Question 1

What does Judges 20:25 mean?

Accepted Answer

Judges 20:25 describes how the tribe of Benjamin came out from the city of Gibeah on the second day of battle and killed eighteen thousand Israelite men, all of whom were armed for combat. This verse highlights a significant defeat for the rest of Israel in their conflict with Benjamin. The setting is a civil war among the tribes of Israel, where the other tribes have gathered to punish Benjamin for a crime committed in Gibeah. Despite being outnumbered, Benjamin defeats the Israelites for a second time. The verse emphasizes the scale of the loss and the determination of Benjamin, showing that all the fallen were experienced warriors.

Question 2

The Hebrew behind Judges 20:25

Accepted Answer

"Destroyed down to the ground" uses the Hebrew שָׁחַת (shachath, "down" or "destroyed"), which often means to ruin or lay waste completely. This stresses the totality of the defeat—these men were not just beaten, but thoroughly wiped out. "All these drew the sword" comes from שָׁלַף (shalaph, "drew") and חֶרֶב (cherev, "sword"), indicating that the casualties were not noncombatants but trained fighters, highlighting the seriousness of the loss for Israel’s army.

Question 3

Why Judges 20:25 matters

Accepted Answer

This verse clarifies that Benjamin's victory was not a fluke; it was the second day in a row that they inflicted heavy losses, underlining the stubbornness of the conflict and the strength of Benjamin’s fighters. The detail that all the dead were sword-bearers shows the intensity of the battle and that Israel’s defeat was not due to lack of preparation or skill. Understanding this verse helps explain the desperation and sorrow that follows in the narrative, setting up the dramatic turning point in the story of Israel’s civil war.

Judges 20:25 (KJV)