Judges 20:37 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush moved out and struck all the city with the edge of the sword.

NIV: Those who had been in ambush made a sudden dash into Gibeah, spread out and put the whole city to the sword.

NASB: the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush also deployed and struck all the city with the edge of the sword.

CSB: The men in ambush had rushed quickly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword.

NLT: Then those who were hiding rushed in from all sides and killed everyone in the town.

KJV: And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

NKJV: And the men in ambush quickly rushed upon Gibeah; the men in ambush spread out and struck the whole city with the edge of the sword.

The army of the tribe of Benjamin is chasing down the armies of Israel (Judges 20:32–34). Israel appears to be in full retreat to the north, and Benjamin believes this to be a chance for thorough victory. Benjamin's military leaders don't realize this is a trap: the retreat is a lure, to draw the bulk of Benjamin's army away from the city (Judges 20:29–31).

Now the part of Israel's army waiting nearby the city emerges from their hiding spot to attack Gibeah. These men were earlier depicted as specially chosen fighters (Judges 20:34). Though the battle was intense, it soon becomes clear that Israel will be victorious. They conquer the city, wiping out the remaining population. Gibeah suffers God's judgment for enabling sexual immorality, violence, and murder (Judges 19:22–28).

Judges 20:35–48 starts with a summary of the final conflict between the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of Israel. This is followed by details about how that result was obtained. The prior passage explained the other eleven tribes preparing for war, struggling, then eventually finding a winning strategy. Benjamin's armies are almost completely wiped out. Israel rages through the territory, destroying everything and everyone they encounter. Only 600 men remain alive out of the entire tribe.

A massive army collected from eleven of the twelve tribes of Israel gather near the town of Gibeah. Their goal is to purge evil from the land (Judges 19:22–28). The tribe of Benjamin refuses to cooperate. Instead, they assemble an army about one-fifteenth the size of Israel's army. After two failed attempts and a promise of victory from the Lord, Israel uses a false retreat and ambush strategy to destroy Gibeah. This results in the loss of Benjamin's entire army. Israel's wrath spills over onto the territory, itself. All the people, animals, and towns in the tribe's territory are attacked, and it appears that only 600 Benjaminite men survive.

In the prior chapter, Benjaminite men of the town of Gibeah committed an act of heinous sin (Judges 19:22–25). In response, the murdered woman's husband rallies Israel with a gruesome message (Judges 19:29–30). Chapter 20 depicts how the tribe of Benjamin refuses to hand over the guilty men. Civil war ensues, resulting in near-total annihilation of their tribe. This creates a new crisis in Israel, as described in chapter 21; Israel doesn't want Benjamin to become extinct.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).

Accessed 5/3/2024 11:46:25 PM