Bible Strands
Judges 20:46
That day 25,000 Benjamite swordsmen fell, all men of valor.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Israelite army reports the cumulative casualty count following their decisive engagement against the tribe of Benjamin. The verse records the final tally of fallen combatants on that specific day of battle.
The words — הַ/נֹּ֨פְלִ֜ים (ha./No.fe.Lim) = those who fell and עֶשְׂרִים֩ (es.Rim) = twenty. These terms anchor the verse in a precise accounting of the dead rather than a general description of defeat.
The thread — Judges 20:15 records the initial mobilization of 26,000 Benjamite swordsmen, while Judges 20:35 tallies 25,100 slaughtered. This verse completes that military census by specifying the exact number of warriors who fell in the final phase.
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to acknowledge the complete destruction of the tribe's military capacity. It leaves no room for partial victory narratives, presenting a definitive end to the conflict.
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
So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.
Cross-references
- Judges 20:15 On that day the Benjamites mobilized 26,000 swordsmen from their cities, in addition to the 700 select men of Gibeah.
- Judges 20:35 The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords.