Judges 20:34
in Judges 20Then 10,000 select men from all Israel made a frontal assault against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not realize that disaster was upon them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And there came over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore; but they knew not that evil was close upon them.
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.
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This verse in Judges 20
Commentary
12 notes on this verseChosen men - Selected out of the main body, which was at Baal-tamar; and these were to march directly to Gibeah on the one side, whilst the liers in wait stormed it on the other side, and whilst the great body of the army laboured to intercept the Benjamites, who having pursued the Israelites that pretended to flee, now endeavoured to retreat to Gibeah.
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
10,000 select men from all Israel
Wesley takes the ten thousand as picked men drawn from the main body at Baal-tamar, sent straight at Gibeah while the ambush struck from the other side. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown count them as a third force, distinct from both the ambush and the army. Gibeah is now attacked from two sides.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
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 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.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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
), the Benjamites fought with fury; but, when they saw what a snare they were drawn into, they thought one pair of heels (as we say) was worth two pair of hands, and they made the best of their way towards the wilderness (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
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.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel,....
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 Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men--This was a third division, different both from the ambuscade and the army, who were fighting at Baal-tamar. The general account stated in Jud 20:35 is followed by a detailed narrative of the battle, which is continued to the end of the chapter.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
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].
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹאוּ֩ | vaiyavou | and they came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| מִנֶּ֨גֶד | mineged | from before | H5048 → | |
| לַגִּבְעָ֜ה | lagivah | to <the> Gibeah | H1390 → | 45 times |
| עֲשֶׂרֶת֩ | ʾaseret | ten | H6235 → | 176 times |
| אֲלָפִ֨ים | ʾalafim | thousand<s> | H505 → | 505 times |
| אִ֤ישׁ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| בָּחוּר֙ | bachur | chosen | H977 → | 171 times |
| מִכָּל־ | mikol | from all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְהַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה | vehamilchamah | and the battle | H4421 → | 320 times |
| כָּבֵ֑דָה | kavedah | it was heavy | H3513 → | 113 times |
| וְהֵם֙ | vehem | and they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָדְע֔וּ | yadeu | they knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נֹגַ֥עַת | nogaat | [was] about to touch | H5060 → | 150 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָרָעָֽה׃ פ | haraah | <the> calamity | H7451 → | 662 times |
וַיָּבֹאוּ֩and they came
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
מִנֶּ֨גֶדfrom before
minegedH5048 →
לַגִּבְעָ֜הto <the> Gibeah
lagivahH1390 →45 times
עֲשֶׂרֶת֩ten
ʾaseretH6235 →176 times
אֲלָפִ֨יםthousand<s>
ʾalafimH505 →505 times
אִ֤ישׁman
ʾishH376 →1663 times
בָּחוּר֙chosen
bachurH977 →171 times
מִכָּל־from all
mikolH3605 →5413 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְהַמִּלְחָמָ֖הand the battle
vehamilchamahH4421 →320 times
כָּבֵ֑דָהit was heavy
kavedahH3513 →113 times
וְהֵם֙and they
vehemH1992 →553 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יָדְע֔וּthey knew
yadeuH3045 →945 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
נֹגַ֥עַת[was] about to touch
nogaatH5060 →150 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֖םto them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
הָרָעָֽה׃ פ<the> calamity
haraahH7451 →662 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 4:19But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
it leads to
- John 12:35
Then Jesus told them, “For a little while longer, the Light will be among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the…
- Isaiah 59:9–10
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
- Job 18:5–6
Indeed, the lamp of the wicked is extinguished; the flame of his fire does not glow.
- Jeremiah 23:12
“Therefore their path will become slick; they will be driven away into the darkness and fall into it. For I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment,” declares the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 2:9
He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness; for by his own strength shall no man prevail.
- John 12:35
Through
Isaiah 47:11But disaster will come upon you; you will not know how to charm it away. A calamity will befall you that you will be unable to ward off. Devastation will happen to you suddenly…
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:3
While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:3
Through
Job 21:13They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace.
it leads to
- Job 36:11
If they obey and serve Him, then they end their days in prosperity and their years in happiness.
- Job 36:11
Through
Joshua 8:14When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But…
it leads to
- Matthew 24:39
And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.
- Matthew 24:39
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Ambrose of Milan, LETTER 33; Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 3.19.115-16; 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.