Judges 20:20
New International Version
The Israelites went out to fight the Benjamites and took up battle positions against them at Gibeah.

New Living Translation
Then they advanced toward Gibeah to attack the men of Benjamin.

English Standard Version
And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah.

Berean Standard Bible
And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah.

King James Bible
And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.

New King James Version
And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel put themselves in battle array to fight against them at Gibeah.

New American Standard Bible
The men of Israel went to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel lined up for battle against them at Gibeah.

NASB 1995
The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel arrayed for battle against them at Gibeah.

NASB 1977
And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel arrayed for battle against them at Gibeah.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel arranged themselves for battle against them at Gibeah.

Amplified Bible
The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and assembled in battle formation against them at Gibeah.

Christian Standard Bible
The men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took their battle positions against Gibeah.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took their battle positions against Gibeah.

American Standard Version
And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.

Contemporary English Version
Then they left their camp and got into position to attack the army of Benjamin.

English Revised Version
And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So the men of Israel went to war with the men of Benjamin. The Israelites formed their battle line facing Gibeah.

Good News Translation
They went to attack the army of Benjamin, and placed the soldiers in position facing the city.

International Standard Version
and the army of Israel went out to fight the tribe of Benjamin, assembling in battle array against them at Gibeah.

Majority Standard Bible
And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah.

NET Bible
The men of Israel marched out to fight Benjamin; they arranged their battle lines against Gibeah.

New Heart English Bible
The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.

World English Bible
The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the men of Israel go out to battle with Benjamin, and the men of Israel set themselves in array [for] battle with them, against Gibeah,

Young's Literal Translation
and the men of Israel go out to battle with Benjamin, and the men of Israel set themselves in array with them, for battle against Gibeah,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the men of Israel will go forth to war with Benjamin; and the men of Israel will prepare to war with them at Gibeah.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And going out from thence to fight against Benjamin, began to assault the city.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And setting out from there to fight against Benjamin, they began to assault the city.

New American Bible
The men of Israel marched out to do battle with Benjamin and drew up in battle array against them at Gibeah.

New Revised Standard Version
The Israelites went out to battle against Benjamin; and the Israelites drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the Benjamites went out of Gibeah to battle against Israel, and arrayed themselves against Israel; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they went out, all the men of Israel, to fight with Benjamin, and engaged with them at Gabaa.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Civil War Against Benjamin
19The next morning the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah. 20And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah. 21And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.…

Cross References
Joshua 8:14
When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city.

1 Samuel 4:2
The Philistines arrayed themselves against Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about four thousand men on the battlefield.

1 Samuel 17:2
Saul and the men of Israel assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, arraying themselves for battle against the Philistines.

2 Samuel 2:25
The Benjamites rallied to Abner, formed a single unit, and took their stand atop a hill.

2 Chronicles 13:3
Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in formation against him with 800,000 chosen and mighty men of valor.

2 Chronicles 14:10
So Asa marched out against him and lined up in battle formation in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

2 Chronicles 20:17
You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’”

Isaiah 7:1
Now in the days that Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram marched up to wage war against Jerusalem. He was accompanied by Pekah son of Remaliah the king of Israel, but he could not overpower the city.

Jeremiah 46:3-4
“Deploy your shields, small and large; advance for battle! / Harness the horses; mount the steeds; take your positions with helmets on! Polish your spears; put on armor!

Hosea 10:9
Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?

Matthew 24:6-7
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. / Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Luke 14:31
Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

John 18:3
So Judas brought a band of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. They arrived at the garden carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons.

Acts 23:12
When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

Romans 7:23
But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.


Treasury of Scripture

And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.

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Judges 20
1. The Levite in a general assembly declared his wrong
8. The decree of the assembly
12. The Benjamites, being cited, make head against the Israelites
18. The Israelites in two battles lose forty thousand
26. They destroy by a plan all the Benjamites, except six hundred.














And the men of Israel
This phrase refers to the collective tribes of Israel, excluding the tribe of Benjamin. The Hebrew word for "men" here is "אִישׁ" (ish), which can mean man or husband, but in this context, it signifies the warriors or fighting men of Israel. Historically, this reflects a time when the tribes of Israel were a loose confederation, often acting independently but uniting for common causes. The unity of the tribes against Benjamin underscores the gravity of the internal conflict and the moral outrage that had been provoked by the events leading up to this battle.

went out to fight
The Hebrew verb "יָצָא" (yatsa) means to go out or come forth, often used in military contexts to describe going out to battle. This action signifies a deliberate and organized response to the atrocity committed in Gibeah, as described in the preceding chapters. The Israelites' decision to fight indicates their commitment to justice and the seriousness with which they viewed the sin of the Benjamites. It also reflects the broader biblical theme of God’s people being called to stand against evil.

against Benjamin
The tribe of Benjamin, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, is now the adversary. This internal conflict is significant as it highlights the deep divisions and moral decay within the nation. The Hebrew name "בִּנְיָמִין" (Binyamin) means "son of the right hand," often associated with strength and favor. The tragic irony here is that a tribe known for its strength is now in opposition to the rest of Israel due to its defense of grievous sin. This serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of tribal loyalty superseding righteousness.

and took up their battle positions
The phrase indicates strategic military preparation. The Hebrew root "עָרַךְ" (arak) means to arrange or set in order, often used in the context of preparing for battle. This preparation underscores the seriousness and the organized nature of the conflict. It reflects the Israelites' determination to address the sin in their midst, aligning with the biblical principle of confronting and purging evil to maintain holiness among God’s people.

at Gibeah
Gibeah, a city within the territory of Benjamin, is central to the narrative. The Hebrew "גִּבְעָה" (Giv'ah) means "hill," indicating its geographical setting. Archaeologically, Gibeah has been identified with Tell el-Ful, providing historical context to the narrative. The city is infamous for the heinous crime committed there, which catalyzed the conflict. Gibeah's mention serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin and the need for justice, echoing throughout the biblical narrative as a place of moral failure and divine judgment.

Verse 20. - The men of Israel - meaning here of course the men of Judah.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And the men
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

went out
וַיֵּצֵא֙ (way·yê·ṣê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

to fight
לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה (lam·mil·ḥā·māh)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4421: A battle, war

against
עִם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

Benjamin
בִּנְיָמִ֑ן (bin·yā·min)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1144: Benjamin -- 'son of the right hand', youngest son of Jacob, also the name of two other Israelites

and took up their battle
מִלְחָמָ֖ה (mil·ḥā·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4421: A battle, war

positions
וַיַּעַרְכ֨וּ (way·ya·‘ar·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6186: To set in a, row, arrange, put in order

at Gibeah.
הַגִּבְעָֽה׃ (hag·giḇ·‘āh)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1390: Gibeah -- 'hill', three cities in Palestine


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OT History: Judges 20:20 The men of Israel went out (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 20:19
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