Judges 20:25 - Benjamin went out 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.

Generated Verse: Judges 20:25

What does "Judges 20:25" mean?


This verse from Judges 20:25 describes a battle during a civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and the other tribes of Israel. Let's break it down:

"Benjamin went out against them out of Gibeah the second day": This means the tribe of Benjamin, based in the city of Gibeah, went out to fight against the other Israelite tribes for the second day in a row.
"and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men": This is the core of the verse, indicating that Benjamin decisively defeated the other Israelite tribes, killing a staggering 18,000 of their soldiers.
"All these drew the sword.": This phrase emphasizes that all the men killed were combatants, soldiers who had drawn their swords in battle.

In essence, the verse means that on the second day of battle, the tribe of Benjamin launched an attack from Gibeah and inflicted a heavy defeat on the rest of Israel, killing 18,000 soldiers.

Context and Significance:

This verse is part of a very brutal and disturbing narrative in Judges 19-21. It describes a civil war sparked by the gang rape and murder of a woman in Gibeah. The other tribes of Israel demand justice from the Benjamites, but they refuse to hand over the guilty men. This leads to war.

The verse highlights several important aspects of the story:

The initial strength of Benjamin: Despite being the smallest tribe, Benjamin is initially very successful in battle.
The scale of the conflict: The death toll of 18,000 men underscores the severity and tragedy of the civil war.
The moral ambiguity of the conflict: While the initial grievance against Benjamin seems justified, the subsequent war becomes increasingly violent and destructive.

It's worth noting that this passage is often interpreted in different ways, and some scholars question the literal accuracy of the numbers given. However, the verse clearly conveys the idea that the tribe of Benjamin initially proved to be a formidable opponent and inflicted significant losses on the other Israelite tribes.

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