Judges 20:14

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does Judges 20:14 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
Judges 20:14 — American Standard Version

Context — Judges 20

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
14And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, etc.] To protect and defend it against the other tribes, being a city of theirs and where the persons charged with the crime lived; these got together thither out of the several cities of the tribe of Benjamin, as many as could bear arms: to go out to battle against the children of Israel; they neither denied the fact, nor attempted to palliate and excuse it, nor sought for peace but at once betook themselves to arms; which showed not only want of prudence but pride, passion and self-confidence, and that they were sadly depraved in their morals to rise up in defence of such wicked men; and a strange…”
Read attributed excerpt →
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah--Allowing their valor to be ever so great, nothing but blind passion and unbending obstinacy could have impelled them to take the field against their brethren with such a disparity of numbers.”
Read attributed excerpt →
Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Num 20:20, Num 21:23; Ch2 13:13; Job 15:25, Job 15:26 Judges 20:15”
Read attributed excerpt →
Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“Both sides now made their preparations. The Benjaminites assembled together at Gibeah out of their different towns, and "were mustered 26,000 men drawing the sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah they were mustered, 700 picked men" (הגפּקדוּ, with the reduplication dropped, like the Hothpael in Num 1:47). "Out of all this people there were 700 picked men, lamed in the right hand, all these (were) slinging with a stone (hitting) at a hair's breadth without fail." These statement are not quite clear. Since, according to the distinct words of Jdg 20:16, the 700 slingers with their left hands were "out of the whole people," i.e., out of the whole number of fighting men mentioned in Jdg 20:16,…”
Read attributed excerpt →

Related study paths

Sources and verification