Judges 20:37-42

Judges 20:37

And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

 

Then the liers mounted their offensive and rushed on to the city of Gibeah since the lion’s share of their army were drawn far from the city.  Their campaign against Gibeah was successful having smote the city with the sword and as a result they now took the city and began to occupy it.

 

Judges 20:38

Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.

 

Then the liers who took the city had an appointed sign to the others who were in the field.  Once the city was taken and in their hands they were to make a great burning of the city so the smoke could be seen for long distances thus informing the children of Israel that the city had been taken and now was secure.

 

Judges 20:39

And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.

 

Once the men of Israel had thought they completely won the battle and had defeated Benjamin, they literally turned around turning their backs on the Benjamites.  So the Benjamites took the opportunity to counter attack and that resulted in 30 of the Israelites being slain.  This small victory had rejuvenated the Benjamites and they once again thought that they were going to win the battle as they did in the first day.  Perhaps the men of Israel were attempting to draw them farther away from the city.

 

Judges 20:40

But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.

 

Then once the liers had begun to burn the city and a huge pillar of smoke began to ascend along with a huge visible flame, the Benjamites looked behind them and they saw that Gibeah was now burning and they knew it was taken by the children of Israel.  They were probably not aware of the liers who were left behind to attack the city when they were drawn farther away from the city.

 

Judges 20:41

And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.

 

Now the men of Israel had turned their faces toward the Benjamites.  The men of Benjamin were amazed.  The word “amazed” carries with it the meaning of “alarmed, afraid, to tremble inward.”  They now realized the full import of what happened to them and that was their ultimate defeat at the hands of Israel.   They had the Israelite army behind them and the liers in front of them.

 

Judges 20:42

Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.

 

With the Benjamites being trapped between two armies, they had made an attempt to escape through the wilderness.  It is not sure what wilderness they tried escaping to.  It may be the wilderness of Judah where there are many hills.  They knew they could not go back to Gibeah because the city was now taken and burned so they probably tried to do an end around run and escape.  They tried some “broken field running” as General Patton would have said.  The problem is that it did not work and the Israelites overtook them in their attempt to escape.  There may have been some Benjamites who were still able to fight and when they came out of the cities to support their field troops, they were totally destroyed by the advancing Israelites, both the liers and the main army body.

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