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 Israelites had agreed a sign with their men who were hiding. When those men ran into Gibeah and they destroyed everything there, they would make the sign. They would light a big fire so that the smoke went up into the sky. Then the other Israelite soldiers would turn round to attack the soldiers who were chasing them. Benjamin's soldiers had begun to kill the Israelites. When they had killed about 30 of them, they said, ‘Look! We are winning again, as we always do!’ 40Then they turned and they saw the tall pillar of smoke. It was rising from their city up to the sky. 41The Israelite soldiers saw the sign and they attacked the soldiers of Benjamin. The men of Benjamin suddenly became very afraid. They realized that they were in a lot of trouble.

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 20:31The 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.

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