Then the children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day cut down to the ground twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites.
Parallel translations
- WEB The children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day destroyed twenty-two thousand of the Israelite men down to the ground.
- KJV And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.
- BSB And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.
- NASB Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and struck to the ground on that day twenty-two thousand men of Israel.
- NLT But Benjamin’s warriors, who were defending the town, came out and killed 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Benjamin sallied out and killed 22,000 Israelites on the first day, a shocking defeat for the larger army.
Overview
Despite their overwhelming numbers and God's directive that Judah go first, Israel suffered a catastrophic loss. The text does not yet explain why, but it exposes Israel's presumption: they had inquired about strategy without deep repentance over the moral decay running through the whole nation. The defeat humbles them and begins to drive them to true seeking of the Lord.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Jer 12:1You are righteous, Yahweh, when I contend with you; yet I would reason the cause with you: why does the way of the wicked prosper? why are all they at ease who deal very treacherously?
- Judg 20:25Benjamin went out against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men. All these drew the sword.
- Hos 10:9“Israel, you have sinned from the days of Gibeah. There they remained. The battle against the children of iniquity doesn’t overtake them in Gibeah.
- 2 Chr 28:10Now you intend to degrade the children of Judah and Jerusalem as male and female slaves for yourselves. Aren’t there even with you trespasses of your own against Yahweh your God?
- Eccl 9:1–3For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them.
- Ps 77:19Your way was through the sea; your paths through the great waters. Your footsteps were not known.
- Gen 49:27“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.”
- Ps 73:18–19Surely you set them in slippery places. You throw them down to destruction.
- Ps 33:16There is no king saved by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
- Deut 23:9When you go out and camp against your enemies, then you shall keep yourselves from every evil thing.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 20:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.