Judges 20:29

THE MESSAGE

This time Israel placed men in ambush all around Gibeah. On the third day when Israel set out, they took up the same positions before the Benjaminites as before. When the Benjaminites came out to meet the army, they moved out from the city. Benjaminites began to cut down some of the troops just as they had before. About thirty men fell in the field and on the roads to Bethel and Gibeah.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.

Hebrew Names Version
Yisra'el set liers-in-wait against Gevah round about.

King James Version
And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

Lexham English Bible
So Israel stationed an ambush all around Gibeah.

English Standard Version
So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah.

New Century Version
Then the Israelites set up ambushes all around Gibeah.

New English Translation
So Israel hid men in ambush outside Gibeah.

Amplified Bible
So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah.

New American Standard Bible
So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Israel set men to lie in waite round about Gibeah.

Legacy Standard Bible
En Israel het rondom teen Gíbea hinderlae opgestel.

Contemporary English Version
The Israelites surrounded Gibeah, but stayed where they could not be seen.

Complete Jewish Bible
Isra'el hid some men around Giv‘ah,

Darby Translation
And Israel set liers in wait against Gibeah, round about.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then the army of Israel hid some men all around the city of Gibeah.

George Lamsa Translation
So Israel set ambushes round about Gibeah.

Good News Translation
So the Israelites put some soldiers in hiding around Gibeah.

Literal Translation
And Israel set ambushers against Gibeah all around.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the children of Israel set a preuy watch agaynst Gibea rounde aboute,

American Standard Version
And Israel set liers-in-wait against Gibeah round about.

Bible in Basic English
So Israel put men secretly all round Gibeah to make a surprise attack on it.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Israel set lyers awayte round about Gibea.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Israel set liers-in-wait against Gibeah round about.

King James Version (1611)
And Israel set lyers in waite round about Gibeah.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the children of Israel set an ambush against Gabaa round about it.

English Revised Version
And Israel set liers in wait against Gibeah round about.

Berean Standard Bible
So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the sones of Israel settiden buyschementis bi the cumpas of the citee of Gabaa;

Young's Literal Translation
And Israel setteth liers in wait against Gibeah, round about,

Update Bible Version
And Israel set ambushers against Gibeah round about.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Israel set liers in wait around Gibeah.

World English Bible
Israel set liers-in-wait against Gibeah round about.

New King James Version
Then Israel set men in ambush all around Gibeah.

New Living Translation
So the Israelites set an ambush all around Gibeah.

New Life Bible
So Israel sent men to hide around Gibeah.

New Revised Standard
So Israel stationed men in ambush around Gibeah.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Israel set liers in wait against Gibeah, round about.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the children of Israel set ambushes round about the city of Gabaa:

Revised Standard Version
So Israel set men in ambush round about Gib'e-ah.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah.

Contextual Overview

²⁶ All the People of Israel, the whole army, were back at Bethel, weeping, sitting there in the presence of God . That day they fasted until evening. They sacrificed Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings before God . ²⁷And they again inquired of God . The Chest of God's Covenant was there at that time with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, as the ministering priest. They asked, "Shall we again march into battle against the Benjaminites, our brothers? Or should we call it quits?" And God said, "Attack. Tomorrow I'll give you victory." ²⁹This time Israel placed men in ambush all around Gibeah. On the third day when Israel set out, they took up the same positions before the Benjaminites as before. When the Benjaminites came out to meet the army, they moved out from the city. Benjaminites began to cut down some of the troops just as they had before. About thirty men fell in the field and on the roads to Bethel and Gibeah. ³² The Benjaminites started bragging, "We're dropping them like flies, just as before!" ³³ But the Israelites strategized: "Now let's retreat and pull them out of the city onto the main roads." So every Israelite moved farther out to Baal Tamar; at the same time the Israelite ambush rushed from its place west of Gibeah. ³⁴Ten crack divisions from all over Israel now arrived at Gibeah—intense, bloody fighting! The Benjaminites had no idea that they were about to go down in defeat— God routed them before Israel. The Israelites decimated twenty-five divisions of Benjamin that day—25,100 killed. They were all swordsmen. The Benjaminites saw that they were beaten. The men of Israel acted like they were retreating before Benjamin, knowing that they could depend on the ambush they had prepared for Gibeah. ³⁷The ambush erupted and made quick work of Gibeah. The ambush spread out and massacred the city. The strategy for the main body of the ambush was that they send up a smoke signal from the city. Then the men of Israel would turn in battle. When that happened, Benjamin had killed about thirty Israelites and thought they were on their way to victory, yelling out, "They're on the run, just as in the first battle!" But then the signal went up from the city—a huge column of smoke. When the Benjaminites looked back, there it was, the whole city going up in smoke. ⁴¹By the time the men of Israel had turned back on them, the men of Benjamin fell apart—they could see that they were trapped. Confronted by the Israelites, they tried to get away down the wilderness road, but by now the battle was everywhere. The men of Israel poured out of the towns, killing them right and left, hot on their trail, picking them off east of Gibeah. ⁴⁴ Eighteen divisions of Benjaminites were wiped out, all their best fighters. ⁴⁵ Five divisions turned to escape to the wilderness, to Rimmon Rock, but the Israelites caught and slaughtered them on roads. Keeping the pressure on, the Israelites brought down two more divisions.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Israel: Though God had promised them success, they knew they could expect it only by the use of proper means. Hence they used all prudent precaution, and employed all their military skill.

liers: Judges 20:34, Joshua 8:4, 2 Samuel 5:23

Reciprocal: Joshua 8:2 - lay thee 1 Kings 22:5 - Inquire Nehemiah 4:11 - They shall not

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 s,

s Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 2.) sect. 11.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The stratagem described is exactly that by which Joshua took Ai (marginal reference).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 20:29. Israel set liers in wait — Though God had promised them success, they knew they could expect it only in the use of the proper means. They used all prudent precaution, and employed all their military skill.