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Judges 20:39

Benjamin

37 The men in ambush rushed suddenly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword.

38 The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city,

the men of Israel would turn in the battle. When the Benjamites had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They are defeated before us as in the first battle.”

40 But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke.

41 Then the men of Israel turned back on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had come upon them.

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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
the men of Israel would turn in the battle. When the Benjamites had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They are defeated before us as in the first battle.”
KJV
And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
WEB
The men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, “Surely they are struck down before us, as in the first battle.”
ASV
And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
DARBY
And when the men of Israel turned back in the battle, Benjamin began to smite, slaying of the men of Israel about thirty men; for they said, Surely they are quite routed before us as in the first battle.
BLB
and the men of Israel would turn in the battle. And Benjamin had begun to strike [and] kill of the men of Israel—about thirty men—for they said, “Surely he is utterly struck before us, as [in] the first battle.”
ÅB
Så vendte da Israels menn seg om i striden - Benjamin hadde i førstningen felt noen av Israels menn, omkring tretti mann, og sa derfor: Sannelig de ligger under for oss, slik som i det første slag.
OTB
I det øyeblikket ville israelittene starte sitt motangrep. Benjaminittene hadde begynt å påføre israelittene tap (omtrent tretti), og de sa: "Vi beseirer dem som i den første kampen."
B1930
Så vendte da Israels menn sig om i striden - Benjamin hadde i førstningen felt nogen av Israels menn, omkring tretti mann, og sa derfor: Sannelig de ligger under for oss, likesom i det første slag.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Judges 20:32

    “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.”

    Read in context