Judges 20:33-36

20:33 ¹  All the men of Israel got up from their places and took their positions at Baal Tamar, while the Israelites hiding in ambush jumped out of their places west of Gibeah. 20:34 Ten thousand men, well-trained soldiers from all Israel, then made a frontal assault against Gibeah – the battle was fierce. ²  But the Benjaminites did not realize that disaster was at their doorstep. ³  20:35 The Lord annihilated Benjamin before Israel; the Israelites struck down that day 25,100 sword-wielding Benjaminites. ⁴  20:36 Then the Benjaminites saw they were defeated.

The Israelites retreated before ⁵  Benjamin, because they had confidence in the men they had hid in ambush outside Gibeah.

[20:33]  ¹ sn Verses 33-36a give a condensed account of the battle from this point on, while vv. 36b-48 offer a more detailed version of how the ambush contributed to Gibeah’s defeat.

[20:34]  ² tn Heb “heavy”; or “severe.”

[20:34]  ³ tn Heb “And they did not know that touching against them was disaster.”

[20:35]  ⁴ tn Heb “And the sons of Israel struck down in Benjamin that day 25,100 men, all of these wielding the sword.”

[20:36]  ⁵ tn Heb “gave place to.”