Judges 20:34

Judges 20:34 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)Then ten thousand of Israel’s able young men made a frontal attack on Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that the Benjamites did not realize how near disaster was.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard, but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And ten thousand select men from all Israel came against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not know that disaster was upon them.

Context of Judges 20:34

32“We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.” 33So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah. Then 10,000 select men from all Israel made a frontal assault against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not realize that disaster was upon them. 35The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords. 36Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated. Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah.

Judges 20:34 word by word

וַיָּבֹאוּ֩ מִנֶּ֨גֶד לַגִּבְעָ֜ה עֲשֶׂרֶת֩ אֲלָפִ֨ים אִ֤ישׁ בָּחוּר֙ מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה כָּבֵ֑דָה וְהֵם֙ לֹ֣א יָדְע֔וּ כִּֽי־נֹגַ֥עַת עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם הָרָעָֽה׃ פRead the interlinear

• Then 10,000עֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
• Then 10,000אֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• selectבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• from allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• made a frontalנֶ֫גֶדneged · beforeH5048
• assaultבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• against Gibeahגִּבְעָהgib‛âh · GibeahH1390
• and the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• was fierceכָּבֵדkâbad kâbêd · to honor: heavyH3513
• But the Benjamitesהֵ֫מָּהhêm hêmmâh · they(masc.)H1992
• did notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• realizeיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• thatכִּיkîy · forH3588
• disasterרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
• uponנָגַעnâga‛ · to touchH5060
• themעַל‛al · uponH5921

Cross-references for Judges 20:34

• Judges 20:29So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.
• Joshua 8:14When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city.
• Job 21:13They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace.
• Proverbs 4:19But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
• Proverbs 29:6An evil man is caught by his own sin, but a righteous one sings and rejoices.
• Ecclesiastes 8:11When the sentence for a crime is not speedily executed, the hearts of men become fully set on doing evil.
• Ecclesiastes 9:12For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them.
• Isaiah 3:10Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.
• Isaiah 47:11But disaster will come upon you; you will not know how to charm it away. A calamity will befall you that you will be unable to ward off. Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly.
• Matthew 24:44For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.
• Luke 21:34But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:3While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

Commentaries on Judges 20:34

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 29-44On the third day, they used similar tricks and surprise attacks as when they took over Ai (Joshua 8:1–29).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 29-4829-48. And Israel set liers-in-wait round about Gibeah--A plan was formed of taking that city by stratagem, similar to that employed in the capture of Ai [Jos 8:9].Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 20:34

• Ambush
• Armies
• Strategy

In the dictionaries

• Gibeah
• Israel
• Congregation
• Fetch
• Glean
• Trust
• Wickedness
• Wolf
• Archery
• Israel, History of

Commentaries on Judges 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary