And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.

JUDGES 20:10KJV
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Judges 20:10 (KJV)

What does Judges 20:10 mean?

Judges 20:10 describes Israel’s assembly arranging supplies for an expedition against Gibeah. The people plan to set aside one-tenth of their men to provide food, so the rest can respond to the terrible act committed there.

The three ratios—ten out of a hundred, a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand—all express the same proportion. Following the decision to go against Gibeah in verse 9, the assembly makes a practical plan for supporting the force drawn from the tribes.

The Hebrew behind Judges 20:10

  • “victual” — צֵידָה (tsedah): This means provisions or food for a journey. The word shows that the selected men are to supply the people taking part in the expedition.
  • “folly” — נְבָלָה (nevalah): This can mean a disgraceful or outrageous act, not merely a foolish mistake. Here the word refers to the abuse and death of a Levite’s concubine at Gibeah, described in Judges 19.

Why Judges 20:10 matters

  • The assembly treats the offense as a matter for Israel as a whole. Gibeah belongs to Benjamin, but the men for the supply effort are drawn from “all the tribes of Israel.”
  • The response is directed at Gibeah because of what happened there. The phrase “according to all the folly” links the planned action to the reported crime; the following verses show the tribes first asking Benjamin to surrender the guilty men.

Where else these words appear

“victual” Hebrew H6720 · used in 10 verses

  • Genesis 27:3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;
  • Exodus 12:39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.
  • Judges 7:8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

“folly” Hebrew H5039 · used in 13 verses

  • Genesis 34:7 And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done.
  • Judges 19:24 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.
  • Job 42:8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.

“thousand” Hebrew H7233 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 24:60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.
  • Deuteronomy 33:17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
  • Psalms 3:6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.

“Gibeah” Hebrew H1387 · used in 19 verses

  • Joshua 18:24 And Chepharhaammonai, and Ophni, and Gaba; twelve cities with their villages:
  • 2 Samuel 5:25 And David did so, as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer.
  • Ezra 2:26 The children of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.