Judges 20:29-41

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 20:26-48

We have here a full account of the complete victory which the Israelites obtained over the Benjamites in the third engagement: the righteous cause was victorious at last, when the managers of it amended what had been amiss; for, when a good cause suffers, it is for want of good management. Observe then how the victory was obtained, and how it was pursued. I. How the victory was obtained. Two things they had trusted too much to in the former engagements?the goodness of their cause and the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 20:29

And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah. For though they were assured of success and victory, yet they thought proper to make use of means: and though their numbers were very great, they had recourse to art and stratagem, and set an ambush in divers places, much in like manner as Israel did for the men of Ai; the two cases being pretty much similar; this ambush was set in the night, as Josephus says F19 Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 2.) sect. 11. , read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 20:30

And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day ,.... Not the day following the second battle, since it would take more time to go to Shiloh, and fast and offer sacrifices there, but on the third day from the second battle: and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times ; as they had done on the first and second days of battle. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 20:31

And the children of Benjamin went out against the people ,.... Sallied out of Gibeah upon them, where they had put themselves in array against them: and were drawn away from the city ; the Israelites retreating, and dissembling a flight, which drew the Benjaminites to pursue after them, by which means they were drawn off to a greater distance from the city of Gibeah: and they began to smite the people, and kill as at other times ; at the other two battles: in the highways ; where... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 20:32

And the children of Benjamin said, they are smitten down before us, as at first ,.... At the first battle, which gave them great spirit, and they concluded they should have victory, as before: but the children of Israel said, let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways ; pretending to be afraid of them, and not able to face them, and therefore made as if they fled through fear and cowardice, which inspired the Benjaminites with fresh ardour to pursue them closely, and so... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 20:33

And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place ,.... The main body of the army, which fled before Benjamin, when they were come to a proper place, stopped, and rose up out of it, and stood in their own defence: and put themselves in array at Baaltamar ; drew up in a line of battle at that place, facing their enemies, in order to engage with them: this place the Targum calls the plains of Jericho, that being the city of palm trees, which Tamar signifies; and so Jarchi interprets it;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 20:34

And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel ,.... Which, according to Ben Gersom, were the liers in wait; and came from the south, as the Targum says: and the battle was sore ; not between those liers in wait, and the Benjaminites, but between those at Baaltamar, and them who set themselves in battle array against them, and they fought stoutly on both sides: but they knew not that evil was near them ; that there was an ambush laid, by which they were in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 20:35

And the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel ,.... Gave Israel the victory over them at Baaltamar; for notwithstanding all the art and stratagem they used, their numbers and their valour, victory was of the Lord, and to him it is ascribed; for until now Benjamin, though fewer in number, had been always victorious; and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjaminites that day 25,100; which is the total sum of all that were slain of them that day, the particulars of which are afterwards... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 20:36

So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten ,.... Their forces broken and worsted, many being killed: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjaminites ; at first, and made as if they were afraid of them, and so fled before them, which was only to decoy them to a greater distance from the city Gibeah: because they trusted unto the liers in wait, which they had set beside Gibeah ; that these would not only enter the city, and burn it, but meet the Benjaminites fleeing... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 20:37

And the liers in wait hasted ,.... When the time was come agreed upon for them to rise out of their ambush: and rushed upon Gibeah ; at unawares, with great force and violence entered the city, and took possession of it; or "extended" F24 יפשטו "extenderunt se", Tigurine version. , or spread themselves unto it; before they lay close in a narrow compass, but now they put themselves in a regular order, and marched rank and file, and reached from the meadows in which they were, ... read more

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