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King James Version

Judges 20:23

(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until even, and asked counsel of the Lord , saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the Lord said, Go up against him.)

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Urim and Thummim;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Benjamin, Tribe of;   Evening, the;   Jews, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Benjamin;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Urim and Thummim;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Pentateuch;   Phinehas;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bethel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Gibeah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gibeah;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Law, Judicial;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Benjamin;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They went up, wept before the Lord until evening, and inquired of him: “Should we again attack our brothers the Benjaminites?”
Hebrew Names Version
The children of Yisra'el went up and wept before the LORD until even; and they asked of the LORD, saying, Shall I again draw near to battle against the children of Binyamin my brother? the LORD said, Go up against him.
Lexham English Bible
The Israelites went up and wept before Yahweh until evening and inquired of Yahweh, saying, "Should we again draw near from the battle against the descendants of Benjamin, our relatives?" And Yahweh said, "Go up against them."
English Standard Version
And the people of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until the evening. And they inquired of the Lord , "Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?" And the Lord said, "Go up against them."
New English Translation
The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord , "Should we again march out to fight the Benjaminites, our brothers?" The Lord said, "Attack them!"
Amplified Bible
The sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and asked of the LORD, "Shall we advance again to battle against the sons of our brother Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against them."
New American Standard Bible
And the sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall we again advance for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against him."
Geneva Bible (1587)
(For the children of Israel had gone vp and wept before the Lord vnto the euening, and had asked of the Lorde, saying, Shall I goe againe to battel against the children of Beniamin my brethren? and the Lord said, Go vp against them)
Legacy Standard Bible
and for others, save, snatching them out of the fire; and on others have mercy with fear, hating even the tunic polluted by the flesh.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then the army of Isra'el went up and cried before Adonai until evening. They asked Adonai , "Should we attack our kinsmen the people of Binyamin again? Adonai answered, "Attack them."
Darby Translation
And the children of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until even, and inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And Jehovah said, Go up against him.
George Lamsa Translation
And the children of Israel went up to Beth-el, and wept before the LORD until evening, and they asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall we go up again to battle against our brethren the Benjamites? And the LORD said, Go up against them.
Literal Translation
And the sons of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until the evening, and asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I again draw near to battle with the sons of my brother Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Go up against him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the children of Israel wente vp, and wepte before the LORDE vntyll the euenynge, and axed at the LORDE, & sayde: Shall we go enymore to fighte with oure brethren the children of Ben Iamin? The LORDE sayde: Go vp vnto them.
American Standard Version
And the children of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until even; and they asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I again draw nigh to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And Jehovah said, Go up against him.
Bible in Basic English
Now the children of Israel went up, weeping before the Lord till evening, requesting the Lord and saying, Am I to go forward again to the fight against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the Lord said, Go up against him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
(And the children of Israel went vp, and wept before the Lorde vnto euen, and asked of the Lord, saying: Shal we go agayne to battell against the children of Beniamin our brethre? And the Lord sayde: Go vp against them.)
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even; and they asked of the LORD, saying: 'Shall I again draw nigh to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?' And the LORD said: 'Go up against him.'
King James Version (1611)
(And the children of Israel went vp and wept before the Lord vntill Euen, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I goe vp againe to battell against the children of Beniamin my brother? And the Lord saide, Goe vp against him.)
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the children of Israel went up, and wept before the Lord till evening, and enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall we again draw nigh to battle with our brethren the children of Benjamin? and the Lord said, Go up against them.
English Revised Version
(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even; and they asked of the LORD, saying, Shall I again draw nigh to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)
Berean Standard Bible
They went up and wept before the LORD until evening, inquiring of Him, "Should we again draw near for battle against our brothers the Benjamites?" And the LORD answered, "Go up against them."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
so netheles that thei stieden bifore, and wepten bifor the Lord `til to nyyt, and counseliden hym, and seiden, Owe Y go forth more to fiyte ayens the sones of Beniamyn, my britheren, ether nay? To whiche he answeride, Stie ye to hem, and bigynne ye batel.
Young's Literal Translation
And the sons of Israel go up and weep before Jehovah till the evening, and ask of Jehovah, saying, `Do I add to draw nigh to battle with the sons of Benjamin, my brother?' And Jehovah saith, `Go up against him.'
Update Bible Version
And the sons of Israel went up and wept before Yahweh until evening; and they asked of Yahweh, saying, Shall I again draw near to battle against the sons of Benjamin my brother? And Yahweh said, Go up against him.
Webster's Bible Translation
(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)
World English Bible
The children of Israel went up and wept before Yahweh until even; and they asked of Yahweh, saying, Shall I again draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? Yahweh said, Go up against him.
New King James Version
Then the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, "Shall I again draw near for battle against the children of my brother Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against him."
New Living Translation
For they had gone up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the Lord until evening. They had asked the Lord , "Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again?" And the Lord had said, "Go out and fight against them."
New Life Bible
The people of Israel went up and cried before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, "Should we go again in battle against our brothers the people of Benjamin?" And the Lord said, "Go fight against them."
New Revised Standard
The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until the evening; and they inquired of the Lord , "Shall we again draw near to battle against our kinsfolk the Benjaminites?" And the Lord said, "Go up against them." The Israelites took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now the sons of Israel had gone up, and wept before Yahweh, until the evening, and asked of Yahweh, saying, Shall I again draw near to battle against the sons of Benjamin, my brother? And Yahweh said, Go up against him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Yet so that they first went up and wept before the Lord until night: and consulted him and said: Shall I go out any more to fight against the children of Benjamin my brethren or not? And he answered them: Go up against them, and join battle.
Revised Standard Version
And the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening; and they inquired of the LORD, "Shall we again draw near to battle against our brethren the Benjaminites?" And the LORD said, "Go up against them."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall we again draw near for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against him."

Contextual Overview

18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first. 19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. 20 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. 21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men. 22 And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day. 23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until even, and asked counsel of the Lord , saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the Lord said, Go up against him.) 24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. 25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wept: Judges 20:26, Judges 20:27, Psalms 78:34-36, Hosea 5:15

And the: It seems most evident that the Israelites did not seek the protection of God. When they "went to the house of God," - Judges 20:18, it was not to enquire concerning the expediency of the war, nor of its success, but which of the tribes should begin the attack, and here the question is, "Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?" Having so much right on their side, they had no doubt of the justice of their cause, and the propriety of their conduct; and having such a superiority of numbers, they had no doubt of success. But God humbled them, and delivered them into the hands of their enemies; and shewed them that the race was not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.

Reciprocal: Genesis 33:9 - my brother Exodus 28:30 - General Numbers 27:21 - he shall Joshua 7:6 - until the eventide Judges 21:2 - the house Judges 21:6 - repented them Judges 21:12 - virgins 1 Samuel 10:22 - inquired 1 Samuel 14:18 - Bring hither 1 Samuel 30:8 - inquired 1 Kings 22:5 - Inquire 2 Kings 3:11 - that we may Proverbs 20:18 - and

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until even,.... The evening of the day in which the battle was fought; not that the whole army went up to Shiloh to the house of God there, but a deputation of them, who lamented their defeat, and the loss of so many lives, but not their sins and transgressions, and particularly the idolatry they had been guilty of:

and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, shall we go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? they seemed to have some doubt, by the loss they sustained, whether they were right in going to war with Benjamin, especially as he was their brother; and therefore the question now is, not who should go up first, which was already determined, but whether they should go at all; and still they do not ask any help of God in battle, nor success, but were depending on their numbers, and the justness of their cause, and therefore neither is promised to them, only they have an answer to their question:

and the Lord said, go up against him; for Benjamin was certainly in the wrong, and therefore the Israelites are directed to go against him, and they also were not sufficiently chastised, nor thoroughly humbled.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 20:23. Go up against him. — It appears most evident that the Israelites did not seek the protection of God. They trusted in the goodness of their cause and in the multitude of their army. God humbled them, and delivered them into the hands of their enemies, and showed them that the race was not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.


 
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