New King James Version
Judges 20:34
34And 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.
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 Living Translation (NLT)There were 10,000 elite Israelite troops who advanced against Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that Benjamin didn’t realize the impending disaster.
Context of Judges 20:34
32And the children of Benjamin said, “They are defeated before us, as at first.” But the children of Israel said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.” 33So all the men of Israel rose from their place and put themselves in battle array at Baal Tamar. Then Israel’s men in ambush burst forth from their position in the plain of Geba. 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. 35The Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel. And the children of Israel destroyed that day twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjamites; all these drew the sword. 36So the children of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel had given ground to the Benjamites, because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against 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
People and places in Judges 20:34
Cross-references for Judges 20:34
- Judges 20:29Then Israel set men in ambush all around Gibeah.
- Joshua 8:14Now it happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose early and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at an appointed place before the plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.
- Job 21:13They spend their days in wealth, And in a moment go down to the grave.
- Proverbs 4:19The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.
- Proverbs 29:6By transgression an evil man is snared, But the righteous sings and rejoices.
- Ecclesiastes 8:11Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
- Ecclesiastes 9:12For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them.
- Isaiah 3:10“Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
- Isaiah 47:11Therefore evil shall come upon you; You shall not know from where it arises. And trouble shall fall upon you; You will not be able to put it off. And desolation shall come upon you suddenly, Which you shall not know.
- Matthew 24:44Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
- Luke 21:34“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:3For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall 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 King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries