Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, August 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

Judges 20:39

And when the children of Israel saw this in the battle, (for the children of Benjamin thought they fled, and pursued them vigorously, killing thirty men of their army)

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ambush;   Armies;   Strategy;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Benjamin, Tribe of;   Jews, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Benjamin;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ambush;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Gibeah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gibeah;   War;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
the men of Israel would return to the battle. When Benjamin had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They’re defeated before us, just as they were in the first battle.”
Hebrew Names Version
The men of Yisra'el turned in the battle, and Binyamin began to strike and kill of the men of Yisra'el about thirty persons; for they said, Surely they are struck down before us, as in the first battle.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to inflict casualties on about thirty men of Israel because they thought, "They will be completely defeated before us as in the first battle."
English Standard Version
the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, "Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle."
New Century Version
Then the army of Israel turned around in the battle. The Benjaminites had killed about thirty Israelites. They were saying, "We are winning, as in the first battle!"
New English Translation
the Israelites counterattacked. Benjamin had begun to strike down the Israelites; they struck down about thirty men. They said, "There's no doubt about it! They are totally defeated as in the earlier battle."
Amplified Bible
So the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel, for they said, "Certainly they are defeated before us as in the first battle!"
New American Standard Bible
Then the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel, for they said, "Undoubtedly they are defeated before us, as in the first battle."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when the men of Israel retired in the battel, Beniamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirtie persons: for they said, Surely they are striken downe before vs, as in the first battell.
Legacy Standard Bible
Daarom het die manne van Israel omgedraai in die geveg; en die Benjaminiete het begin om onder die manne van Israel sommige neer te slaan, omtrent dertig man, want hulle het gedink: Hy is regtig heeltemal voor ons verslaan soos in die vorige geveg.
Complete Jewish Bible
at which time the men of Isra'el would turn back. When this happened, Binyamin began to attack. They killed about thirty of Isra'el's men and said, "Clearly we're defeating them again, as in the first battle."
Darby Translation
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.
Easy-to-Read Version
The army of Benjamin had killed about 30 Israelite soldiers. So the men of Benjamin were saying, "We are winning, as before." But then a big cloud of smoke began to rise from the city. The men of Benjamin turned around and saw the smoke. The whole city was on fire. Then the army of Israel stopped running away. They turned around and began to fight. The men of Benjamin were afraid because they knew that a terrible thing had happened to them.
George Lamsa Translation
And when the men of Israel retreated in the battle, the Benjamites killed of the men of Israel about thirty men; for they said. Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.
Good News Translation
the Israelites out on the battlefield were to turn around. By this time the Benjaminites had already killed the thirty Israelites. They told themselves, "Yes, we've beaten them just as before."
Literal Translation
And the men of Israel turned in battle, and Benjamin had begun to strike, causing some to be slain of the men of Israel, about thirty men. For they said, Surely they are stricken down before us, as at the first battle.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now whan the men of Israel turned them in the battayll, and Ben Iamin beganne to smyte the wounded in Israel vpon a thirtie men, and thoughte, they are smytten before vs, like as in the battayll afore,
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
The men of Israel were to make a turn about in the fight. And Benjamin had overcome and put to death about thirty of the men of Israel, and were saying, Certainly they are falling back before us as in the first fight.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when the men of Israel retired in ye battell, Beniamin began to smyte dead of the children of Israel about a thirtie persons, and sayde: Surely they are stricken downe before vs, as in the first battell.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.'
King James Version (1611)
And when the men of Israel retired in the battell, Beniamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirtie persons; for they saide, Surely they are smitten downe before vs, as in the first battell.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the children of Israel saw that the liers in wait had seized Gabaa, and they stood in line of battle; and Benjamin began to smite down wounded ones among the men of Israel about thirty men; for they said, Surely they fall again before us, as in the first battle.
English Revised Version
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.:
Berean Standard Bible
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."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne the sones of Israel set in thilke batel sien this; for the sones of Beniamyn gessiden hem to fle, and thei sueden bisiliere, whanne thretti men of her oost weren slayn;
Young's Literal Translation
And the men of Israel turn in battle, and Benjamin hath begun to smite the wounded among the men of Israel, about thirty men, for they said, `Surely they are utterly smitten before us, as [at] the first battle;
Update Bible Version
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.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
World English Bible
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.
New King James Version
whereupon the men of Israel would turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty of the men of Israel. For they said, "Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle."
New Living Translation
When the Israelites saw the smoke, they turned and attacked Benjamin's warriors. By that time Benjamin's warriors had killed about thirty Israelites, and they shouted, "We're defeating them as we did in the first battle!"
New Life Bible
Then the men of Israel turned around to fight in battle. Benjamin began to fight and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, "For sure they are destroyed in front of us as in the first battle."
New Revised Standard
the main body of Israel should turn in battle. But Benjamin had begun to inflict casualties on the Israelites, killing about thirty of them; so they thought, "Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So, when the men of Israel turned in the battle, - and, the Benjamites, began to smite and slay of the sons of Israel, about thirty men, for they said, Yea! they are, smitten, before us, as in the first battle,
Revised Standard Version
the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to smite and kill about thirty men of Israel; they said, "Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel, for they said, "Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle."

Contextual Overview

26 Wherefore all the children of Israel came to the house of God, and sat and wept before the Lord: and they fasted that day till the evening, and offered to him holocausts, and victims of peace offerings, 27 And inquired of him concerning their state. At that time the ark of the covenant of the Lord was there, 28 And Phinees, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was over the house. So they consulted the Lord, and said: Shall we go out any more to fight against the children of Benjamin, our brethren, or shall we cease? And the Lord said to them: Go up, for to morrow I will deliver them into your hands. 29 And the children of Israel set ambushes round about the city of Gabaa: 30 And they drew up their army against Benjamin the third time, as they had done the first and second. 31 And the children of Benjamin boldly issued out of the city, and seeing their enemies flee, pursued them a long way, so as to wound and kill some of them, as they had done the first and second day, whilst they fled by two highways, whereof one goeth up to Bethel and the other to Gabaa, and they slew about thirty men: 32 For they thought to cut them off as they did before. But they artfully feigning a flight, designed to draw them away from the city, and by their seeming to flee, to bring them to the highways aforesaid. 33 Then all the children of Israel rising up out of the places where they were, set their army in battle array, in the place which is called Baalthamar. The ambushes also, which were about the city, began by little and little to come forth, 34 And to march from the west side of the city. And other ten thousand men chosen out of all Israel, attacked the inhabitants of the city. And the battle grew hot against the children of Benjamin: and they understood not that present death threatened them on every side. 35 And the Lord defeated them before the children of Israel, and they slew of them in that day five and twenty thousand, and one hundred, all fighting men, and that drew the sword.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

And when: Judges 20:31

smite and kill: Heb. smite the wounded

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when the men of Israel retired in the battle,.... Which is before expressed by their fleeing, and giving place to the Benjaminites, and was only an artifice of theirs, to draw them off from the city:

Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; which was done in the highways leading to Shiloh and Gibeah in the field, Judges 20:31

for they said, surely they are smitten down before us as in the first battle; when the greater number of the Israelites were slain by them.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile