Judges 20

The Hebrew Bible with the Berean Standard Bible. Click any Hebrew word for its meaning, lexicon entry and every place it occurs.

Hebrew: the Leningrad Codex with the Berean Standard Bible

The Decree of the Assembly

6

וָֽאֹחֵ֤ז בְּפִֽילַגְשִׁי֙ וָֽאֲנַתְּחֶ֔הָ וָֽאֲשַׁלְּחֶ֔הָ בְּכָל־שְׂדֵ֖ה נַחֲלַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֥י עָשׂ֛וּ זִמָּ֥ה וּנְבָלָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.

7

הִנֵּ֥ה כֻלְּכֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הָב֥וּ לָכֶ֛ם דָּבָ֥ר וְעֵצָ֖ה הֲלֹֽם׃

Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.”

9

וְעַתָּ֕ה זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשֶׂ֖ה לַגִּבְעָ֑ה עָלֶ֖יהָ בְּגוֹרָֽל׃

Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will go against it as the lot dictates.

10

וְלָקַ֣חְנוּ עֲשָׂרָה֩ אֲנָשִׁ֨ים לַמֵּאָ֜ה לְכֹ֣ל׀ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וּמֵאָ֤ה לָאֶ֙לֶף֙ וְאֶ֣לֶף לָרְבָבָ֔ה לָקַ֥חַת צֵדָ֖ה לָעָ֑ם לַעֲשׂ֗וֹת לְבוֹאָם֙ לְגֶ֣בַע בִּנְיָמִ֔ן כְּכָל־הַ֨נְּבָלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

We will take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to supply provisions for the army when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for the atrocity they have committed in Israel.”

12

וַֽיִּשְׁלְח֞וּ שִׁבְטֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲנָשִׁ֔ים בְּכָל־שִׁבְטֵ֥י בִנְיָמִ֖ן לֵאמֹ֑ר מָ֚ה הָרָעָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִהְיְתָ֖ה בָּכֶֽם׃

And the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you?

Civil War against Benjamin

28

וּ֠פִינְחָס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֨ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֜ן עֹמֵ֣ד׀ לְפָנָ֗יו בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵם֮ לֵאמֹר֒ הַאוֹסִ֨ף ע֜וֹד לָצֵ֧את לַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה עִם־בְּנֵֽי־בִנְיָמִ֥ן אָחִ֖י אִם־אֶחְדָּ֑ל וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ עֲל֔וּ כִּ֥י מָחָ֖ר אֶתְּנֶ֥נּוּ בְיָדֶֽךָ׃

and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

33

וְכֹ֣ל׀ אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל קָ֚מוּ מִמְּקוֹמ֔וֹ וַיַּעַרְכ֖וּ בְּבַ֣עַל תָּמָ֑ר וְאֹרֵ֧ב יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵגִ֥יחַ מִמְּקֹמ֖וֹ מִמַּֽעֲרֵה־גָֽבַע׃

So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah.

36

וַיִּרְא֥וּ בְנֵֽי־בִנְיָמִ֖ן כִּ֣י נִגָּ֑פוּ וַיִּתְּנ֨וּ אִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל מָקוֹם֙ לְבִנְיָמִ֔ן כִּ֤י בָֽטְחוּ֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֹרֵ֔ב אֲשֶׁר שָׂ֖מוּ אֶל־הַגִּבְעָֽה׃

Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated. Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah.

38

וְהַמּוֹעֵ֗ד הָיָ֛ה לְאִ֥ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עִם־הָאֹרֵ֑ב הֶ֕רֶב לְהַעֲלוֹתָ֛ם מַשְׂאַ֥ת הֶעָשָׁ֖ן מִן־הָעִֽיר׃

The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city,

41

וְאִ֤ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ הָפַ֔ךְ וַיִּבָּהֵ֖ל אִ֣ישׁ בִּנְיָמִ֑ן כִּ֣י רָאָ֔ה כִּֽי־נָגְעָ֥ה עָלָ֖יו הָרָעָֽה׃

Then the men of Israel turned back on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had come upon them.

48

וְאִ֨ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל שָׁ֣בוּ אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י בִנְיָמִן֙ וַיַּכּ֣וּם לְפִי־חֶ֔רֶב מֵעִ֤יר מְתֹם֙ עַד־בְּהֵמָ֔ה עַ֖ד כָּל־הַנִּמְצָ֑א גַּ֛ם כָּל־הֶעָרִ֥ים הַנִּמְצָא֖וֹת שִׁלְּח֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃ פ

And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and put to the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.

Sources: STEPBible TAHOT (Hebrew Bible, Leningrad Codex, CC BY 4.0); the Berean Standard Bible (public domain). Reformatted by Word Study, wording unchanged. All sources and licenses.