Christian Standard Bible
Judges 20:31
31Then the Benjaminites came out against the troops and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the troops as before, killing about thirty men of Israel on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah through the open country.
Judges 20:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And 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.
- New International Version (NIV)The Benjamites came out to meet them and were drawn away from the city. They began to inflict casualties on the Israelites as before, so that about thirty men fell in the open field and on the roads—the one leading to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And 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, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city. They began to strike down and kill some of the people, as at the other times, in the highways (one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah) and in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
Context of Judges 20:31
29So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah. 30On the third day the Israelites fought against the Benjaminites and took their battle positions against Gibeah as before. Then the Benjaminites came out against the troops and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the troops as before, killing about thirty men of Israel on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah through the open country. 32The Benjaminites said, “We are defeating them as before.” But the Israelites said, “Let’s flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.” 33So all the men of Israel got up from their places and took their battle positions at Baal-tamar, while the Israelites in ambush charged out of their places west of Geba.
Read all of Judges 20Judges 20:31 word by word
וַיֵּצְא֤וּ בְנֵֽי־בִנְיָמִן֙ לִקְרַ֣את הָעָ֔ם הָנְתְּק֖וּ מִן־הָעִ֑יר וַיָּחֵ֡לּוּ לְהַכּוֹת֩ מֵהָעָ֨ם חֲלָלִ֜ים כְּפַ֣עַם׀ בְּפַ֗עַם בַּֽמְסִלּוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַחַ֜ת עֹלָ֣ה בֵֽית־אֵ֗ל וְאַחַ֤ת גִּבְעָ֙תָה֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה כִּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים אִ֖ישׁ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Benjaminבִּנְיָמִיןbinyâmîyn · BenjaminH1144
- went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- againstקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
- the peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
- were drawn awayנָתַקnâthaq · to tearH5423
- from the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- and they beganחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: beginH2490
- to smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- killחָלָלchâlâl · slain: killedH2491
- as at other timesפַּ֫עַםpa‛am pa‛ămâh · beatH6471
- in the highwaysמְסִלָּהmesillâh · highwayH4546
- of which oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- goeth upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- to the houseבֵּיתbayith · betweenH1004
- of Godבֵּֽיתְ־אֵלbêyth-'êl · BethelH1008
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- to Gibeahגִּבְעָהgib‛âh · GibeahH1390
- in the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- about thirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםshelôshîym shelôshîym · thirtyH7970
- menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
Cross-references for Judges 20:31
- Joshua 8:14When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, the men of the city hurried and went out early in the morning so that he and all his people could engage Israel in battle at a suitable place facing the Arabah. But he did not know there was an ambush waiting for him behind the city.
- Judges 19:13“Come on,” he said, “let’s try to reach one of these places and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”
- Isaiah 10:29They crossed over at the ford, saying, “We will spend the night at Geba.” The people of Ramah are trembling; those at Gibeah of Saul have fled.
- Joshua 7:5The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them and chased them from outside the city gate to the quarries, striking them down on the descent. As a result, the people lost heart.
Commentaries on Judges 20:31
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31To the house of God - “To Bethel,” as in the margin. On “Gibeah in the field,” see Joshua 18:24 note.Read the comment
- 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 20:31
In the dictionaries
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
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