Focused Passage

Judges 20:42-47

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

42So they fled before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and the men coming out of the cities struck them down there.

43They surrounded the Benjamites, pursued them, and easily overtook them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east.

44And 18,000 Benjamites fell, all men of valor.

45Then 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.

46That day 25,000 Benjamite swordsmen fell, all men of valor.

47But 600 men turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 42

Original words

So they fledוַיִּפְנ֞וּH6437Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralbeforeלִפְנֵ֨יH6440Preposition-l | Noun - common plural constructthe menאִ֤ישׁH376Noun - masculine singular constructof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵל֙H3478Noun - proper - masculine singulartowardאֶל־H413Preposition. . .דֶּ֣רֶךְH1870Noun - common singular constructthe wildernessהַמִּדְבָּ֔רH4057Article | Noun - masculine singularbut the battleוְהַמִּלְחָמָ֖הH4421Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singularovertook themהִדְבִּיקָ֑תְהוּH1692Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine singularand the menוַאֲשֶׁר֙H834Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - relativecoming out of the citiesמֵהֶ֣עָרִ֔יםH5892Preposition-m, Article | Noun - feminine pluralstruck them downמַשְׁחִיתִ֥יםH7843Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural-אוֹת֖וֹH853Direct object marker | third person masculine singularthereבְּתוֹכֽוֹ׃H8432Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 43

Original words

They surroundedכִּתְּר֤וּH3803Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe Benjamitesבִּנְיָמִן֙H1144Noun - proper - masculine singularpursued themהִרְדִיפֻ֔הוּH7291Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine singularand easilyמְנוּחָ֖הH4496Noun - feminine singularovertook themהִדְרִיכֻ֑הוּH1869Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine singularin the vicinityעַ֛דH5704Preposition. . .נֹ֥כַחH5227Prepositionof Gibeahהַגִּבְעָ֖הH1390Article | Noun - proper - feminine singularvvvמִמִּזְרַח־H4217Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular constructon the eastשָֽׁמֶשׁ׃H8121Noun - common singular
Verse 44

Original words

And 18,000שְׁמֹנָֽה־H8083Number - masculine singular. . .עָשָׂ֥רH6240Number - masculine singular. . .אֶ֖לֶףH505Number - masculine singularBenjamitesמִבִּנְיָמִ֔ןH1144Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singular-אִ֑ישׁH376Noun - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerfellוַֽיִּפְּלוּ֙H5307Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralallכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular construct. . .אֵ֖לֶּהH428Pronoun - common pluralmenאַנְשֵׁי־H582Noun - masculine plural constructof valorחָֽיִל׃H2428Noun - masculine singular
Verse 45

Original words

Then the Benjamites turnedוַיִּפְנ֞וּH6437Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraland fledוַיָּנֻ֤סוּH5127Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraltoward the wildernessהַמִּדְבָּ֙רָה֙H4057Article | Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singulartoאֶל־H413Prepositionthe rockסֶ֣לַעH5553Noun - masculine singular constructof Rimmonהָֽרִמּ֔וֹןH7417Article | Noun - proper - feminine singularand Israel cut downוַיְעֹֽלְלֻ֙הוּ֙H5953Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular5,000 {}חֲמֵ֥שֶׁתH2568Number - masculine singular construct. . .אֲלָפִ֖יםH505Number - masculine pluralmenאִ֑ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularon the roadsבַּֽמְסִלּ֔וֹתH4546Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine pluralAnd they overtook themוַיַּדְבִּ֤יקוּH1692Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .אַחֲרָיו֙H310Preposition | third person masculine singularatעַד־H5704PrepositionGidomגִּדְעֹ֔םH1440Noun - proper - feminine singularand struck downוַיַּכּ֥וּH5221Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .מִמֶּ֖נּוּH4480Preposition | third person masculine singular2,000 moreאַלְפַּ֥יִםH505Number - md. . .אִֽישׁ׃H376Noun - masculine singular
Verse 46

Original words

Thatהַה֑וּאH1931Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular-אֶֽת־H853Direct object markerdayבַּיּ֣וֹםH3117Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular-כָל־H3605Noun - masculine singular construct-וַיְהִי֩H1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular25,000 {}עֶשְׂרִים֩H6242Number - common plural. . .וַחֲמִשָּׁ֨הH2568Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine singular. . .אֶ֥לֶףH505Number - masculine singularBenjamiteמִבִּנְיָמִ֗ןH1144Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singularvvvשֹׁ֥לֵֽףH8025Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularswordsmenחֶ֖רֶבH2719Noun - feminine singular. . .אִ֛ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularfellהַנֹּ֨פְלִ֜יםH5307Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralallכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular construct. . .אֵ֖לֶּהH428Pronoun - common pluralmenאַנְשֵׁי־H582Noun - masculine plural constructof valorחָֽיִל׃H2428Noun - masculine singular
Verse 47

Original words

But 600שֵׁ֥שׁH8337Number - feminine singular. . .מֵא֖וֹתH3967Number - feminine pluralmenאִ֑ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularturnedוַיִּפְנ֞וּH6437Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraland fledוַיָּנֻ֤סוּH5127Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralinto the wildernessהַמִּדְבָּ֙רָה֙H4057Article | Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singulartoאֶל־H413Prepositionthe rockסֶ֣לַעH5553Noun - masculine singular constructof Rimmonהָֽרִמּ֔וֹןH7417Article | Noun - proper - feminine singularwhere they stayedוַיֵּֽשְׁבוּ֙H3427Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .בְּסֶ֣לַעH5553Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct. . .רִמּ֔וֹןH7417Noun - proper - feminine singularfourאַרְבָּעָ֖הH702Number - masculine singularmonthsחֳדָשִֽׁים׃H2320Noun - masculine plural

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.