Judges 20 21

Judges 20:21 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.

Judges 20:21 nkjv

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.

Judges 20:21 niv

The Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down twenty-two thousand Israelites on the battlefield that day.

Judges 20:21 esv

The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites.

Judges 20:21 nlt

But Benjamin's warriors, who were defending the town, came out and killed 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.

Judges 20 verses

Judges 20 21 Meaning

This verse describes the initial encounter in the civil war between the tribes of Israel and Benjamin, resulting in a decisive defeat for the Israelite confederacy. Despite believing they were acting on divine instruction and righteousness, the collective Israelite forces suffered a devastating loss, with eighteen thousand of their men killed by the Benjamites on that day. It highlights a critical moment of divine judgment or testing for Israel, exposing their unacknowledged pride and incomplete understanding of God's will.

Judges 20 21 Context

Judges 20 opens with the collective tribes of Israel gathering at Mizpah, outraged by the heinous crime committed by the men of Gibeah in Benjamin (the rape and murder of the Levite's concubine, detailed in Jdg 19). All the fighting men from Dan to Beersheba and from Gilead assemble, determined to confront the Benjamites who are shielding the perpetrators. They vow not to return home until justice is served. Before marching to Gibeah, they inquire of God at Bethel, asking which tribe should lead the charge. The Lord instructs Judah to go first. However, Israel's inquiry, though seemingly devout, was likely superficial. They presumed God's immediate favor and assured victory simply because their cause seemed just to them, overlooking their own spiritual deficiencies and widespread moral decay (Judges 17-21 shows widespread apostasy in Israel, "everyone did what was right in his own eyes"). The stunning defeat in verse 21 serves as a severe and unexpected rebuke, challenging Israel's self-righteous indignation and revealing that their perceived righteousness was insufficient in God's eyes, and that their unity against Benjamin masked their own profound disunity with God.

Judges 20 21 Word analysis

• Then the men of Israel went out against Benjamin:

  • "men of Israel" (ʼîš Yiśrāʼēl): Refers to the collective confederacy of the tribes of Israel (excluding Benjamin). It signifies the majority of the nation unified against one of its own tribes, believing they represent the divine mandate for justice.
  • "went out" (yātsaʼ): A standard term for an army marching forth for battle. It denotes their intention and movement towards conflict. The very act implies conviction and preparation.
  • "against Benjamin" (ʻal Binyāmīn): Highlights the target of their military action – a direct internal conflict. This phrasing emphasizes the severity of brothers fighting brothers, unprecedented on such a scale.

• and the men of Israel were defeated before Benjamin:

  • "were defeated" (nāgaf): This verb means to be struck down, smitten, or overthrown. Crucially, in a theological context, nāgaf often implies a divine blow or a defeat allowed by God. It is not merely that they lost the battle; they were smitten by Benjamin, implying that God permitted or orchestrated this defeat as a judgment, rather than the natural outcome of battle strategy.
  • "before Benjamin" (liphnei Binyāmīn): Means in the presence of Benjamin, or facing Benjamin. It signifies a clear, direct, and unambiguous loss in battle, not a strategic retreat or skirmish. The larger Israelite force was humbled by the smaller Benjamite contingent.

• and the sons of Benjamin killed eighteen thousand men of Israel that day:

  • "sons of Benjamin" (bənê Binyāmīn): Emphasizes the tribal identity of the victors. It points to the direct agency of Benjamin, while the ultimate cause is implied by "were defeated" (divine permission).
  • "killed eighteen thousand men": A substantial and staggering number, representing a devastating casualty count for the Israelites in a single day. This number underscores the severity of the defeat and serves as a shocking revelation of God's disfavor, or His testing, despite their prior inquiry. It demonstrates the dire cost of fighting with self-righteousness rather than true spiritual alignment.
  • "that day": Emphasizes the swiftness and immediacy of the judgment and loss. The entirety of this overwhelming defeat happened within a single engagement.

Judges 20 21 Bonus section

The scale of the defeat, 18,000 men, would have been culturally understood as not merely a tactical loss but a significant national calamity. Given the entire army of Benjamin was only around 26,000 (Jdg 20:17), this casualty figure is equivalent to losing a very substantial portion, if not the entirety, of a major tribal force within the larger Israelite confederacy. This indicates a near-rout, demonstrating God's sovereign control even over the outcome of a seemingly righteous cause, when His people's heart posture is not fully aligned with Him. It's a vivid lesson that even divinely appointed tasks require humility, self-reflection, and complete dependence, not just numerical superiority or presumed moral high ground. The silence of God after the initial inquiry (until their subsequent humbling) is a key feature here; He gave permission to fight but not a promise of immediate victory.

Judges 20 21 Commentary

Judges 20:21 stands as a stark and humbling reversal of expectations for the Israelite confederacy. Having gathered an immense army and purportedly consulted the Lord, they advanced against Benjamin with presumed divine endorsement for their cause. However, their subsequent and decisive defeat by the smaller tribe of Benjamin reveals a critical spiritual truth: God's command to "go up" (Jdg 20:18) was not a blanket guarantee of immediate victory, nor an affirmation of their self-righteous anger. Rather, it was a test designed to expose their underlying presumption and spiritual superficiality.

The massive casualty count of eighteen thousand men in a single day was intended to be a profound shock, signaling that something was deeply amiss. Israel had focused solely on Benjamin's sin, neglecting to examine their own hearts or the pervasive moral decay that characterized their era (as described in Judges 17-19, "everyone did what was right in his own eyes"). Their initial inquiry to God was perhaps mechanical rather than heartfelt. They saw themselves as agents of divine justice, yet failed to recognize that true justice begins with humility and repentance, especially when one's own hands are far from clean. This defeat served as a divine blow, compelling Israel to a deeper, more agonizing self-examination, and later, more fervent supplication before the Lord (Jdg 20:23, 26). It demonstrates that God's approval and success are not merely granted based on a "good cause," but on the spiritual state and true submission of His people.