EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Judges 20:31
31The soldiers of Benjamin came out of Gibeah to attack them. But the Israelites moved away from the city so that Benjamin's soldiers chased after them. The men of Benjamin began to kill the Israelites, as they had done before. They killed about 30 Israelites in the fields and on the roads that went to Bethel and Gibeah.
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
29This time, the Israelites made some of their soldiers hide in places around Gibeah. 30On the third day, their other soldiers stood in the same places as before. They were ready to fight. The soldiers of Benjamin came out of Gibeah to attack them. But the Israelites moved away from the city so that Benjamin's soldiers chased after them. The men of Benjamin began to kill the Israelites, as they had done before. They killed about 30 Israelites in the fields and on the roads that went to Bethel and Gibeah. 32The soldiers of Benjamin were saying, ‘We are winning against them, as we have done before!’ But the Israelites were saying, ‘We will continue to run away so that their soldiers chase us. We will lead them away from the city onto the roads.’ 33When the men of Israel reached Baal Tamar, they stopped there. They stood in their places, ready to fight. At the same time, the Israelite soldiers who had hidden themselves on the west side of Gibeah ran out of their places.
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 8:14The king of Ai saw that Israel's army had arrived. Early the next morning, the king and his army hurried out of the city. They wanted to fight against Israel's army at the same place as before, on the hill near the Jordan Valley. But the king of Ai did not know that some Israelite soldiers were hiding behind the city.
- Judges 19:13He said to his servant, ‘Let us try to reach Gibeah or Ramah. Then we can stay in one of those places for the night.’
- Isaiah 10:29They go across the hills. They stay at Geba for a night. The people in Ramah are afraid! The people in Gibeah of Saul run away.
- Joshua 7:5They chased the Israelites away from the gate of the city and they killed about 36 Israelite soldiers. They chased them down the hill as far as Shebarim. They killed the Israelites as they ran down the hill. When the people of Israel heard this, they became very frightened.
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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