Judges 20:16

Judges 20:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.
• New International Version (NIV)Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred select troops who were left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Among Benjamin’s elite troops, 700 were left-handed, and each of them could sling a rock and hit a target within a hairsbreadth without missing.

Context of Judges 20:16

14Instead, the children of Benjamin gathered together from their cities to Gibeah, to go to battle against the children of Israel. 15And from their cities at that time the children of Benjamin numbered twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who numbered seven hundred select men. Among all this people were seven hundred select men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss. 17Now besides Benjamin, the men of Israel numbered four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war. 18Then the children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God to inquire of God. They said, “Which of us shall go up first to battle against the children of Benjamin?” The Lord said, “Judah first!”

Judges 20:16 word by word

מִכֹּ֣ל׀ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֗ה שְׁבַ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ אִ֣ישׁ בָּח֔וּר אִטֵּ֖ר יַד־יְמִינ֑וֹ כָּל־זֶ֗ה קֹלֵ֧עַ בָּאֶ֛בֶן אֶל־הַֽשַּׂעֲרָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א יַחֲטִֽא׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Among all this peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• chosenבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• lefthandedיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225
• lefthandedיָדyâd · handH3027
• lefthandedאִטֵּר'iţţêr · lefthandedH334
• every one could slingקָלַעqâla‛ · to slingH7049
• stonesאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• at an hairשַׂעֲרָהώa‛ărâh · hairH8185
• and not missחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398

Cross-references for Judges 20:16

• Judges 3:15But when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
• 1 Chronicles 12:2armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow. They were of Benjamin, Saul’s brethren.
• 1 Samuel 17:40Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.
• 1 Samuel 25:29Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling.
• 2 Chronicles 26:14Then Uzziah prepared for them, for the entire army, shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and slings to cast stones.

Commentaries on Judges 20:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Left-handed - They were ambidexters - could use the right hand and the left with equal ease and effect. See the note on Judges 3:15. Could sling stones at a hair - and not miss - יחטא ולא velo yachati, and not sin: ; Sept. Here we have the true import of the term sin; it signifies simply to miss the mark, and is well translated in the New Testament by ̔, from , negative, and , to hit the mark. Men miss the mark of true happiness in aiming at sensual…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-17Verses 15-17 Comparing the numbers here with those in Judges 20:16 See Judges 3:15, and note. In the Septuagint and Vulgate the 700 chosen men of Gibeah are represented as the seven hundred left-handed slingers.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16left-handeders: See study note on Judges 3:15. The sling was like the one David used to kill Goliath (1 Samuel 17:40–51). The slinger placed a stone in a small pouch attached to a leather strap. He swung it around his head to build speed, then released one end to launch the stone. A slinger could attack from a distance, unlike a swordsman.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1714-17. the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah--Allowing their valor to be ever so great, nothing but blind passion and unbending obstinacy could have impelled them to take the field against their brethren with such a disparity of numbers.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 20:16

• Benjamin
• Left-Handed
• Sling
• Stones

In the dictionaries

• Chosen
• Congregation
• Fetch
• Games
• Gibeah
• Glean
• Lefthanded
• Sling
• Trust
• Wickedness

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