Bible Strands
Judges 20:14
And from their cities they came together at Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator describes the Benjamite tribesmen leaving their settlements to assemble at Gibeah. This occurs immediately after they refuse the Israelite coalition’s demand to surrender the guilty men from Gibeah for execution.
The words — The verb וַיֵּאָסְפוּ (va-yē’āsēp̄û) literally means “and they gathered,” describing the mobilization of the tribes. The phrase בְּנֵי־בִנְיָמִן (bənê-binyāmîn) identifies the actors as “the descendants of Benjamin.”
The thread — The motif of gathering forces to confront a rival group appears in Numbers 20:20, Numbers 21:23, and 2 Chronicles 13:13. Each instance records an opposing army assembling to block passage or engage in battle.
Why it lands — The text records a calculated military assembly following a political refusal. It demands the reader recognize the immediate escalation from judicial dispute to organized warfare.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
Cross-references
- Numbers 20:20 But Edom insisted, “You may not pass through.” And they came out to confront the Israelites with a large army and a strong hand.
- Numbers 21:23 But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.
- 2 Chronicles 13:13 Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to ambush from the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them.
- Job 15:25 For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty,