Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 20:43
[Thus] they enclosed the Benjamites round about, [and] chased them, [and] trod them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
43. The unidiomatic style ( and and are not in the original), together with the obscurity of the sense, prove that the text is corrupt. Of the various attempts to emend it, the following is as plausible as any: taking the two Hebr. words for the Benjamites chased them as a doublet of the next two at their resting place, trode them down, and omitting the latter, we may read they cut down (LXX. cod. B) Benjamin and pursued him as far as over against Geba toward the sunrising. The Gibeah of the text was not E. of the flying Benjamites; as elsewhere it is confused with Geba = Jeba‘, 3 m. N.E. of Tell el-Fl. Jeba‘ lies on the way to Rammn; but before the fugitives could reach their place of refuge (Rimmon Jdg 20:45), the narrow defile of the Wadi Suwnt (1Sa 14:4 ff.), between Jeba‘ and Machms, would stop further pursuit: accordingly over against Geba they were cut down.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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 Num 10:33; Psa 95:11. The expression is very obscure. The margin takes it as the name of a place.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
With ease; without great difficulty. Now that God gave them his presence and assistance, they easily did that which before they found too hard for them. Or, unto Menuchah; or, as far as Menuchah; a place so called. See 1Ch 2:52; Jer 51:59.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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 1Ch 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 “persequi fecerunt eum”, Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; “vel eos”, Vatablus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(43) A strong and poetic description of the total rout and massacre which ensued.
With ease.There is no with in the Hebrew, but perhaps it may be understood. The LXX. and Luther make it mean from Noria. Others render it in their rest, i.e., in the places to which they fled for refuge. The Vulg. paraphrases it: Nor was there any repose of the dying. But the whole verse is obscure.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
43. With ease The Hebrew word thus rendered is better taken as a proper name, Menuchah, as in the margin. Translate the verse thus: They enclosed Benjamin, pursued him, trod him down at Menuchah unto the place over against Gibeah eastward. The sense is, that Menuchah itself was over against Gibeah on the east, so that the battle was fought principally on the east of the city. Menuchah was probably the same as Manahath, (1Ch 8:6,) and lay somewhere to the east or northeast of Gibeah.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ They enclosed the Benjaminites round about, and pursued them, and overtook (‘or ‘trod down’) them at their resting place as far as over against Gibeah towards the sunrising.’
This describes a typical pursuit in such a situation. The Benjaminites were surrounded on all sides, for the confederation dwelt in lands all round, and men would come from all sides to wreak vengeance on Benjamin. Pursuit was so fierce that as soon as Benjaminites stopped exhausted for a rest they would be overtaken and trodden down, that is, slaughtered. As far as they fled to the east so were they pursued. But some would inevitably slip through the net and disappear, hiding in the mountains or wandering disguised through confederate lands as travellers.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jdg 20:43 [Thus] they inclosed the Benjamites round about, [and] chased them, [and] trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
Ver. 43. And chased them, and trode them. ] These things are recorded, that people may see the woe of war, and take heed of sin, the cause of it.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
over against = as far as over against.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
enclosed: Jos 8:20-22
with ease: or, from Menuchah, etc
over against: Heb. unto over against
Reciprocal: 2Sa 10:9 – General 2Ki 7:17 – the people trode upon him 1Ch 19:10 – set against