Thereupon all the Israelites—from Dan to Beer-sheba and [from] the land of Gilead—marched forth, and the community assembled as one, before GOD at Mizpah.
The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had come up to Mizpah.aThis sentence is continued at v. 14 below.—The Israelites said, “Tell us, how did this evil thing happen?”
The citizens of Gibeah set out to harm me. They gathered against me around the house in the night; they meant to kill me, and they abused my concubine until she died.
So I took hold of my concubine and I cut her in pieces and sent them through every part of Israel’s territory. For an outrageous act of depravity had been committed in Israel.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ואחז
22
בפילגשי
435
ואנתחה
470
ואשלחה
350
בכלשדה
361
נחלת
488
ישראל
541
כי
30
עשו
376
זמה
52
ונבלה
93
בישראל
543
Judges 20:7
Gematria: 1328
הנהכלכםבניישראלהבולכםדברועצההלם
Now you are all Israelites; produce a plan of action here and now!”
Word-by-Word Analysis
הנה
60
כלכם
110
בני
62
ישראל
541
הבו
13
לכם
90
דבר
206
ועצה
171
הלם
75
Judges 20:8
Gematria: 2562
ויקםכלהעםכאישאחדלאמרלאנלךאישלאהלוולאנסוראישלביתו
Then all the people rose as one and declared, “We will not go back to our homes, we will not enter our houses!
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויקם
156
כלהעם
165
כאיש
331
אחד
13
לאמר
271
לא
31
נלך
100
איש
311
לאהלו
72
ולא
37
נסור
316
איש
311
לביתו
448
Judges 20:9
Gematria: 2096
ועתהזההדבראשרנעשהלגבעהעליהבגורל
But this is what we will do to Gibeah: [we will wage war] against it according to lot.
We will take from all the tribes of Israel ten of every hundred, a hundred of every thousand, and a thousand of every ten thousand to supply provisions for the troops—to prepare for their going to Geba in Benjaminbto prepare for their going to Geba in Benjamin Emendation yields “for those who go to requite Gibeah.” for all the outrage it has committed in Israel.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ולקחנו
200
עשרה
575
אנשים
401
למאה
76
לכל
80
שבטי
321
ישראל
541
ומאה
52
לאלף
141
ואלף
117
לרבבה
239
לקחת
538
צדה
99
לעם
140
לעשות
806
לבואם
79
לגבע
105
בנימן
152
ככלהנבלה
162
אשר
501
עשה
375
בישראל
543
Judges 20:11
Gematria: 2059
ויאסףכלאישישראלאלהעירכאישאחדחבריםפ
So Israel’s entire force, united as one, massed against the town.
And the tribes of Israel sent agents through the whole tribectribe Heb. plural. of Benjamin, saying, “What is this evil thing that has happened among you?
Come, hand over those scoundrels in Gibeah so that we may put them to death and stamp out the evil from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would not yield to the demand of their fellow Israelites.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ועתה
481
תנו
456
אתהאנשים
807
בניבליעל
204
אשר
501
בגבעה
82
ונמיתם
546
ונבערה
333
רעה
275
מישראל
581
ולא
37
אבו
9
בני
62
בנימן
152
לשמע
440
בקול
138
אחיהם
64
בניישראל
603
Judges 20:14
Gematria: 2664
ויאספובניבנימןמןהעריםהגבעתהלצאתלמלחמהעםבניישראל
So the Benjaminites gathered from their towns to Gibeah in order to take the field against the Israelites.
dMeaning of parts of vv. 15 and 16 uncertain. On that day the Benjaminites mustered from the towns 26,000 fighters, mustered apart from the inhabitants of Gibeah; 700 elite troops
They proceeded to Bethel and inquired of God; the Israelites asked, “Who of us shall advance first to fight the Benjaminites?” And GOD replied, “Judah first.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויקמו
162
ויעלו
122
ביתאל
443
וישאלו
353
באלהים
88
ויאמרו
263
בני
62
ישראל
541
מי
50
יעלהלנו
201
בתחלה
445
למלחמה
153
עםבני
172
בנימן
152
ויאמר
257
יהוה
26
יהודה
30
בתחלה
445
Judges 20:19
Gematria: 1340
ויקומובניישראלבבקרויחנועלהגבעה
So the Israelites arose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.
For the Israelites had gone up and wept before GOD until evening. They had inquired of GOD, “Shall we again join battle with our kinsmen the Benjaminites?” And GOD had replied, “March against them.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויעלו
122
בניישראל
603
ויבכו
44
לפנייהוה
196
עדהערב
351
וישאלו
353
ביהוה
28
לאמר
271
האוסיף
162
לגשת
733
למלחמה
153
עםבני
172
בנימן
152
אחי
19
ויאמר
257
יהוה
26
עלו
106
אליופ
127
Judges 20:24
Gematria: 1595
ויקרבובניישראלאלבניבנימןביוםהשני
The Israelites advanced against the Benjaminites on the second day.
Then all the Israelites, all the army, went up and came to Bethel and they sat there, weeping before GOD. They fasted that day until evening, and presented burnt offerings and offerings of well-being to GOD.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויעלו
122
כלבני
112
ישראל
541
וכלהעם
171
ויבאו
25
ביתאל
443
ויבכו
44
וישבו
324
שם
340
לפני
170
יהוה
26
ויצומו
158
ביוםההוא
75
עדהערב
351
ויעלו
122
עלות
506
ושלמים
426
לפני
170
יהוה
26
Judges 20:27
Gematria: 2442
וישאלובניישראלביהוהושםארוןבריתהאלהיםבימיםההם
The Israelites inquired of GOD (for the Ark of God’s Covenant was there in those days,
and Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest ministered before [God] in those days), “Shall we again take the field against our kinsmen the Benjaminites, or shall we not?” GOD answered, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hands.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ופינחס
214
בןאלעזר
360
בןאהרן
308
עמד
114
לפניו
176
בימים
102
ההם
50
לאמר
271
האוסף
152
עוד
80
לצאת
521
למלחמה
153
עםבניבנימן
324
אחי
19
אםאחדל
84
ויאמר
257
יהוה
26
עלו
106
כי
30
מחר
248
אתננו
507
בידך
36
Judges 20:29
Gematria: 1420
וישםישראלארביםאלהגבעהסביבפ
Israel set up ambushes against Gibeah on all sides.
The Benjaminites dashed out to meet the army and were drawn away from the town onto the roads, of which one runs to Bethel and the other to Gibeah. As before, they started out by striking some of the troops dead in the open field, about 30 of the Israelites.
The Benjaminites thought, “They are being routed before us as previously.” But the Israelites had planned: “We will take to flight and draw them away from the town to the roads.”
And while everyone else on Israel’s side had moved away from their positions and had drawn up in battle order at Baal-tamar, the Israelite ambush was rushing out from its position at Maareh-geba.eMaareh-geba Emendation yields “west of Gibeah.”
Thus 10,000 of the best troops from all Israel came to a point south offsouth of So many Heb. mss. and Targum; most mss. and the editions read “opposite.” Gibeah, and the battle was furious. Before they realized that disaster was approaching,
Then the Benjaminites realized that they were routed.gThen the Benjaminites realized that they were routed This sentence is continued by v. 45. Now the rest of Israel’s side had yielded ground to the Benjaminites, for they relied on the ambush that they had laid against Gibeah.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויראו
223
בניבנימן
214
כי
30
נגפו
139
ויתנו
472
אישישראל
852
מקום
186
לבנימן
182
כי
30
בטחו
25
אלהארב
239
אשרשמו
847
אלהגבעה
116
Judges 20:37
Gematria: 2756
והארבהחישוויפשטואלהגבעהוימשךהארבויךאתכלהעירלפיחרב
One ambush quickly deployed against Gibeah, and the other ambush advanced and put the whole town to the sword.
Word-by-Word Analysis
והארב
214
החישו
329
ויפשטו
411
אלהגבעה
116
וימשך
376
הארב
208
ויך
36
אתכלהעיר
736
לפיחרב
330
Judges 20:38
Gematria: 3680
והמועדהיהלאישישראלעםהארבהרבלהעלותםמשאתהעשןמןהעיר
A time had been agreed upon by the rest of Israel’s side with those in ambush: When a huge column of smoke was sent up from the town,
the rest of Israel’s side was to turn about in battle. Benjamin had begun by striking dead about 30 men on Israel’s side, and they thought, “They are being routed before us as in the previous fighting.”
But when the column, the pillar of smoke, began to rise from the city, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and there was the whole town going up in smoke to the sky!
Word-by-Word Analysis
והמשאת
752
החלה
48
לעלות
536
מןהעיר
375
עמוד
120
עשן
420
ויפן
146
בנימן
152
אחריו
225
והנה
66
עלה
105
כלילהעיר
375
השמימה
400
Judges 20:41
Gematria: 2269
ואישישראלהפךויבהלאישבנימןכיראהכינגעהעליוהרעה
And now Israel’s side turned about, and Benjamin’s side was thrown into panic, for they realized that disaster had overtaken them.
They retreated before Israel’s force along the road to the wilderness, where the fighting caught up with them; meanwhile those from the townshfrom the towns Meaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “in the town” (i.e., Gibeah). were massacring them in it.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויפנו
152
לפני
170
איש
311
ישראל
541
אלדרך
255
המדבר
251
והמלחמה
134
הדביקתהו
532
ואשר
507
מהערים
365
משחיתים
808
אותו
413
בתוכו
434
Judges 20:43
Gematria: 3020
כתרואתבנימןהרדיפהומנוחההדריכהועדנכחהגבעהממזרחשמש
iMeaning of verse uncertain. They encircled the Benjaminites, pursued them, and trod them down [from] Menuhah to a point opposite Gibeah on the east.
Word-by-Word Analysis
כתרו
626
אתבנימן
553
הרדיפהו
310
מנוחה
109
הדריכהו
250
עד
74
נכח
78
הגבעה
85
ממזרחשמש
935
Judges 20:44
Gematria: 2607
ויפלומבנימןשמנהעשראלףאישאתכלאלהאנשיחיל
That day 18,000 of the Benjaminites fell, all of them brave men.
They turned and fled to the wilderness, to the Rock of Rimmon; but [the Israelites] picked off another 5,000 on the roads and, continuing in hot pursuit of them up to Gidom, they slew 2,000 more.
Those on Israel’s side, meanwhile, turned back to the rest of the Benjaminites and put them to the sword—towns, people, cattle—everything that remained. Finally, they set fire to all the towns that were left.