Judges 20
Israel’s War with the Tribe of Benjamin
1Then aall the people of Israel came out, bfrom Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at cMizpah. 2And the dchiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot ethat drew the sword. 3(Now the people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the people of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this evil happen?” 4And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, f“I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. 5 gAnd the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead. 6 hSo I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and ioutrage in Israel. 7Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, jgive your advice and counsel here.” 8And all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house. 9But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot, 10and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may repay Gibeah of Benjamin for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel.” 11So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man. 12 kAnd the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What evil is this that has taken place among you? 13Now therefore give up the men, lthe worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death mand purge evil from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel. 14Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel. 15And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day n26,000 men owho drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. 16Among all these were 700 chosen men who were pleft-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. 17And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered q400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war. 18The people of Israel arose and went up to rBethel and inquired of God, s“Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, t“Judah shall go up first.” 19Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. 20And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah. 21 uThe people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites. 22But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day. 23 vAnd the people of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until the evening. And they inquired of the Lord, “Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against them.” 24So the people of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day. 25And Benjamin wwent against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who xdrew the sword. 26Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to yBethel and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 27And the people of Israel inquired of the Lord z(for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28and aaPhinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, abministered before it in those days), saying, “Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.” 29 acSo Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. 30And the people of Israel went up against the people of Benjamin on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. 31And the people of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city. And as at other times they began to strike and kill some of the people in the highways, adone of which goes up to aeBethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel. 32And the people of Benjamin said, af“They are routed before us, as at the first.” But the people of Israel said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.” 33And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel who were in ambush rushed out of their place from Maareh-geba. ▼▼Some Septuagint manuscripts place west of Geba
34And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard, ahbut the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them. 35And the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who aidrew the sword. 36So the people of Benjamin saw that they were defeated.The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah. 37 ajThen the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush moved out and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. 38Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in the main ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city 39the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, ak“Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.” 40But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, althe whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. 41Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, amfor they saw that disaster was close upon them. 42Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in anthe direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them. And those who came out of the cities were destroying them in their midst. 43Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah ▼▼Septuagint; Hebrew [at their] resting place
as far as opposite Gibeah on the east. 44Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor. 45And they turned apand fled toward the wilderness to the rock of aqRimmon. Five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways. And they were pursued hard to Gidom, and 2,000 men of them were struck down. 46So all who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor. 47But 600 men turned and arfled toward the wilderness to the rock of asRimmon and remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. 48And the men of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns that they found they set on fire.
Copyright information for
ESV
Welcome to STEP Bible
A simplified search is now available!){kind=link}
Here are the frequently asked questions:
How do I read passages in Bibles?
- How do I look up a passage?
- How do I see three Bibles at once?
- How do I find a parallel gospel passage?
- How do I follow a Bible reading plan?
- How do I also see a commentary?
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
1) Click the Resource icon.
2) Click the resource for parallel gospel passage
2) Click the resource for parallel gospel passage
1) Click the Resource icon.
2) Plans for 1/2/3 years, chronological, Jewish etc
2) Plans for 1/2/3 years, chronological, Jewish etc
1) Click the Bible button.
2) Click on Commentaries
2) Click on Commentaries
How do I find words and phrases?
- How do I find words or topics?
- How do I search only some books in the Bible?
- How do I find a Greek or Hebrew word?
- How do I find a word only where it relates to a topic?
- How do I find more about search?
){kind=link}
Video guide
1) Click on the search button
2) Click on Range
3) Select the books that you wish to search
){kind=link}
1) Click on the search button
2) Click on Range
3) Select the books that you wish to search
Video guide
1) Click on the search button
2) Click on the Hebrew or Greek tab
3) Type in the Greek/Hebrew word in the search box, press Return, and wait for the table to fill itself.
4) View corresponding row to see Greek/Hebrew translation of the word
){kind=link}
1) Click on the search button
2) Click on the Hebrew or Greek tab
3) Type in the Greek/Hebrew word in the search box, press Return, and wait for the table to fill itself.
4) View corresponding row to see Greek/Hebrew translation of the word
Video guide
1) Click on the search button
2) Click on the English tab
3) Type in the topic in the search box, press Return, and wait for the table to fill itself.
4) Click on one of the words or topics listed
){kind=link}
1) Click on the search button
2) Click on the English tab
3) Type in the topic in the search box, press Return, and wait for the table to fill itself.
4) Click on one of the words or topics listed
How do I do a word study?
- What information can I find about a word?
- Meaning: how the word is used throughout the Bible
- Dictionary: academic details about the word
- Related words: similar in meaning or origin
- Grammar: (only available for some Bibles)
- Why do only some Bibles have clickable words?
- What does “~20x” or “Frequency” mean?
- Why do some words have dropdown next to the frequency number?
- Where do I find the maps?
- How do I get the word frequency for a chapter or a book?
When you click on a word, the detailed lexicon opens with:
'Vocabulary' Bibles link the translation to Greek & Hebrew. So far, only some Bibles have this vocabulary feature. They are shown in the Bible select screen with the letter 'V'.
It is the number of occurrences of a word in the Bible. Click on it to see them all in the selected Bible(s).
This reveals different forms for some words and names. These details are often interesting to scholars, eg the word 'beginning' in Genesis.
Video guide
1st method:
Click on a place name then on the Map button in the detailed lexicon.
2nd method:
1) Click the Resource icon.
2) Click on "Places in the Bible"
){kind=link}
1st method:
Click on a place name then on the Map button in the detailed lexicon.
2nd method:
1) Click the Resource icon.
2) Click on "Places in the Bible"
Video guide
1) Click on the analysis icon.
2) Click on the "Selected passage" button if no analysis is shown.
){kind=link}
1) Click on the analysis icon.
2) Click on the "Selected passage" button if no analysis is shown.
How do I find more information on original languages?
- How do I see Greek/Hebrew vocabulary for my Bible?
- How do I see Greek/Hebrew transliteration for my Bible?
- How do I see Greek/Hebrew vocabulary for a verse?
- How can I view multiple Bibles together as an Interlinear?
- How do I see the various versions of the Greek OT?
- How do I display the color-coded grammar?
Video guide
1) Click on the Bible translation button
2) Refer to the legend and select the Bible translations with the Vocab feature
3) Click on the Option button, then click "Interlinear options”, then select "Greek / Hebrew". Original language vocab will be shown.
){kind=link}
1) Click on the Bible translation button
2) Refer to the legend and select the Bible translations with the Vocab feature
3) Click on the Option button, then click "Interlinear options”, then select "Greek / Hebrew". Original language vocab will be shown.
Video guide
1) Click on the Bible translation button
2) Refer to the legend and select the Bible translations with the Vocab feature
3) Click on the Option button, then click "Interlinear options”, then select "Transliteration".
){kind=link}
1) Click on the Bible translation button
2) Refer to the legend and select the Bible translations with the Vocab feature
3) Click on the Option button, then click "Interlinear options”, then select "Transliteration".
Video guide
1) Click on the verse number to list the words and meanings
2) Hover over or click on a word for more details about the word
){kind=link}
1) Click on the verse number to list the words and meanings
2) Hover over or click on a word for more details about the word
Video guides
1) Click on the Bible translation button
2) Refer to the legend and select two Bible with the vocabulary feature
3) Click on the Option button, then click Interlinear”. Interlinear will be shown.
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
1) Click on the Bible translation button
2) Refer to the legend and select two Bible with the vocabulary feature
3) Click on the Option button, then click Interlinear”. Interlinear will be shown.
1) Click on the Bible translation button
2) Select “Ancient” for the language
3) Scroll down to see the Greek OT translations
Examples
2) Select “Ancient” for the language
3) Scroll down to see the Greek OT translations
Examples
Video guide
1) Click on the Bible translation button
2) Refer to the legend and select the Bible translations with the grammar feature
3) Click on "G" or "Grammar" at the navigation bar. The text will then be color coded.
Examples
){kind=link}
1) Click on the Bible translation button
2) Refer to the legend and select the Bible translations with the grammar feature
3) Click on "G" or "Grammar" at the navigation bar. The text will then be color coded.
Examples
© STEPBible - 2024