God’s Word Translation
Judges 20:31
31The men of Benjamin went out to attack Israel’s troops and were led away from the city. They started to inflict casualties as before. They killed about 30 men from Israel in the open country and on the roads 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
29Then Israel placed troops in ambush around Gibeah. 30On the third day the men of Israel went to fight the men of Benjamin. They formed their battle line facing Gibeah as they did before. The men of Benjamin went out to attack Israel’s troops and were led away from the city. They started to inflict casualties as before. They killed about 30 men from Israel in the open country and on the roads to Bethel and Gibeah. 32The men of Benjamin shouted, “They’re defeated as before!” But the men of Israel had said, “Let’s flee in order to lead them from the city to the roads.” 33So the men of Israel left their positions. They formed their battle line at Baal Tamar. Meanwhile, those waiting in ambush rushed from their position to the west of Gibeah.
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 main camp, he and all his troops got up early in the morning. They rushed out toward the plains to meet Israel for battle, just where ⌞Joshua⌟ expected. However, the king didn’t know there were troops behind the city waiting to attack him.
- Judges 19:13He told his servant, “Let’s go someplace else. We’ll spend the night either at Gibeah or Ramah.”
- Isaiah 10:29They go through the mountain pass and lodge at Geba for the night. The people in Ramah tremble; the people in Saul’s Gibeah flee.
- Joshua 7:5The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the city gate to the slope of the stone quarries. Israel’s troops lost heart and were scared stiff.
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries