse places that day, were twenty-five thousand fighting men, all ready for battle.)

Judges 20:46 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:46

So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and
thousand men
It is before said 25,100 ( Judges 20:35 ) here the one hundred are omitted, and the round number of thousands given, which is no unusual way of speaking and writing; the whole army of Benjamin consisted of 26,700 of which 18,000 were slain in the field of battle, 5000 in the highways, and 2000 at Gidom, in all 25,000; and we may suppose one hundred as they were straggling in the road, or found in by places, or are not mentioned with either of the thousands for the sake of a round number, and six hundred fled to the rock Rimmon; as for the other 1000, it is highly probable, they fell in the two first battles, as Ben Gersom and Abarbinel rightly suppose; for it is not credible, that though they got such amazing victories, it was without the loss of men, and these are as few as well can be imagined. Jarchi thinks these thousand fled to the cities of Benjamin, and were slain when the Israelites entered them, as after related, ( Judges 20:48 ) which is much more probable than a tradition they have, that they went into the land of Romania, and dwelt there. Now all those that were slain were men

that drew the sword;
soldiers, not husbandmen, artificers but armed men:

all these were men of valour;
even those that fled, who chose rather to lose their lives than ask for quarter.

Judges 20:46 In-Context

44 Forsooth they (of Benjamin), that were slain in the same place, were eighteen thousand of men, all strongest fighters. (And the Benjaminites, who were killed at that place, were eighteen thousand, very strong fighting men.)

45 And when they that (were) left alive of Benjamin had seen this, they fled into (the) wilderness, and they went to the stone, whose name is Rimmon (and they went to the Rock of Rimmon). And in that flight the sons of Israel went openly after (them), into diverse places (unto Gidom), and they killed of them five thousand men; and when (the sons of) Benjamin fled further, they pursued them, and killed also of them (an)other two thousand men.

46 And so it was done, that all that felled down of (the sons of) Benjamin in diverse places, were five and twenty thousand, fighters most ready to battles. (And so it was done, that all of the Benjaminites who fell down in diverse places that day, were twenty-five thousand fighting men, all ready for battle.)

47 And so six hundred men (were) left of all the number of Benjamin, that might escape, and flee into wilderness; and they sat in the stone of Rimmon four months. (And so only six hundred men escaped, and were left alive, of all the number of Benjamin, and they fled into the wilderness; and they sat at the Rock of Rimmon for four months.)

48 And the sons of Israel went out, and they smote with sword all the remnants of the city, from men unto work beasts; and (then) devouring flame wasted all the cities and (the) towns of Benjamin.