Judges 20:33
in Judges 20So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers-in-wait of Israel brake forth out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba.
KJV
And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal–tamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.
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This verse in Judges 20
Commentary
13 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Baal-tamar is only mentioned here. It took its name from some palm-tree that grew there; perhaps the same as the “palm-tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel” Jdg 4:5, the exact locality here indicated, since “the highway” Jdg 20:31 along which the Israelites enticed the Benjamites to pursue them, leads straight to Ramah, which lay only a mile beyond the point where the two ways branch off. The meadows of Gibeah - The word rendered “meadow” is only found here. According to its etymology, it ought to mean a “bare open place”, which is particularly unsuitable for an ambush.
This site's exposition
We are defeating them as before
on Judges 20:32-34
Benjamin reads the third day by the first two and says “We are defeating them as before”. The flight is ordered, and verse 34 says “the Benjamites did not realize that disaster was upon them”, as Joshua 8:14 says the king of Ai did not know an ambush was set against him. Verse 41 turns the same words over when Benjamin realizes that disaster has come.
This site's exposition
arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar
Baal-tamar appears only here, and Barnes takes its name from a palm tree, which he tentatively links to the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the ambush's hiding place as the caves of Gibeah. Clarke counts three Israelite divisions.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
The war remained doubtful with an uncertain issue, but in the third engagement the people of Benjamin were delivered to the people of Israel, and being condemned by the divine judgment [they] paid the penalty for their widely immoral behavior.
Begging the Lord's peace, they returned more boldly to war, and they to whom prayer had given courage and who had entertained much hope were now able to do what they planned. On a pretext of withdrawing their front lines, setting ambushes at night in the rear of the city, where a segment of the enemy was located, they followed as some retired and thus were provided with an opportunity for invading the unprotected city. Fires were quickly set and flared up while raging flames and waves of heat revealed the sight of the taken city.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
); so that the Benjamites were quite surrounded, which put them into the greatest consternation that could be. A sense of guilt now disheartened them, and the higher their hopes had been raised the more grievous was this confusion. At first the battle was sore (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
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? 4 And 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.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Folly - That is, a lewd folly; most ignominious and impudent wickedness. Ye are - The sons of that holy man, who for one filthy action left an eternal brand upon one of his own sons: a people in covenant with the holy God, whose honour you are obliged to vindicate, and who hath expressly commanded you to punish all such notorious enormities.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place,....
Sometimes God suffers wicked men to be lifted up in successes and hopes, that their fall may be the sorer. See how short their joy is, and their triumphing but for a moment. Let not him that girdeth on the harness boast, except he has reason to boast in God. [2.] Evil was near them and they did not know it,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Baal-tamar--a palm-grove, where Baal was worshipped. The main army of the confederate tribes was drawn up there. out of the meadows of Gibeah--Hebrew, "the caves of Gibeah"; a hill in which the ambuscades lay hid.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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].
Put themselves in array at Baal-tamar - The Israelites seem to have divided their army into three divisions; one was at Baal-tamar, a second behind the city in ambush, and the third skirmished with the Benjamites before Gibeah.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכֹ֣ל׀ | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | <the> man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| קָ֚מוּ | kamu | they rose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| מִמְּקוֹמ֔וֹ | mimekomo | from place his | H4725 → | 401 times |
| וַיַּעַרְכ֖וּ | vaiyaarkhu | and they deployed | H6186 → | 74 times |
| בְּבַ֣עַל | bevaal | at Baal | H1193 → | |
| תָּמָ֑ר | tamar | Tamar | H1193 → | |
| וְאֹרֵ֧ב | veorev | and [the] ambusher of | H693 → | 41 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| מֵגִ֥יחַ | megiach | [was] bursting forth | H1518 → | |
| מִמְּקֹמ֖וֹ | mimekomo | from place his | H4725 → | 401 times |
| מִמַּֽעֲרֵה־ | mimaareh- | from [the] open place of | H4629 → | |
| גָֽבַע׃ | gava' | Geba | H1387 → |
וְכֹ֣ל׀and every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
אִ֣ישׁ<the> man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
קָ֚מוּthey rose
kamuH6965 →628 times
מִמְּקוֹמ֔וֹfrom place his
mimekomoH4725 →401 times
וַיַּעַרְכ֖וּand they deployed
vaiyaarkhuH6186 →74 times
בְּבַ֣עַלat Baal
bevaalH1193 →
תָּמָ֑רTamar
tamarH1193 →
וְאֹרֵ֧בand [the] ambusher of
veorevH693 →41 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
מֵגִ֥יחַ[was] bursting forth
megiachH1518 →
מִמְּקֹמ֖וֹfrom place his
mimekomoH4725 →401 times
מִמַּֽעֲרֵה־from [the] open place of
mimaareh-H4629 →
גָֽבַע׃Geba
gava'H1387 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 3.19.115-16; Ambrose of Milan, LETTER 33; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.