New English Translation
Judges 20:34
34Ten thousand men, well-trained soldiers from all Israel, then made a frontal assault against Gibeah – the battle was fierce. But the Benjaminites did not realize that disaster was at their doorstep.
Judges 20:34 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them.
- New International Version (NIV)Then ten thousand of Israel’s able young men made a frontal attack on Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that the Benjamites did not realize how near disaster was.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard, but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And ten thousand select men from all Israel came against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not know that disaster was upon them.
Context of Judges 20:34
32Then the Benjaminites said, “They are defeated just as before.” But the Israelites said, “Let’s retreat and lure them away from the city into the main roads.” 33All the men of Israel got up from their places and took their positions at Baal Tamar, while the Israelites hiding in ambush jumped out of their places west of Gibeah. Ten thousand men, well-trained soldiers from all Israel, then made a frontal assault against Gibeah – the battle was fierce. But the Benjaminites did not realize that disaster was at their doorstep. 35The Lord annihilated Benjamin before Israel; the Israelites struck down that day 25,100 sword-wielding Benjaminites. 36Then the Benjaminites saw they were defeated. The Israelites retreated before Benjamin, because they had confidence in the men they had hid in ambush outside Gibeah.
Read all of Judges 20Judges 20:34 word by word
וַיָּבֹאוּ֩ מִנֶּ֨גֶד לַגִּבְעָ֜ה עֲשֶׂרֶת֩ אֲלָפִ֨ים אִ֤ישׁ בָּחוּר֙ מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה כָּבֵ֑דָה וְהֵם֙ לֹ֣א יָדְע֔וּ כִּֽי־נֹגַ֥עַת עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם הָרָעָֽה׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And there cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- againstנֶ֫גֶדneged · beforeH5048
- Gibeahגִּבְעָהgib‛âh · GibeahH1390
- tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
- thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- chosenבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
- menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- out of all Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- and the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- was soreכָּבֵדkâbad kâbêd · to honor: heavyH3513
- but they knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- not that evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
- nearנָגַעnâga‛ · to touchH5060
Cross-references for Judges 20:34
- Judges 20:29So Israel hid men in ambush outside Gibeah.
- Joshua 8:14When the king of Ai saw Israel, he and his whole army quickly got up the next day and went out to fight Israel at the meeting place near the Arabah. But he did not realize men were hiding behind the city.
- Job 21:13They live out their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace.
- Proverbs 4:19The way of the wicked is like gloomy darkness; they do not know what causes them to stumble.
- Proverbs 29:6In the transgression of an evil person there is a snare, but a righteous person can sing and rejoice.
- Ecclesiastes 8:11When a sentence is not executed at once against a crime, the human heart is encouraged to do evil.
- Ecclesiastes 9:12Surely, no one knows his appointed time! Like fish that are caught in a deadly net, and like birds that are caught in a snare – just like them, all people are ensnared at an unfortunate time that falls upon them suddenly.
- Isaiah 3:10Tell the innocent it will go well with them, for they will be rewarded for what they have done.
- Isaiah 47:11Disaster will overtake you; you will not know how to charm it away. Destruction will fall on you; you will not be able to appease it. Calamity will strike you suddenly, before you recognize it.
- Matthew 24:44Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
- Luke 21:34“But be on your guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day close down upon you suddenly like a trap.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:3Now when they are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape.
Commentaries on Judges 20:34
- 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 20:34
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries