Judges 20:21
And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.
Original Language Analysis
וַיֵּֽצְא֥וּ
came forth
H3318
וַיֵּֽצְא֥וּ
came forth
Strong's:
H3318
Word #:
1 of 14
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
בְנֵֽי
And the children
H1121
בְנֵֽי
And the children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
2 of 14
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
בִנְיָמִ֖ן
of Benjamin
H1144
בִנְיָמִ֖ן
of Benjamin
Strong's:
H1144
Word #:
3 of 14
binjamin, youngest son of jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory
מִן
H4480
מִן
Strong's:
H4480
Word #:
4 of 14
properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
הַגִּבְעָ֑ה
out of Gibeah
H1390
הַגִּבְעָ֑ה
out of Gibeah
Strong's:
H1390
Word #:
5 of 14
gibah; the name of three places in palestine
וַיַּשְׁחִ֨יתוּ
and destroyed down
H7843
וַיַּשְׁחִ֨יתוּ
and destroyed down
Strong's:
H7843
Word #:
6 of 14
to decay, i.e., (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively)
בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל
of the Israelites
H3478
בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל
of the Israelites
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
7 of 14
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
בַּיּ֣וֹם
that day
H3117
בַּיּ֣וֹם
that day
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
8 of 14
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
הַה֗וּא
H1931
הַה֗וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
9 of 14
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
אֶ֛לֶף
thousand
H505
אֶ֛לֶף
thousand
Strong's:
H505
Word #:
12 of 14
hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern battles typically resulted in 10-30% casualties for the losing side. Israel's loss of 22,000 from 400,000 (5.5%) was substantial but not army-destroying. Benjamin's elite warriors and defensive position at Gibeah provided tactical advantages, but the defeat's primary cause was spiritual—God had not fully blessed Israel's approach.
Questions for Reflection
- When has God allowed defeat despite your procedural correctness to humble your self-sufficient heart?
- How do you distinguish shallow consultation from genuine seeking of God's full counsel?
- What losses has God used to expose your pride and teach deeper dependence?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel that day twenty and two thousand men (וַיַּשְׁחִיתוּ אַרְצָה, vayashchitu artzah)—'destroyed down to the ground' emphasizes total defeat. Despite Israel's 400,000 versus Benjamin's 26,000, Benjamin kills 22,000 Israelites in one day—devastating casualties.
This shocking defeat reveals that numerical superiority, proper procedure (consulting God about which tribe goes first), and righteous cause (punishing Gibeah's crime) cannot substitute for complete heart surrender to God. Israel's consultation was real but shallow—they asked God to bless their predetermined plan rather than truly seeking His will. God answers their limited question (v. 18) but allows them to suffer catastrophic defeat to humble their pride and teach deeper dependence. Sometimes God permits devastating losses to expose our self-sufficiency and drive us to genuine seeking.