Judges 20

Judges · Chapter 20

Judges 20:45

1Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.2And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.3(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?4And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.5And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.6And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.7Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.8And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.9But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;10And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.11So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.12And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?13Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:14But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.15And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.16Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.17And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.18And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.19And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.20And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.21And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.22And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.23(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)24And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.25And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.26Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.27And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,28And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.29And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.30And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.31And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.32And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.33And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.34And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them.35And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.36So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.37And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.38Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.39And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.40But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.41And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.42Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.43Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.44And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.45And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.46So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.47But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.48And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
45And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.Then the Benjamites turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel cut down 5,000 men on the roads. And they overtook them at Gidom and struck down 2,000 more.And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men, and followed hard after them unto Gidom, and smote of them two thousand men.

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Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and they turnedוַיִּפְנ֞וּvai-yif-NUH6437G
to turn

פָּנָה (pa.nah) 1) to turn 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn toward or from or away 1a2) to turn and do 1a3) to turn, decline (of day) 1a4) to turn toward, approach (of evening) 1a5) to turn and look, look, look back or at or after or for 1b) (Piel) to turn away, put out of the way, make clear, clear away 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to turn 1c2) to make a turn, show signs of turning, turn back 1d) (Hophal) to be turned back

and they fledוַיָּנֻ֤סוּvai-ya-NU-suH5127
to flee

נוּד (nud) (P'al) to flee Aramaic of nus (נוּס "to flee" H5127)

the wilderness towardsהַמִּדְבָּ֙רָה֙ha-mid-BA-rahH4057B
wilderness

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) 1) wilderness 1a) pasture 1b) uninhabited land, wilderness 1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities) 1d) wilderness (fig.)

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

[the] rock ofסֶ֣לַעSE-la'H5553H
crag

סֶ֫לַע (se.la) 1) crag, cliff, rock 1a) crag, cliff 1b) as stronghold of Jehovah, of security (fig.)

the Rimmonהָֽרִמּ֔וֹןha-ri-MONH7417C
(Rock of) Rimmon

רִמּוֹן (rim.mon) § Rimmon = "pomegranate" the Rock; a cliff or inaccessible natural fastness in which the 600 Benjamites who escaped the slaughter of Gibeah took refuge

and they gleaned himוַיְעֹֽלְלֻ֙הוּ֙vay-'o-le-LU-huH5953B
to glean

עָלַל (a.lal) (Poel) to glean

in the highwaysבַּֽמְסִלּ֔וֹתbam-si-LOTH4546
highway

מְסִלָּה (me.sil.lah) highway, raised way, public road

fiveחֲמֵ֥שֶׁתcha-ME-shetH2568
five

חָמֵשׁ (cha.mesh) 1) five 1a) five (cardinal number) 1b) a multiple of five (with another number) 1c) fifth (ordinal number)

thousandsאֲלָפִ֖ים'a-la-FIMH0505G
thousand

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) : thousand 1) a thousand 1a) as numeral 2) a thousand, company 2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops

manאִ֑ישׁ'IshH0376G
man

אִישׁ (ish) : man 1) man 1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female) 1b) husband 1c) human being, person (in contrast to God) 1d) servant 1e) mankind 1f) champion 1g) great man 2) whosoever 3) each (adjective)

and they pursued closelyוַיַּדְבִּ֤יקוּvai-yad-BI-kuH1692
to cleave

דָּבַק (da.vaq) 1) to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to cling, cleave to 1a2) to stay with 1b) (Pual) to be joined together 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to cleave to 1c2) to pursue closely 1c3) to overtake 1d) (Hophal) to be made to cleave Aramaic equivalent: de.vaq (דְּבֵק "to cleave" H1693)

after himאַחֲרָיו֙'a-cha-RAVH0310A
after

אַחַר (a.char) 1) after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time) 1a) as an adverb 1a1) behind (of place) 1a2) afterwards (of time) 1b) as a preposition 1b1) behind, after (of place) 1b2) after (of time) 1b3) besides 1c) as a conjunction 1c) after that 1d) as a substantive 1d1) hinder part 1e) with other prepositions 1e1) from behind 1e2) from following after

toעַד־'ad-H5704
till

עַד (ad) prep 1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as 1a) of space 1a1) as far as, up to, even to 1b) in combination 1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from) 1c) of time 1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end 1d) of degree 1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like conj 2) until, while, to the point that, so that even Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)

Gidomגִּדְעֹ֔םgid-'OMH1440
Gidom

גִּדְעֹם (gid.om) § Gidom = "a cutting down" the place where the Israelites ceased pursuing Benjamin, apparently situated between Gibeah and the cliffs of Rimmon

and they struck downוַיַּכּ֥וּvai-ya-KUH5221
to smite

נָכָה (na.khah) 1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill 1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten 1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust 1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast) 1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage 1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy 1d) (Hophal) to be smitten 1d1) to receive a blow 1d2) to be wounded 1d3) to be beaten 1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain 1d5) to be attacked and captured 1d6) to be smitten (with disease) …

of himמִמֶּ֖נּוּmi-ME-nuH4480A
from

מִן־ (min) prep 1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than 1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of 1b) out of 1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling) 1b2) (of material from which something is made) 1b3) (of source or origin) 1c) out of, some of, from (partitively) 1d) from, since, after (of time) 1e) than, more than (in comparison) 1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or 1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons) 1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive) conj 2) that …

two thousandאַלְפַּ֥יִם'al-PA-yimH0505G
thousand

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) : thousand 1) a thousand 1a) as numeral 2) a thousand, company 2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops

manאִֽישׁ׃'IshH0376G
man

אִישׁ (ish) : man 1) man 1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female) 1b) husband 1c) human being, person (in contrast to God) 1d) servant 1e) mankind 1f) champion 1g) great man 2) whosoever 3) each (adjective)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.