Bible Strands
Judges 20:32
“We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Benjamite defenders address the advancing Israelite army during the third day of battle, claiming their previous two repulses were successful. The Israelite commanders immediately counter with a tactical order to feign retreat and lure the enemy away from Gibeah onto the open roads.
The words — The Hebrew term נִגָּפִים (ni.ga.Fim) literally means "[are] defeated" or "[are] being struck down," capturing the Benjamites' reported success. The phrase כְּ/בָ/רִאשֹׁנָה (ke./va./ri.sho.Nah) translates to "as at the former time," anchoring their confidence in the immediate past engagement.
The thread — This deliberate withdrawal to draw out the enemy directly parallels Joshua 8:15, where Israelite forces let themselves be beaten back toward the wilderness. Both passages use the same feigned retreat to trigger a concealed ambush against a fortified city.
Why it lands — The text records a precise exchange of battlefield commands that shifts the conflict from attrition to coordinated deception. It asks the reader to track how tactical adaptation, rather than brute force, dictates the outcome of the engagement.
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
And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.
Cross-references
- Joshua 8:15 Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.