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THE MESSAGE

Judges 20:43

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Strategy;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Benjamin, Tribe of;   Jews, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Benjamin;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ambush;   Manahath;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Manahath;   Marriage;   Menuhah;   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 - Manahath;   Menuhah;   Menuhoth;   Nohah;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - War;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They surrounded the Benjaminites, pursued them, and easily overtook them near Gibeah toward the east.
Hebrew Names Version
They enclosed the Binyamini round about, [and] chased them, [and] trod them down at [their] resting-place, as far as over against Gevah toward the sunrise.
King James Version
Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
Lexham English Bible
They surrounded Benjamin; they pursued them without rest and trod them down opposite Gibeah to the east.
English Standard Version
Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gibeah on the east.
New Century Version
They surrounded the Benjaminites and chased them and caught them in the area east of Gibeah.
New English Translation
They surrounded the Benjaminites, chased them from Nohah, and annihilated them all the way to a spot east of Geba.
Amplified Bible
They surrounded [the men of] Benjamin, pursued them relentlessly, and overtook them opposite Gibeah toward the east.
New American Standard Bible
They surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest, and trampled them down opposite Gibeah toward the east.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thus they compassed the Beniamites about, and chased them at ease, and ouerranne them, euen ouer against Gibeah on the Eastside.
Legacy Standard Bible
hulle het Benjamin omsingel, hom agtervolg, hom op die rusplek vertrap tot teenoor Gíbea, aan die oostekant.
Contemporary English Version
who were having to fight on all sides. The Israelite soldiers never let up their attack. They chased and killed the warriors of Benjamin as far as a place directly east of Gibeah,
Complete Jewish Bible
They surrounded the men of Binyamin, chased them and trampled them down across from Giv‘ah on the east.
Darby Translation
They encompassed the Benjaminites, chased them, trode them down at the resting-place over against Gibeah toward the sun-rising.
Easy-to-Read Version
The men of Israel surrounded the men of Benjamin and began chasing them. They did not let them rest. They defeated them in the area east of Gibeah.
George Lamsa Translation
Thus they pursued the Benjamites and drove them away, and smote them with ease, to the east beyond Gibeah.
Good News Translation
The Israelites had the enemy trapped, and without stopping they pursued them as far as a point east of Gibeah, killing them as they went.
Literal Translation
They surrounded Benjamin, and they pursued them without rest. And they trod them down until they were opposite Gibeah, at the rising of the sun.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And they compased BenIamin rounde aboute, and folowed vpon them vnto Mennah, and trode them downe tyll afore Gibea eastwarde.
American Standard Version
They inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trod them down at their resting-place, as far as over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
Bible in Basic English
And crushing Benjamin down, they went after them, driving them from Nohah as far as the east side of Gibeah.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And thus they compassed the Beniamites about, and chased them at Menuha, and ouerranne them, euen ouer against Gibea on the east syde.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
They inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and overtook them at their resting-place, as far as over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
King James Version (1611)
Thus they inclosed the Beniamites round about, and chased them, and trode them downe with ease ouer against Gibeah toward the sunne rising.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they cut down Benjamin, and pursued him from Nua closely till they came opposite Gabaa on the east.
English Revised Version
They enclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down at their resting place, as far as over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
Berean Standard Bible
They surrounded the Benjamites, pursued them, and easily overtook them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And so it was doon, that thei weren slayn of enemyes on ech part, nether ony reste of men diynge was; and thei felden, and weren cast doun at the eest coost of the citee of Gabaa.
Young's Literal Translation
they have compassed the Benjamites -- they have pursued them -- with ease they have trodden them down till over-against Gibeah, at the sun-rising.
Update Bible Version
They enclosed the Benjamites round about, chased them, [and from their] resting-place they trod them down, near Gibeah toward the sunrising.
Webster's Bible Translation
[Thus] they inclosed the Benjaminites on all sides, [and] chased them, [and] trod them down with ease over against Gibeah towards the sun-rising.
World English Bible
They enclosed the Benjamites round about, [and] chased them, [and] trod them down at [their] resting-place, as far as over against Gibeah toward the sunrise.
New King James Version
They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them, and easily trampled them down as far as the front of Gibeah toward the east.
New Living Translation
The Israelites surrounded the men of Benjamin and chased them relentlessly, finally overtaking them east of Gibeah.
New Life Bible
They gathered around the people of Benjamin. They ran after them without stopping to rest and came upon them at the east side of Gibeah.
New Revised Standard
Cutting down the Benjaminites, they pursued them from Nohah and trod them down as far as a place east of Gibeah.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
they hemmed in the Benjamites, they pursued them, with ease, trode they them down, - as far as over against Gibeah, towards sunrise.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And so it was, that they were slain on both sides by the enemies, and there was no rest of their men dying. They fell and were beaten down on the east side of the city of Gabaa.
Revised Standard Version
Cutting down the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gib'e-ah on the east.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest and trod them down opposite Gibeah toward the east.

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

enclosed: Joshua 8:20-22

with ease: or, from Menuchah, etc

over against: Heb. unto over against

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 10:9 - General 2 Kings 7:17 - the people trode upon him 1 Chronicles 19:10 - set against

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thus they enclosed the Benjaminites round about,.... Surrounded them on all sides, the army of Israel being posted in different places, and people coming out of all the cities to their assistance. Josephus a says, they were forced into, and cooped up, in a hollow place in a valley, so that they could not escape:

and chased them; or "caused to pursue" b; calling after them a pursuit, crying to one another as they went along, saying, pursue them, pursue them; so Jarchi and Kimchi; which cry, as it inspired the pursuers with zeal, so they pursued with terror:

and trod them down with ease; they making no resistance, being quite dispirited; the Targrim is,

"from the house of their rest,''

where they took up their rest, and designed to rest that night, but could not, being so closely pursued, and diligently sought after. Some take "menuchah", rendered "ease", to be the name of a place, from or unto which they were pursued and trodden down, see 1 Chronicles 2:52 and so the Septuagint seems to take it for the name of a place, rendering it, "from Noua":

over against Gibeah, towards the sunrising; that is, as Jarchi interprets it, to the east of Gibeah, there was this overthrow and slaughter made.

a Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 2. sect. 10.) b הרדיפהו "persequi fecerunt eum", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "vel eos", Vatablus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The language and construction of this verse is poetical; it seems to be an extract from a song, and to describe, in the language of poetry, the same event which the preceding verse described in that of prose.

With ease - Or “rest” Numbers 10:33; Psalms 95:11. The expression is very obscure. The margin takes it as the name of a place.


 
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