Judges 20:39

Judges 20:39 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
• New International Version (NIV)and then the Israelites would counterattack. The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the Israelites (about thirty), and they said, “We are defeating them as in the first battle.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, "Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle."
• New King James Version (NKJV)whereupon the men of Israel would turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty of the men of Israel. For they said, “Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.”

Context of Judges 20:39

37The men in ambush had rushed quickly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword. 38The men of Israel had a prearranged signal with the men in ambush: when they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city, the men of Israel would return to the battle. When Benjamin had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They’re defeated before us, just as they were in the first battle.” 40But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, Benjamin looked behind them, and the whole city was going up in smoke. 41Then the men of Israel returned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had struck them.

Judges 20:39 word by word

וַיַּהֲפֹ֥ךְ אִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑ה וּבִנְיָמִ֡ן הֵחֵל֩ לְהַכּ֨וֹת חֲלָלִ֤ים בְּאִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ כִּשְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ כִּ֣י אָמְר֔וּ אַךְ֩ נִגּ֨וֹף נִגָּ֥ף הוּא֙ לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ כַּמִּלְחָמָ֖ה הָרִאשֹׁנָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And when the menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• retiredהָפַךְhâphak · to overturnH2015
• in the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• Benjaminבִּנְיָמִיןbinyâmîyn · BenjaminH1144
• beganחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: beginH2490
• to smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• killחָלָלchâlâl · slain: killedH2491
• about thirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםshelôshîym shelôshîym · thirtyH7970
• for they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Surelyנָגַףnâgaph · to strikeH5062
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223

Cross-references for Judges 20:39

• Judges 20:31Then 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.

Commentaries on Judges 20:39

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 36-48This section provides another description of the battle.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 20:39

• Ambush
• Armies
• Strategy

In the dictionaries

• Benjamin
• Israel
• Benjamin, Benjaminite
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Congregation
• Fetch
• Gibeah
• Glean
• Trust

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