Judges 20:16

Judges 20:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.
• New International Version (NIV)Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred select troops who were left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Among all this people were seven hundred select men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss.

Context of Judges 20:16

14Instead, they came from all their towns and they met together at Gibeah to fight against the other Israelites. 1526,000 soldiers came to Gibeah with their weapons, ready to fight. There were also 700 brave soldiers already in Gibeah. In Benjamin's army there were 700 men who used their left hands to fight. Each of them could use a sling to throw a stone at a very small thing. They could even hit a hair! 17The other Israelite tribes, without Benjamin, had an army of 400,000 soldiers who knew how to use their weapons. 18They went to Bethel. They asked God which tribe should go first to attack Benjamin's army. The Lord replied, ‘Judah must go first.’

Judges 20:16 word by word

מִכֹּ֣ל׀ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֗ה שְׁבַ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ אִ֣ישׁ בָּח֔וּר אִטֵּ֖ר יַד־יְמִינ֑וֹ כָּל־זֶ֗ה קֹלֵ֧עַ בָּאֶ֛בֶן אֶל־הַֽשַּׂעֲרָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א יַחֲטִֽא׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Among all this peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• chosenבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• lefthandedיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225
• lefthandedיָדyâd · handH3027
• lefthandedאִטֵּר'iţţêr · lefthandedH334
• every one could slingקָלַעqâla‛ · to slingH7049
• stonesאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• at an hairשַׂעֲרָהώa‛ărâh · hairH8185
• and not missחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398

Cross-references for Judges 20:16

• Judges 3:15Again the Israelites called out to the Lord for help. He chose Ehud to be their leader. He was the son of Gera, from Benjamin's tribe. Ehud's strong hand was his left hand. The Israelites sent him to pay their taxes to King Eglon of Moab.
• 1 Chronicles 12:2They could shoot with bows and arrows. They could use slings to throw stones with either their right hand or their left hand. They were relatives of Saul, from Benjamin's tribe. Their names were:
• 1 Samuel 17:40Instead, David picked up his shepherd's stick. He picked up five round stones from the stream. He put them in the pocket of his shepherd's bag. He held his sling in his hand. Then he walked towards the Philistine soldier.
• 1 Samuel 25:29People may chase after you and try to kill you. But the Lord your God will always keep you safe. He will throw your enemies away like someone who throws a stone from his sling.
• 2 Chronicles 26:14Uzziah gave shields, spears, helmets and armour to the whole army. He also gave them bows and arrows, and stones to put in their slings.

Commentaries on Judges 20:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Left-handed - They were ambidexters - could use the right hand and the left with equal ease and effect. See the note on Judges 3:15. Could sling stones at a hair - and not miss - יחטא ולא velo yachati, and not sin: ; Sept. Here we have the true import of the term sin; it signifies simply to miss the mark, and is well translated in the New Testament by ̔, from , negative, and , to hit the mark. Men miss the mark of true happiness in aiming at sensual…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-17Verses 15-17 Comparing the numbers here with those in Judges 20:16 See Judges 3:15, and note. In the Septuagint and Vulgate the 700 chosen men of Gibeah are represented as the seven hundred left-handed slingers.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16left-handeders: See study note on Judges 3:15. The sling was like the one David used to kill Goliath (1 Samuel 17:40–51). The slinger placed a stone in a small pouch attached to a leather strap. He swung it around his head to build speed, then released one end to launch the stone. A slinger could attack from a distance, unlike a swordsman.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1714-17. the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah--Allowing their valor to be ever so great, nothing but blind passion and unbending obstinacy could have impelled them to take the field against their brethren with such a disparity of numbers.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 20:16

• Benjamin
• Left-Handed
• Sling
• Stones

In the dictionaries

• Chosen
• Congregation
• Fetch
• Games
• Gibeah
• Glean
• Lefthanded
• Sling
• Trust
• Wickedness

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