King James Version

What Does Judges 20:23 Mean?

Judges 20:23 in the King James Version says “(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I ...” — study this verse from Judges chapter 20 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)”

Judges 20:23 · KJV

Context

21

And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.

22

And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

23

(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)

24

And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

25

And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

Read Judges 20 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
The children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even (וַיַּעֲלוּ...וַיִּבְכּוּ לִפְנֵי־יְהוָה עַד־הָעֶרֶב)—this time they weep before Yahweh until evening, showing deeper emotion. And asked the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? (הַאוֹסִיף לָגֶשֶׁת לַמִּלְחָמָה עִם־בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן אָחִי)—note 'my brother,' acknowledging relationship. And the LORD said, Go up against him (עֲלוּ אֵלָיו).

Israel's second inquiry shows progress—they add weeping and explicitly acknowledge Benjamin as 'brother,' questioning whether fraternal warfare should continue. Yet they still frame it as 'go up again' (הַאוֹסִיף, continuing their plan) rather than asking 'What should we do?' God's terse response 'go up' permits their approach but doesn't elaborate. This demonstrates that God may allow us to continue flawed plans to teach through consequences. The question remains whether (v. 18) focused on procedure ('which tribe first?'), this one questions continuation but not method. Not until verse 28 will they receive explicit promise of victory. Partial seeking yields partial answers.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Weeping 'before the LORD' at Bethel where the ark was stationed (v. 27) represents increased spiritual engagement compared to verse 18's briefer consultation. The phrase 'until evening' suggests extended prayer and mourning. Ancient Israelite warfare typically involved morning battles followed by afternoon/evening assessment and religious observance.

Reflection Questions

  1. How do you progress from shallow consultation to deeper seeking of God after experiencing defeat?
  2. When do you question continuation of your plans without questioning the plans themselves?
  3. What does God's terse permission teach about the difference between allowance and full blessing?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 22 words
עֲל֥וּ1 of 22

“Go up”

H5927

to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative

בְּנֵ֥י2 of 22

“And the children”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל3 of 22

“of Israel”

H3478

he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

וַיִּבְכּ֣וּ4 of 22

“and wept”

H1058

to weep; generally to bemoan

לִפְנֵֽי5 of 22

“before”

H6440

the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi

יְהוָ֖ה6 of 22

“And the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

עַד7 of 22
H5704

as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)

הָעֶרֶב֒8 of 22

“until even”

H6153

dusk

וַיִּשְׁאֲל֤וּ9 of 22

“and asked”

H7592

to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demand

יְהוָ֖ה10 of 22

“And the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר11 of 22

“said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

הַֽאוֹסִ֗יף12 of 22

“again”

H3254

to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing)

לָגֶ֙שֶׁת֙13 of 22

“Shall I go up”

H5066

to be or come (causatively, bring) near (for any purpose); euphemistically, to lie with a woman; as an enemy, to attack; religious to worship; causati

לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה14 of 22

“to battle”

H4421

a battle (i.e., the engagement); generally, war (i.e., war-fare)

עִם15 of 22
H5973

adverb or preposition, with (i.e., in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then

בְּנֵ֥י16 of 22

“And the children”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

בִנְיָמִ֖ן17 of 22

“of Benjamin”

H1144

binjamin, youngest son of jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory

אָחִ֑י18 of 22

“my brother”

H251

a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance [like h0001])

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר19 of 22

“said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

יְהוָ֖ה20 of 22

“And the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

עֲל֥וּ21 of 22

“Go up”

H5927

to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative

אֵלָֽיו׃22 of 22
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Judges. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Judges 20:23 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Judges 20:23 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Judges 20:26-27Psalms 78:34-36Hosea 5:15Joshua 7:6Judges 20:18

Places in This Verse

Bethel 1Settlement · Modern: Beitin · 31.92°N, 35.24°E69 verses across 12 books
View all places in Judges 20 →

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