Judges 20:36
34 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.
35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.
So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.
37 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.
38 Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.
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 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.
- KJV
- So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.
- WEB
- So the children of Benjamin saw that they were struck, for the men of Israel yielded to Benjamin because they trusted the ambushers whom they had set against Gibeah.
- ASV
- So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten; for the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted unto the liers-in-wait whom they had set against Gibeah.
- DARBY
- And the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten. And the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted to the ambush that they had set against Gibeah.
- BLB
- And the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. And the men of Israel had given ground to Benjamin, because they trusted in those lying in wait whom they had set against Gibeah.
- ÅB
- Benjamins barn tenkte først at Israels menn var slått; for de trakk seg tilbake for Benjamin, idet de satte sin lit til det bakhold de hadde lagt mot Gibea.
- OTB
- Benjaminittene så at de var beseiret. Israels menn hadde gitt vei foran Benjamin fordi de stolte på bakholdet de hadde satt nær Gibea.
- B1930
- Benjamins barn tenkte først at Israels menn var slått; for de trakk sig tilbake for Benjamin, idet de satte sin lit til det bakhold de hadde lagt mot Gibea.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Joshua 8:15–29
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
Read in context