Judges 20:43 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gibeah on the east.

NIV: They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them and easily overran them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east.

NASB: They surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest, and trampled them down opposite Gibeah toward the east.

CSB: They surrounded the Benjaminites, pursued them, and easily overtook them near Gibeah toward the east.

NLT: The Israelites surrounded the men of Benjamin and chased them relentlessly, finally overtaking them east of Gibeah.

KJV: Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

NKJV: They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them, and easily trampled them down as far as the front of Gibeah toward the east.

The fighters of Benjamin realized their mistake in being drawn out of the city of Gibeah. They thought they were chasing down a fleeing Israelite army—in truth, they were headed into a trap. Once they see the smoke of Gibeah's destruction, it's too late to counter (Judges 20:40–41). They attempt to run for their lives into the wilderness, but the forces they were chasing floods behind them from the west and circles around to their north. Meanwhile, the soldiers who have destroyed Gibeah pursue the fleeing Benjaminites from the south and take positions to the east.

In short order, the army of Benjamin is surrounded. All that remains is for the Israelite soldiers to run them down, one by one, across the expansive area in between.

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 8:58:31 PM