Judges 20:47

Authorized King James Version

But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וַיִּפְנ֞וּ
turned
to turn; by implication, to face, i.e., appear, look, etc
#2
וַיָּנֻ֤סוּ
and fled
to flit, i.e., vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)
#3
הַמִּדְבָּ֙רָה֙
to the wilderness
a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert
#4
אֶל
near, with or among; often in general, to
#5
בְּסֶ֣לַע
in the rock
a craggy rock, literally or figuratively (a fortress)
#6
רִמּ֔וֹן
Rimmon
rimmon, the name of five places in palestine
#7
שֵׁ֥שׁ
But six
six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ordinal, sixth
#8
מֵא֖וֹת
hundred
a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction
#9
אִ֑ישׁ
men
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)
#10
וַיֵּֽשְׁבוּ֙
and abode
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
#11
בְּסֶ֣לַע
in the rock
a craggy rock, literally or figuratively (a fortress)
#12
רִמּ֔וֹן
Rimmon
rimmon, the name of five places in palestine
#13
אַרְבָּעָ֖ה
four
four
#14
חֳדָשִֽׁים׃
months
the new moon; by implication, a month

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine revelation contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

The literary and historical milieu of the literary conventions and historical circumstances of biblical literature shapes this text's meaning. The historical development of salvation within the theological tradition of Judges Understanding the ancient worldview that shaped the author's theological expression helps modern readers appreciate why the author emphasizes divine revelation in this particular way.

Questions for Reflection

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