Judges 20:48 And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and put to the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.

◄ Judges 20:48 ►

New International Version
The men of Israel went back to Benjamin and put all the towns to the sword, including the animals and everything else they found. All the towns they came across they set on fire.

New Living Translation
And the Israelites returned and slaughtered every living thing in all the towns—the people, the livestock, and everything they found. They also burned down all the towns they came to.

English Standard Version
And the men of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns that they found they set on fire.

Berean Standard Bible
And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and put to the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.

King James Bible
And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

New King James Version
And the men of Israel turned back against the children of Benjamin, and struck them down with the edge of the sword—from every city, men and beasts, all who were found. They also set fire to all the cities they came to.

New American Standard Bible
The men of Israel then turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found.

NASB 1995
The men of Israel then turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found.

NASB 1977
The men of Israel then turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now the men of Israel returned to the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found.

Amplified Bible
The men of Israel turned back against [the tribe of] the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city [of Gibeah] and the livestock and all that they found. They also set on fire all the [surrounding] towns which they found.

Christian Standard Bible
The men of Israel turned back against the other Benjaminites and killed them with their swords—the entire city, the animals, and everything that remained. They also burned all the cities that remained.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The men of Israel turned back against the other Benjaminites and killed them with their swords—the entire city, the animals, and everything that remained. They also burned down all the cities that remained.

American Standard Version
And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city, and the cattle, and all that they found: moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire.

Contemporary English Version
The Israelites turned back and went to every town in Benjamin's territory, killing all the people and animals, and setting the towns on fire.

English Revised Version
And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city, and the cattle and all that they found: moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then the men of Israel went back to attack the rest of the territory of Benjamin. They killed all the people and cattle they found in every city. They also burned down every city they came to.

Good News Translation
The Israelites turned back against the rest of the Benjaminites and killed them all--men, women, and children, and animals as well. They burned every town in the area.

International Standard Version
Meanwhile, the army of Israel went back to fight the surviving descendants of Benjamin. They attacked the entire city with swords, including its cattle and everyone they could find. Then they set fire to all of the cities that they could find.

Majority Standard Bible
And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and put to the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.

NET Bible
The Israelites returned to the Benjaminite towns and put the sword to them. They wiped out the cities, the animals, and everything they could find. They set fire to every city in their path.

New Heart English Bible
The men of Israel turned again on the people of Benjamin, and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city, and the livestock, and all that they found: moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

World English Bible
The men of Israel turned again on the children of Benjamin, and struck them with the edge of the sword—including the entire city, the livestock, and all that they found. Moreover they set all the cities which they found on fire.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And the men of Israel have turned back to the sons of Benjamin, and strike them by the mouth of the sword out of the city—men even to livestock, even to all that is found; they have also sent all the cities which are found into the fire.

Young's Literal Translation
And the men of Israel have turned back unto the sons of Benjamin, and smite them by the mouth of the sword out of the city, -- men unto cattle, unto all that is found; also all the cities which are found they have sent into fire.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the men of Israel turned back against the sons of Benjamin, and they will strike them with the mouth of the sword, from the city, the men even to cattle, all being found: also all the cities being found they set on fire.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
But the children of Israel returning, put all the remains of the city to the sword, both men and beasts, and all the cities and villages of Benjamin were consumed with devouring flames.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But the sons of Israel, returning, had struck with the sword all that remained in the city, from men even to cattle. And all the cities and villages of Benjamin were consumed with devouring flames.

New American Bible
Then the men of Israel turned back against the Benjaminites, putting them to the sword—the inhabitants of the cities, the livestock, and all they came upon. Moreover they destroyed by fire all the cities they came upon.

New Revised Standard Version
Meanwhile, the Israelites turned back against the Benjaminites, and put them to the sword—the city, the people, the animals, and all that remained. Also the remaining towns they set on fire.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And the men of Israel turned again upon the Benjamites, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and consumed them out of the cities, both men and beasts and all that they found; also they set on fire all the cities which they found.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the sons of Israel turned against the sons of Benjamin, and they struck them with the mouth of the sword and they finished them from the cities, of the children of men and unto beast and unto everyone who was found, also, all the cities that were found they burned in fire

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the men of Israel turned back upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city, and the cattle, and all that they found; moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the children of Israel returned to the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword from the city of Methla, even to the cattle, and every thing that was found in all the cities: and they burnt with fire the cities they found.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Civil War Against Benjamin
…47But 600 men turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months. 48And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and put to the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Deuteronomy 13:15-16
you must surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword. Devote to destruction all its people and livestock. / And you are to gather all its plunder in the middle of the public square, and completely burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. The city must remain a mound of ruins forever, never to be rebuilt.

1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

Joshua 11:11-14
The Israelites put everyone in Hazor to the sword, devoting them to destruction. Nothing that breathed remained, and Joshua burned down Hazor itself. / Joshua captured all these kings and their cities and put them to the sword. He devoted them to destruction, as Moses the LORD’s servant had commanded. / Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds, except Hazor, which Joshua burned. ...

1 Samuel 27:9
Whenever David attacked a territory, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but he took the flocks and herds, the donkeys, camels, and clothing. Then he would return to Achish,

2 Kings 10:11
So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his great men and close friends and priests, leaving him without a single survivor.

2 Chronicles 25:12
and the army of Judah also captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.

Hosea 10:14
the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be demolished as Shalman devastated Beth-arbel in the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to pieces along with their children.

Isaiah 13:16
Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.

Jeremiah 50:21
Go up against the land of Merathaim, and against the residents of Pekod. Kill them and devote them to destruction. Do all that I have commanded you,” declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 9:5-6
And as I listened, He said to the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing; do not show pity or spare anyone! / Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children; but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.

Matthew 11:20-24
Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. / “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. / But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ...

Luke 19:41-44
As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it / and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. / For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. ...

Matthew 23:37-38
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! / Look, your house is left to you desolate.

Mark 13:2
“Do you see all these great buildings?” Jesus replied. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

Luke 21:20-24
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near. / Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city. / For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. ...

Treasury of Scripture

And the men of Israel turned again on the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

smote them

Deuteronomy 13:15-17
Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword…

2 Chronicles 25:13
But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Bethhoron, and smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil.

2 Chronicles 28:6-9
For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers…

came to hand [heb] was found

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Judges 20

1. The Levite in a general assembly declared his wrong
8. The decree of the assembly
12. The Benjamites, being cited, make head against the Israelites
18. The Israelites in two battles lose forty thousand
26. They destroy by a plan all the Benjamites, except six hundred.

Berean Study Bible

And the men of Israel
This phrase refers to the collective tribes of Israel, excluding the tribe of Benjamin. Historically, the tribes of Israel were united in a confederation, often coming together for common causes. The Hebrew term for "men" here is "ish," which can denote not just males but also warriors or representatives of the tribes. This highlights the gravity of the situation, as it was not just a small group but the collective might of Israel acting in unison.

turned back against the Benjamites
The phrase "turned back" indicates a decisive and deliberate action. The Hebrew root "shuv" implies a return or a change in direction, suggesting that the Israelites, after initial battles, regrouped and launched a renewed offensive against the Benjamites. This reflects the seriousness of the conflict and the determination of the Israelites to address the sin within their own nation, as the Benjamites had refused to surrender the perpetrators of a grievous crime.

and struck them down with the sword
The use of the sword symbolizes judgment and warfare. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the sword was a primary weapon of battle, representing both physical and divine judgment. The Hebrew word "nakah" for "struck" conveys a sense of inflicting a decisive blow, indicating the thoroughness of the Israelites' actions against the Benjamites.

city by city
This phrase underscores the systematic and comprehensive nature of the campaign. The Israelites did not merely attack a single location but went through each city within the territory of Benjamin. This methodical approach reflects the seriousness with which they sought to purge the evil from among them, as each city was held accountable.

the people and animals and everything they found
The inclusion of "people and animals" indicates the totality of the destruction. In ancient warfare, such complete devastation was often a means of ensuring that no remnant of the enemy could rise again. The Hebrew word "kol" for "everything" emphasizes the completeness of the action, suggesting a form of herem, or devotion to destruction, which was sometimes commanded by God in the Old Testament as a means of purifying the land from sin.

And they set on fire all the cities they came across
Setting cities on fire was a common practice in ancient warfare to signify total conquest and destruction. Fire, in biblical symbolism, often represents purification and judgment. The act of burning the cities can be seen as a final act of judgment against the Benjamites, ensuring that the sin that had brought about this conflict was utterly removed. The Hebrew word "saraph" for "set on fire" conveys a sense of consuming completely, leaving nothing behind.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(48) As well the men of every city, as the beast.--The phrase is literally, from the city, men down to beast, reading methim, "men," for methom, "entire." The dreadful meaning which lies beyond these short and simple words is the absolute extermination of a whole tribe of Israel, MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN, CITIES AND CATTLE, with the exception of 600 fugitives. There is something almost inconceivably horrible and appalling in the thought of thousands of poor women and innocent children ruthlessly butchered in cold blood in this internecine war between brother Israelites. The whole tribe were placed under the ban of extirpation, as though they had been Canaanites, just as mercilessly as Sihon and his people had been extirpated (Deuteronomy 2:34; Deuteronomy 13:15-16), or Jericho (Joshua 6:17; Joshua 6:21), or Ai (Joshua 8:25-26). Their feelings were doubtless exasperated by the fearful destruction which Benjamin had inflicted upon them, as well as by religious horror at the conduct of the tribe; and for the rest, we can only say that "the times of this ignorance God winked at." The good side of the deed lies in its motive: it expressed an intense horror against moral pollution. The evil side lay in its ruthless savagery. In both aspects it agrees both with the recorded and the traditional character of Phinehas (Numbers 25:8; Numbers 31:6). (See Note on Judges 11:39.) . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 48. - Turned again, not the same word as the turned of vers. 45, 47, but turned back, came again by the way by which they had gone in pursuit of the Benjamites, and on their return towards Bethel (Judges 21:2) entered into all the Benjamlte cities, which lay thick together east and north of Gibeah, and ruthlessly put all the remaining population to the sword; burning all the cities, and treating the whole tribe of Benjamin, with all that belonged to them, as a 'herem, a thing devoted to utter destruction, like Jericho.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

And the men
וְאִ֨ישׁ (wə·’îš)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

turned back
שָׁ֣בוּ (šā·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

against
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the other Benjamites
בְּנֵ֤י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

and struck down
וַיַּכּ֣וּם (way·yak·kūm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5221: To strike

with the sword
חֶ֔רֶב (ḥe·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

all
מְתֹם֙ (mə·ṯōm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4974: Wholesomeness, completely

the cities,
מֵעִ֤יר (mê·‘îr)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5892: Excitement

including the animals
בְּהֵמָ֔ה (bə·hê·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 929: A dumb beast, any large quadruped, animal

and
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

everything else
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

they found.
הַנִּמְצָ֑א (han·nim·ṣā)
Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

And they
גַּ֛ם (gam)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

burned down
שִׁלְּח֥וּ (šil·lə·ḥū)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the cities
הֶעָרִ֥ים (he·‘ā·rîm)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 5892: Excitement

in their path.
הַנִּמְצָא֖וֹת (han·nim·ṣā·’ō·wṯ)
Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine plural
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

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OT History: Judges 20:48 The men of Israel turned again (Jd Judg. Jdg)