Judges 20:41

And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(41) And when the men of Israel turned again.—Another detail of the rally described in Judges 20:33, and its effect (Judges 20:34).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

17:7-13 Micah thought it was a sign of God's favour to him and his images, that a Levite should come to his door. Thus those who please themselves with their own delusions, if Providence unexpectedly bring any thing to their hands that further them in their evil way, are apt from thence to think that God is pleased with them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Baal-tamar is only mentioned here. It took its name from some palm-tree that grew there; perhaps the same as the "palm-tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel" Judges 4:5, the exact locality here indicated, since "the highway" Judges 20:31 along which the Israelites enticed the Benjamites to pursue them, leads straight to Ramah, which lay only a mile beyond the point where the two ways branch off.

The meadows of Gibeah - The word rendered "meadow" is only found here. According to its etymology, it ought to mean a "bare open place", which is particularly unsuitable for an ambush. However, by a change in the vowel-points, without any alteration in the letters, it becomes the common word for "a cavern".

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

34. there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men—This was a third division, different both from the ambuscade and the army, who were fighting at Baal-tamar. The general account stated in Jud 20:35 is followed by a detailed narrative of the battle, which is continued to the end of the chapter.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The men of Benjamin were amazed, because of their great disappointment, and the present danger wherewith they were surrounded on every side.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And when the men of Israel turned again,.... Turned their faces to the Benjaminites, on whom they had turned their backs; and which they did on hearing the sound of the trumpet, or seeing the flame of the city, or both, and that in order to fight the Benjaminites, and smite them, as now was their opportunity:

the men of Benjamin were amazed; at this strange and sudden change of things, at the sight of the flame of their city behind them, and at the Israelites turning back to fight them, when they thought themselves sure of victory, as at other times:

for they saw that evil was come upon them; that they were in the utmost danger, between two fires, as we usually say, liers in wait behind them, which had seized their city and burnt it, and the army of Israel turning upon them with great spirit and resolution.

Geneva Study Bible

And when the men of Israel turned {t} again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.

(t) And withstood their enemies.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

41. amazed] An archaism in English, for bewildered; cf. St Mark 10:32, 1 Peter 3:6 (AV., contrast RV.).

Judges 20:41

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

"And the men of Israel turned in the battle:" that is to say, as is afterwards more fully explained in Judges 20:39, Judges 20:40, in the form of a long new circumstantial clause, whilst Benjamin had begun to smite, etc. (repeated from Judges 20:31, Judges 20:32), and the cloud (המּשׂאת equals העשׁן משׂאת, Judges 20:38) had begun to ascend out of the city as a pillar of smoke, and Benjamin turned back, and behold the whole city ascended towards heaven (in smoke), Israel turned (fighting) and Benjamin was terrified, for it saw that misfortune had come upon it (see Judges 20:34). In Judges 20:41, the thread of the narrative, which was interrupted by the long circumstantial clause, is again resumed by the repetition of "and the men of Israel turned."