Revised Literal Translation
Judges 20:3
3(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?
Judges 20:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?
- New International Version (NIV)(The Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the Israelites said, “Tell us how this awful thing happened.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)(Now the people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the people of Israel said, "Tell us, how did this evil happen?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the children of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this wicked deed happen?”
Context of Judges 20:3
1Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer–sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto Yhwh in Mizpeh. 2And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword. (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness? 4And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. 5And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.
Read all of Judges 20Judges 20:3 word by word
וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י בִנְיָמִ֔ן כִּֽי־עָל֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הַמִּצְפָּ֑ה וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל דַּבְּר֕וּ אֵיכָ֥ה נִהְיְתָ֖ה הָרָעָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃Read the interlinear
- Now the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Benjaminבִּנְיָמִיןbinyâmîyn · BenjaminH1144
- heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- were gone upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- to Mizpehמִצְפָּהmitspâh · MizpahH4709
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Tellדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- how wasהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- this wickednessרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
Cross-references for Judges 20:3
- Proverbs 22:3A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
- Matthew 5:25Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
- Luke 12:58When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.
- Luke 14:31Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
- Judges 19:22Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.
Commentaries on Judges 20:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Tell us, how was this wickedness? - They had heard before, by the messengers he sent with the fragments of his wife's body; but they wish to hear it, in full council, from himself.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The tribe of Benjamin likely got the message (Judges 19:29), so they knew trouble was coming.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh--Some suppose that Benjamin had been passed over, the crime having been perpetrated within the territory of that tribe [Jud 19:16]; and that, as the concubine's corpse had been divided into twelve pieces [Jud 19:29]--two had been sent to Manasseh, one respectively to the western and eastern divisions. It is more probable that Benjamin had received a formal summons…Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 20:3
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries