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Judges 20:37

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does Judges 20:37 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the liers-in-wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers-in-wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the liers-in-wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers-in-wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.
Judges 20:37 — American Standard Version

Context — Judges 20

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
34And there came over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore; but they knew not that evil was close upon them.
35And Jehovah smote Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred men: all these drew the sword.
36So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten; for the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted unto the liers-in-wait whom they had set against Gibeah.
37And the liers-in-wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers-in-wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.
38Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers-in-wait was, that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city.
39And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
40But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and, behold, the whole of the city went up [in smoke] to heaven.
← Judges 20:36Judges 20:38 →
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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 the liers in wait hasted, etc.] When the time was come agreed upon for them to rise out of their ambush: and rushed upon Gibeah; at unawares, with great force and violence entered the city, and took possession of it; or “extended” f429, or spread themselves unto it; before they lay close in a narrow compass, but now they put themselves in a regular order, and marched rank and file, and reached from the meadows in which they were, (<072033>Judges 20:33), to the city: and the liers in wait drew themselves along; along the city, in every part of it, spread themselves all over it, and made themselves masters of every corner of it; or “made a long sound” f430 with a trumpet, protracted that…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Drew along - Or, extended themselves; whereas before they lay close and contracted into a narrow compass, now they spread themselves, and marched in rank and file as armies do. Judges 20:44”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“the liers in wait hasted: Jos 8:19 drew themselves along: or, made a long sound with the trumpets, Exo 19:13; Jos 6:5 Judges 20:38”
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Related study paths

Read Judges 20 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification