Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 20:31
And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, [and] were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, [and] kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
31. The opening sentence follows the pattern of Jdg 20:21 ; Jdg 20:25. The remainder of the v. raises difficulties; it is partly repeated in Jdg 20:39; the pretence of flight does not come properly till Jdg 20:32. Either we may regard as additional glosses they were drawn away from the city (there is no and in the Hebr.), and the topographical note in the high ways, of which to Gibeah, leaving the statement that the Benjamites began to smite and kill in the open country as on the former occasions (so Moore): or we may retain the words just quoted, and slightly rearrange them on the model of Jdg 20:32 ; Jdg 20:39: they were drawn away from the city into the highways, of which to Gibeah, and they began to smite and kill in the field about thirty men of Israel (so Budde, Nowack, who distinguish three, instead of two versions). The first alternative has the merit of simplicity.
to Gibeah ] cannot be right, for the Israelites were retreating towards the N., away from Gibeah; the general direction of the two roads must be the same. For Gibeah, therefore, read Gibeon; at a short distance beyond Tell el-Fl the road branches northwards to Beitn (= Beth-el) and N.W. to el-Jib (= Gibeon), 3 m. N.W. of Tell el-Fl.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
To the house of God – To Bethel, as in the margin. On Gibeah in the field, see Jos 18:24 note.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Drawn away from the city, by the dissembled flight of the Israelites.
As at other times; with the same kind, though not with the same degree of success.
Gibeah in the field; so called, to difference it from this Gibeah, which was upon a hill; wherefore they are constantly said to ascend or go up against it, as Jdg 20:23,30. See Jos 18:24,28.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the children of Benjamin went out against the people,…. Sallied out of Gibeah upon them, where they had put themselves in array against them:
and were drawn away from the city; the Israelites retreating, and dissembling a flight, which drew the Benjaminites to pursue after them, by which means they were drawn off to a greater distance from the city of Gibeah:
and they began to smite the people, and kill as at other times; at the other two battles;
in the highways; where it seems two ways met:
of which one goeth up to the house of God; to Bethel, as the Targum t; or rather to Shiloh, where the house or tabernacle of God was, and was two miles from Gibeah, as Bunting u says:
and the other to Gibeah in the field; so called, to distinguish it from the other Gibeah situated on an hill:
about thirty men of Israel; which were killed in this running fight; and it seems as if one part of the army of Israel took one road, and the other the other road, and so divided the army of the Benjaminites that pursued after them.
t So the Septuagint, and Noldius, p. 69. No. 345. u Travels, &c. p. 121.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(31) To smite of the people, and kill.Rather, to smite the wounded or beaten of the people. It means, apparently, that when some of the Israelites had been wounded with slings, the Benjamites began to rush on them, for the purpose of killing them, and they feigned flight along two highways, of which one led to Bethel, and the other to a place which, to distinguish it from Gibeah, seems to have been called Gibeah in the field. In this feigned flight thirty Israelites were killed. Gibeah in the field seems to be Jeba, and the main road from Gibeah (Tuleil el Fl), at about a miles distance from the hill, branches off into two, of which one leads to Beitin (Bethel), and the other to Jeba (Gibeah in the field).
The highways.(Mesilloth.) Roads like the Roman viae regiae, regularly built.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
31. To smite of the people, and kill Rather, to smite of the people the wounded, or pierced. Some thirty men were hit and wounded by the slingers, and the Benjamites rushed upon them and smote them.
In the highways The contest shows that the highways here mentioned was a spot where two roads parted, one leading up to Beth-el, (not house of God, as here again rendered,) the other to Gibeah. In the field designates not the site of Gibeah, (as Gibeah in the field,) but the place where the two roads parted.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city. And they began to smite and to kill some of the people as at other times, in the high ways, of which one goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, in the country, about thirty men of Israel.’
The children of Israel went into retreat drawing the Benjaminites after them into the highways in the open country going towards Bethel. The Benjaminites, exulting in this further success, followed them leaving Gibeah relatively undefended. And they killed thirty men of Israel. But this time the rapid retreat had prevented maximum use of the slingers.
“Thirty men.” A round number signifying the complete number of the killed with an indication that it was not too many. This puts the previous figures in context. We have not previously been told the number of actual deaths, only the number of units disabled and crushed, but going by this it was seemingly not huge. And the Benjaminites saw this as similar to the previous actions, ‘as at first’.
“Gibeah in the country” may possibly identify another Gibeah, which would signify that the children of Israel divided their forces (and thus the enemy), or the description may be of the main highway (going between Bethel and Jerusalem) and the highway that led off towards Gibeah.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jdg 20:31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, [and] were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, [and] kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
Ver. 31. And they began to smite of the people. ] This flushed the Benjamites, and made them cry Victoria; but the scene was soon altered. It is not good to triumph before the victory.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the house of God = Beth-el Here it denotes Beth-el. One of the three cities mentioned.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
drawn: Jos 8:14-16
smite of the people, and kill, as at: Heb. smite of the people wounded as at, etc
the house of God: or, Beth-el, Gibeah. Jdg 19:13, Jdg 19:14, Isa 10:29
thirty: Jos 7:5
Reciprocal: Jos 8:5 – that we will Jos 8:16 – drawn away Jdg 20:39 – And when
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
20:31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, [and] were {o} drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, [and] kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
(o) By the policy of the children of Israel.