Focused Passage

Judges 20:26-28

Israel's Civil War Against Benjamin: Justice, Judgment, and Near Tribal Ruin

Judges 20 moves from shocked national unity over Gibeah's outrage, through Benjamin's refusal to give up the guilty, through repeated defeat and intensified seeking of the LORD, into divinely granted victory that becomes catastrophic civil war and leaves Benjamin almost extinguished.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

26Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, where they sat weeping before the LORD. That day they fasted until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.

27And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there,

28and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 26

Original words

Thenכָל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructvvvבְּנֵי֩H1121Noun - masculine plural constructthe Israelitesיִשְׂרָאֵ֨לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singularallוְכָל־H3605Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructthe peopleהָעָ֜םH5971Article | Noun - masculine singularwent upוַיַּעֲל֣וּH5927Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .וַיָּבֹ֣אוּH935Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralvvvבֵֽית־H1008Prepositionto Bethelאֵ֗לH1008Noun - proper - feminine singularwhereשָׁם֙H8033Adverbthey satוַיֵּ֤שְׁבוּH3427Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralweepingוַיִּבְכּוּ֙H1058Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralbeforeלִפְנֵ֣יH6440Preposition-l | Noun - common plural constructthe LORDיְהוָ֔הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularThatהַה֖וּאH1931Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singulardayבַיּוֹם־H3117Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularthey fastedוַיָּצ֥וּמוּH6684Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraluntilעַד־H5704Prepositioneveningהָעָ֑רֶבH6153Article | Noun - masculine singularand presentedוַֽיַּעֲל֛וּH5927Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralburnt offeringsעֹל֥וֹתH5930Noun - feminine pluraland peace offeringsוּשְׁלָמִ֖יםH8002Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine pluraltoלִפְנֵ֥יH6440Preposition-l | Noun - common plural constructthe LORDיְהוָֽה׃H3068Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 27

Original words

And the Israelitesבְנֵֽי־H1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singularinquiredוַיִּשְׁאֲל֥וּH7592Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralof the LORDבַּֽיהוָ֑הH3068Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singularIn thoseהָהֵֽם׃H1992Article | Pronoun - third person masculine pluraldaysבַּיָּמִ֖יםH3117Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine pluralthe arkאֲרוֹן֙H727Noun - common singular constructof the covenantבְּרִ֣יתH1285Noun - feminine singular constructof Godהָאֱלֹהִ֔יםH430Article | Noun - masculine pluralwas thereוְשָׁ֗םH8033Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Verse 28

Original words

and Phinehasוּ֠פִינְחָסH6372Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singularsonבֶּן־H1121Noun - masculine singular constructof Eleazarאֶלְעָזָ֨רH499Noun - proper - masculine singularthe sonבֶּֽן־H1121Noun - masculine singular constructof Aaronאַהֲרֹ֜ןH175Noun - proper - masculine singularservedעֹמֵ֣ד׀H5975Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularbefore itלְפָנָ֗יוH6440Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular. . .בַּיָּמִ֣יםH3117Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural. . .הָהֵם֮H1992Article | Pronoun - third person masculine pluralThe Israelites askedלֵאמֹר֒H559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructShould we againהַאוֹסִ֨ףH3254Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular. . .ע֜וֹדH5750Adverbgo outלָצֵ֧אתH3318Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructto battleלַמִּלְחָמָ֛הH4421Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singularagainstעִם־H5973Prepositionour brothersאָחִ֖יH251Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularthe Benjamitesבְּנֵֽי־H1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .בִנְיָמִ֥ןH1144Noun - proper - masculine singularorאִם־H518Conjunctionshould we stopאֶחְדָּ֑לH2308Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularThe LORDיְהוָה֙H3068Noun - proper - masculine singularansweredוַיֹּ֤אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularFightעֲל֔וּH5927Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralforכִּ֥יH3588Conjunctiontomorrowמָחָ֖רH4279AdverbI will deliver themאֶתְּנֶ֥נּוּH5414Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singularinto your handבְיָדֶֽךָ׃H3027Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.