Judges 20 35

Judges 20:35 kjv

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.

Judges 20:35 nkjv

The LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel. And the children of Israel destroyed that day twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjamites; all these drew the sword.

Judges 20:35 niv

The LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel, and on that day the Israelites struck down 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords.

Judges 20:35 esv

And the LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who drew the sword.

Judges 20:35 nlt

So the LORD helped Israel defeat Benjamin, and that day the Israelites killed 25,100 of Benjamin's warriors, all of whom were experienced swordsmen.

Judges 20 verses

Judges 20 35 Meaning

The Lord definitively intervened on the third day of the civil war, granting Israel victory over the tribe of Benjamin. This intervention enabled the people of Israel to completely defeat the Benjamite forces, resulting in the destruction of 25,100 armed men from Benjamin on that day, as an act of divine judgment against their wickedness and stubborn rebellion.

Judges 20 35 Context

Judges 20:35 culminates the tragic civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and the other eleven tribes of Israel. This conflict was sparked by an unspeakable act of depravity—the gang rape and murder of a Levite's concubine in Gibeah of Benjamin (Judges 19). When the rest of Israel gathered to demand justice and the surrender of the perpetrators, Benjamin stubbornly refused, choosing to protect the wicked men of Gibeah.

Despite Israel's initial righteousness in seeking justice, they suffered two crushing defeats, losing thousands of their men in battle. These defeats humbled them, prompting profound repentance, fasting, and intense prayer before the Lord. Judges 20:35 marks the turning point where, after Israel’s deep contrition and a specific assurance from God, divine intervention secured their victory. It highlights that God's people could only prevail through His direct power, not their own, especially when fighting against grave sin within their own ranks in a period where "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25).

Judges 20 35 Word analysis

• So the Lord defeated (וַיִּגֹּף יְהוָה - vayyiggōp YHWH):
  • vayyiggōp: Derived from nāgaph, meaning "to strike," "smite," or "defeat decisively." In this context, it frequently denotes a divine action, often with devastating consequences, like a plague or a crushing blow from God. Its usage here emphasizes that the victory was not due to Israel's military might or tactical genius (which had failed twice), but a direct, powerful, and supernatural intervention by God. It directly fulfills God's promise given in Judges 20:28.
  • YHWH: The covenant name of God. It signifies the active, personal, and sovereign God of Israel. His intervention demonstrates His holiness, His justice, and His faithfulness to His covenant even when administering judgment upon His own people.
• Benjamin (בִּנְיָמִן - Binyamin): One of the twelve tribes of Israel. The subject of God's direct action and judgment due to their unrepentant sin and defiant solidarity with the wickedness of Gibeah.
• before Israel (לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - lifnēy Yisrāʾēl): Literally, "in the face of Israel" or "in the presence of Israel." This means the defeat of Benjamin was clearly evident and witnessed by the Israelite army. It was an unmistakable divine vindication and a public display of God’s power and righteousness.
• and the people of Israel destroyed (וַיַּשְׁמִדוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - vayyašmîdū bənēy Yisrāʾēl):
  • vayyašmîdū: From šāmad, "to utterly destroy," "annihilate," "exterminate." This powerful verb signifies a complete and total obliteration. While God gave the victory, the tribes of Israel were the human instruments carrying out His righteous judgment, indicating their active participation in the divine command.
  • bənēy Yisrāʾēl: "Sons of Israel" or "people of Israel." The unified tribal army (minus Benjamin) acted collectively in executing the judgment.
• 25,100 men (עֶשְׂרִים וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת וּמֵאָה וְאֶחָד אִישׁ - ʿesrīm waḥǎmēš mēʾôt ûmēʾâ wᵉʾeḥād ʾîš): A precise and substantial number, highlighting the massive scale of the military defeat. This figure underscores the severity of God's judgment and the devastating cost of sin and rebellion, even within His covenant community. The specific number often suggests authenticity or historical meticulousness, though the primary theological emphasis is on the totality of the judgment.
• of Benjamin (מִבִּנְיָמִן - mibbinyāmin): Clearly identifies the recipients of this decisive judgment.
• that day (בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא - bayyôm hahûʾ): Refers to the third day of the battle. This specification is crucial because it was only on this day, after Israel's deep repentance and renewed seeking of God's will, that the decisive victory occurred. It distinguishes this divine intervention from the previous two days of Israel's losses.
• all of whom carried swords (כֹּל שׁוֹלֵף חֶרֶב - kol šôlēp ḥereb): Literally, "every sword-drawing one." This clarifies that those who fell were combatants, not civilians. It means the fighting force of Benjamin was virtually wiped out, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of the judgment on their military strength. It also implies they were fully equipped and ready for battle, making God's decisive intervention even more remarkable.

Words-Group Analysis

• "So the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel": This opening clause is paramount. It emphasizes divine initiative. The preceding defeats of Israel demonstrate their own inability to prevail. This sentence pivots the narrative to God's sovereign hand, making it clear that the ultimate victory was solely His doing, a direct answer to Israel's repentance and earnest inquiry, visible to all the gathered tribes. It shifts the focus from human struggle to divine execution of justice.
• "and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day, all of whom carried swords": This part clarifies the execution of the divine judgment. While God grants the victory, Israel is His active instrument. The precise numerical detail combined with the specific description ("all of whom carried swords") signifies the overwhelming nature of the defeat upon Benjamin's fighting force, aligning with the principles of divine judgment where a rebellious group's military power is decisively broken. It demonstrates the completeness of the judgment against those who defied God's moral order.

Judges 20 35 Bonus section

• The pattern of Israel suffering initial defeats before ultimate victory after repentance (Judges 20:21, 25, then 35) is a recurrent biblical motif illustrating God's desire for His people's full reliance and true humility before granting success.
• The very specific and precise numbers given for the dead (25,100 here, plus other numbers for subsequent cleanup operations) reflect the meticulous accounting characteristic of the historical records within the Old Testament. This detail underscores the gravity and devastating scale of the event, emphasizing a thorough execution of divine judgment rather than a vague victory.
• This tragic civil war among the covenant people is an extreme manifestation of the repeating theme in Judges: "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6, 21:25). Benjamin's sin, and the subsequent judgment, were direct consequences of this pervasive moral and spiritual anarchy.

Judges 20 35 Commentary

Judges 20:35 marks the climactic moment of divine judgment in Israel's tragic civil war. After two humbling defeats despite their initial, albeit incomplete, efforts to seek God's will, the united tribes of Israel finally achieved victory only after sincere repentance, prolonged weeping, fasting, and sacrificial offerings before the Lord. The text emphasizes that "the Lord defeated Benjamin," directly attributing the victory not to Israel's strategy or strength, but to God's sovereign intervention. This highlights a crucial biblical truth: true victory in God's eyes comes through humility, obedience, and divine enablement, especially when addressing systemic sin. The devastating count of 25,100 Benjamite warriors slain on that day signifies the utter thoroughness of this divine judgment against Benjamin's stubborn and unrepentant protection of grave evil. This painful event underscored the high cost of moral depravity and defiance against God's standards within the covenant community itself. It was a cleansing act, albeit tragically bloody, setting a precedent that even among God's people, unaddressed sin draws His fierce and just judgment.