Judges 20:34
32 “We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”
33 So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah.
Then 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.
35 The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords.
36 Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated. Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Then 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.
- 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.
- WEB
- Ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel came over against Gibeah, and the battle was severe; but they didn’t know that disaster was close to them.
- 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.
- DARBY
- And there came from opposite Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was severe; but they knew not that disaster was coming upon them.
- BLB
- And came over against Gibeah ten thousand select men from all Israel, and the battle was fierce. And they did not know that evil [was] upon them.
- ÅB
- Og ti tusen utvalgte menn av hele Israel kom like foran Gibea, og striden ble hård; men Benjamins barn visste ikke at ulykken var like innpå dem.
- OTB
- Ti tusen av Israels utvalgte menn satte i gang et frontalangrep på Gibea. Kampen var intens, og benjaminittene innså ikke at katastrofen var nær.
- B1930
- Og ti tusen utvalgte menn av hele Israel kom like foran Gibea, og striden blev hård; men Benjamins barn visste ikke at ulykken var like innpå dem.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Isaiah 47:11
But 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 and unexpectedly.
Read in contextJoshua 8:14
When 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 he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city.
Read in contextJob 21:13
They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace.
Read in contextIsaiah 3:10–11
Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.
Read in contextEcclesiastes 8:11–12
When the sentence for a crime is not speedily executed, the hearts of men become fully set on doing evil.
Read in contextEcclesiastes 9:12
For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them.
Read in contextLuke 21:34
But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.
Read in context1 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.
Read in context