Judges 20:35
And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.
Original Language Analysis
וַיִּגֹּ֨ף
smote
H5062
וַיִּגֹּ֨ף
smote
Strong's:
H5062
Word #:
1 of 21
to push, gore, defeat, stub (the toe), inflict (a disease)
יְהוָ֥ה׀
And the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֥ה׀
And the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
2 of 21
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
אֶֽת
H853
אֶֽת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
3 of 21
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
בְּבִנְיָמִן֙
Benjamin
H1144
בְּבִנְיָמִן֙
Benjamin
Strong's:
H1144
Word #:
4 of 21
binjamin, youngest son of jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory
לִפְנֵ֣י
before
H6440
לִפְנֵ֣י
before
Strong's:
H6440
Word #:
5 of 21
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi
יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל
Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל
Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
6 of 21
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
וַיַּשְׁחִיתוּ֩
destroyed
H7843
וַיַּשְׁחִיתוּ֩
destroyed
Strong's:
H7843
Word #:
7 of 21
to decay, i.e., (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively)
בְנֵ֨י
and the children
H1121
בְנֵ֨י
and the children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
8 of 21
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל
Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל
Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
9 of 21
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
בְּבִנְיָמִן֙
Benjamin
H1144
בְּבִנְיָמִן֙
Benjamin
Strong's:
H1144
Word #:
10 of 21
binjamin, youngest son of jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory
בַּיּ֣וֹם
that day
H3117
בַּיּ֣וֹם
that day
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
11 of 21
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
הַה֔וּא
H1931
הַה֔וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
12 of 21
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 #:
15 of 21
hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand
וּמֵאָ֖ה
and an hundred
H3967
וּמֵאָ֖ה
and an hundred
Strong's:
H3967
Word #:
16 of 21
a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction
אִ֑ישׁ
men
H376
אִ֑ישׁ
men
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
17 of 21
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
18 of 21
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
Historical Context
The number 25,100 represented virtually Benjamin's entire army except the 600 survivors (v. 47). Ancient warfare conventions typically saw 10-30% casualties before armies broke and fled; Benjamin's 94% casualty rate indicates total destruction—only possible with the combination of ambush strategy and divine intervention. This fulfilled the covenant curse of Deuteronomy 28:25: disobedient Israel defeated, though here applied to Benjamin's defense of criminals.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you recognize when success comes from divine intervention versus human effort?
- What does it mean that God receives explicit credit ('the LORD smote') for victories following proper seeking?
- How have you experienced that outcomes depend on God's blessing, not superior resources or strategy?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The LORD smote Benjamin before Israel (וַיִּגֹּף יְהוָה אֶת־בִּנְיָמִן לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל)—the verb 'to smite' (נָגַף, nagaf) indicates divine action, not merely human victory. The children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword—Benjamin loses 25,100 warriors, nearly their entire force (26,700 total). The emphasis 'the LORD smote' attributes victory to God, contrasting sharply with Israel's earlier self-reliant defeats.
This verse marks the chapter's theological climax: when Israel properly sought God (vv. 26-28), He explicitly promised 'I will deliver' (v. 28), and now He fulfills His word. The defeat is not merely military but explicitly divine—'the LORD smote.' This demonstrates the chapter's central lesson: outcomes depend on God's action, not human effort. Israel's 400,000 lost to Benjamin's 26,000 twice (40,000 casualties) until they humbled themselves; then God's intervention reversed the pattern entirely. Victory came not from better tactics alone but from divine promise following proper seeking.