Judges 20:37

Judges 20:37 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.
• New International Version (NIV)Those who had been in ambush made a sudden dash into Gibeah, spread out and put the whole city to the sword.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush moved out and struck all the city with the edge of the sword.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the men in ambush quickly rushed upon Gibeah; the men in ambush spread out and struck the whole city with the edge of the sword.

Context of Judges 20:37

35So the Lord defeated them in front of Israel. On that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 men from Benjamin who were armed with swords. 36Then the men of Benjamin realized they were defeated. The Israelites had allowed the men of Benjamin to take back some ground. The Israelites relied on those waiting in ambush near Gibeah. The men in ambush quickly charged toward Gibeah. They spread out in the city and killed everyone. 38The men of Israel had arranged with those waiting in ambush that they would make a big column of smoke rise from the city as a signal. 39Then the men of Israel would turn around in the battle. The men of Benjamin had already killed about 30 men of Israel. They even said, “Israel is completely defeated, just like in the first battle.”

Judges 20:37 word by word

וְהָאֹרֵ֣ב הֵחִ֔ישׁוּ וַֽיִּפְשְׁט֖וּ אֶל־הַגִּבְעָ֑ה וַיִּמְשֹׁךְ֙ הָאֹרֵ֔ב וַיַּ֥ךְ אֶת־כָּל־הָעִ֖יר לְפִי־חָֽרֶב׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the liers in waitאָרַב'ârab · to ambushH693
• hastedחוּשׁchûsh · to hastenH2363
• and rushedפָּשַׁטpâshaţ · to stripH6584
• upon Gibeahגִּבְעָהgib‛âh · GibeahH1390
• alongמָשַׁךְmâshak · to drawH4900
• and smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• all the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• with the edgeפֶּהpeh · lip: edgeH6310
• of the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719

Cross-references for Judges 20:37

• Joshua 8:19The men who were hiding got up as soon as he stretched out his hand. They entered the city, captured it, and quickly set it on fire.
• Exodus 19:13No one should touch them. They must be stoned or shot with arrows. No matter whether it’s an animal or a person, it must not live. The people may go up the mountain ⌞only⌟ when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast.”
• Joshua 6:5When you hear a long blast on the horn, all the troops must shout very loudly. The wall around the city will collapse. Then the troops must charge straight ahead into the city.”

Commentaries on Judges 20:37

• 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 20:37

• Ambush
• Armies
• Strategy

In the dictionaries

• Gibeah
• Liers-in-Wait
• Congregation
• Fetch
• Glean
• Trust
• Wickedness
• Wolf
• Archery
• Israel, History of

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