Judges 20:42
in Judges 20So they fled before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and the men coming out of the cities struck them down there.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle followed hard after them; and they that came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst thereof.
KJV
Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
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This verse in Judges 20
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The way of the wilderness - i. e., the wilderness which extended from Jericho to the hills of Bethel. Them which came out of the cities - These must be the Benjamites Jdg 20:15. Hence, “in the midst of them” must mean “in their own cities”, where they severally fled for refuge, but failed to find shelter Jdg 20:48. Anathoth, Alemath, Ramah, Ataroth, Geba, Michmash, Ai, Bethel, Migron, etc., would probably be the cities meant, all lying east and north of Gibeah.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
After you found out what transpired in our court, you kept to yourself; therefore, I now summon, as it were, part of my own soul, for I have a friendly yet sorrowful complaint against you for the outrage done to chastity. Was it necessary for an unsurpassed, unheard-of case of virginity to be subjected to a sentence? Could it not have been dismissed?
Their spirits broken, they faced the enemy. The men of Benjamin who thought they were shut in and surrounded, even before they were invaded from the rear, began scattering and fleeing to the desert, while Israel pressed after with doubled force and pursued them as they wandered in rout. About twenty-five thousand were slain, therefore, that is, almost all the men of Benjamin except six hundred who seized a fortification on a rough cliff and by virtue of its situation and with the help of nature and partly through fear were a terror to their victors. Success advises caution; in adversity, revenge is esteemed rather than victory.
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
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.
Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Every man's hand was against them. (2.) Observe in this story, [1.] That the Benjamites, in the beginning of the battle, were confident that the day was their own: They are smitten down before us,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּפְנ֞וּ | vaiyifnu | and they turned | H6437 → | 135 times |
| לִפְנֵ֨י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אִ֤ישׁ | ʾish | [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דֶּ֣רֶךְ | derekh | [the] way of | H1870 → | 707 times |
| הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר | hamidbar | the wilderness | H4057 → | 270 times |
| וְהַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה | vehamilchamah | and the battle | H4421 → | 320 times |
| הִדְבִּיקָ֑תְהוּ | hidbikatehu | it overtook him | H1692 → | 54 times |
| וַאֲשֶׁר֙ | vaasher | and [those] who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מֵהֶ֣עָרִ֔ים | mehearim | [were] from the cities | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| מַשְׁחִיתִ֥ים | mashchitim | [were] destroying | H7843 → | 146 times |
| אוֹת֖וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּתוֹכֽוֹ׃ | betokho | in [the] midst of him | H8432 → | 418 times |
וַיִּפְנ֞וּand they turned
vaiyifnuH6437 →135 times
לִפְנֵ֨י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
אִ֤ישׁ[the] man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
דֶּ֣רֶךְ[the] way of
derekhH1870 →707 times
הַמִּדְבָּ֔רthe wilderness
hamidbarH4057 →270 times
וְהַמִּלְחָמָ֖הand the battle
vehamilchamahH4421 →320 times
הִדְבִּיקָ֑תְהוּit overtook him
hidbikatehuH1692 →54 times
וַאֲשֶׁר֙and [those] who
vaasherH834 →5497 times
מֵהֶ֣עָרִ֔ים[were] from the cities
mehearimH5892 →1090 times
מַשְׁחִיתִ֥ים[were] destroying
mashchitimH7843 →146 times
אוֹת֖וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
בְּתוֹכֽוֹ׃in [the] midst of him
betokhoH8432 →418 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
Hosea 9:9They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.
it leads to
- Hosea 10:9
Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?
- Judges 19:16
That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was residing in Gibeah (the men of that place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the field.
- Hosea 8:13
Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat, the LORD does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins: They will return to…
- Hosea 10:9
Through
Joshua 8:15Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.
it leads to
- Joshua 18:12
On the north side their border began at the Jordan, went up past the northern slope of Jericho, headed west through the hill country, and came out at the wilderness of Beth-aven.
- Joshua 18:12
Through
Hosea 10:9Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?
it leads to
- Hosea 9:9
They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.
- Judges 20:5
And during the night, the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house. They intended to kill me, but they abused my concubine, and she died.
- Hosea 9:9
Through
Lamentations 1:3Judah has gone into exile under affliction and harsh slavery; she dwells among the nations but finds no place to rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 28:64–67
Then the LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone, which neither you…
- Lamentations 2:9
Her gates have sunk into the ground; He has destroyed and shattered their bars. Her king and her princes are exiled among the nations, the law is no more, and even her prophets find…
- Deuteronomy 28:64–67
About Judges
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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 and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.