Judges 20:33

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does Judges 20:33 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers-in-wait of Israel brake forth out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers-in-wait of Israel brake forth out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba.
Judges 20:33 — American Standard Version

Context — Judges 20

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
33And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers-in-wait of Israel brake forth out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, etc.] The main body of the army, which fled before Benjamin, when they were come to a proper place, stopped, and rose up out of it, and stood in their own defence: and put themselves in array at Baaltamar; drew up in a line of battle at that place, facing their enemies, in order to engage with them: this place the Targum calls the plains of Jericho, that being the city of palm trees, which Tamar signifies; and so Jarchi interprets it; but these are too far off; it must be some place near Gibeah. Jerom f428 speaks of a little village in his time in those parts, called Bethamari, and may be thought to be this same place; perhaps in the…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Baal-tamar--a palm-grove, where Baal was worshipped. The main army of the confederate tribes was drawn up there. out of the meadows of Gibeah--Hebrew, "the caves of Gibeah"; a hill in which the ambuscades lay hid.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Baal-tamar is only mentioned here. It took its name from some palm-tree that grew there; perhaps the same as the “palm-tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel” Judges 4:5, the exact locality here indicated, since “the highway” Judges 20:31 along which the Israelites enticed the Benjamites to pursue them, leads straight to Ramah, which lay only a mile beyond the point where the two ways branch off. The meadows of Gibeah - The word rendered “meadow” is only found here. According to its etymology, it ought to mean a “bare open place”, which is particularly unsuitable for an ambush. However, by a change in the vowel-points, without any alteration in the letters, it becomes the common word for…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“rose up: Jos 8:18-22 put themselves: There appear to have been three divisions of the Israelitish army. one at Baal-tamar (which was situated, says Eusebius, near Gibeah); a second behind the city in ambush; and a third, who skirmished with the Benjamites before Gibeah. Judges 20:34”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification