King James Version

What Does Judges 20:35 Mean?

Judges 20:35 in the King James Version says “And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and fi...” — study this verse from Judges chapter 20 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.”

Judges 20:35 · KJV

Context

33

And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.

34

And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them.

35

And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.

36

So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.

37

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. drew: or, made a long sound with the trumpet

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
The LORD smote Benjamin before Israel (וַיִּגֹּף יְהוָה אֶת־בִּנְיָמִן לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל)—the verb 'to smite' (נָגַף, nagaf) indicates divine action, not merely human victory. The children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword—Benjamin loses 25,100 warriors, nearly their entire force (26,700 total). The emphasis 'the LORD smote' attributes victory to God, contrasting sharply with Israel's earlier self-reliant defeats.

This verse marks the chapter's theological climax: when Israel properly sought God (vv. 26-28), He explicitly promised 'I will deliver' (v. 28), and now He fulfills His word. The defeat is not merely military but explicitly divine—'the LORD smote.' This demonstrates the chapter's central lesson: outcomes depend on God's action, not human effort. Israel's 400,000 lost to Benjamin's 26,000 twice (40,000 casualties) until they humbled themselves; then God's intervention reversed the pattern entirely. Victory came not from better tactics alone but from divine promise following proper seeking.

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Historical & Cultural Context

The number 25,100 represented virtually Benjamin's entire army except the 600 survivors (v. 47). Ancient warfare conventions typically saw 10-30% casualties before armies broke and fled; Benjamin's 94% casualty rate indicates total destruction—only possible with the combination of ambush strategy and divine intervention. This fulfilled the covenant curse of Deuteronomy 28:25: disobedient Israel defeated, though here applied to Benjamin's defense of criminals.

Reflection Questions

  1. How do you recognize when success comes from divine intervention versus human effort?
  2. What does it mean that God receives explicit credit ('the LORD smote') for victories following proper seeking?
  3. How have you experienced that outcomes depend on God's blessing, not superior resources or strategy?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 21 words
וַיִּגֹּ֨ף1 of 21

“smote”

H5062

to push, gore, defeat, stub (the toe), inflict (a disease)

יְהוָ֥ה׀2 of 21

“And the LORD”

H3068

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

אֶֽת3 of 21
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

בְּבִנְיָמִן֙4 of 21

“Benjamin”

H1144

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

לִפְנֵ֣י5 of 21

“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

יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל6 of 21

“Israel”

H3478

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

וַיַּשְׁחִיתוּ֩7 of 21

“destroyed”

H7843

to decay, i.e., (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively)

בְנֵ֨י8 of 21

“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

יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל9 of 21

“Israel”

H3478

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

בְּבִנְיָמִן֙10 of 21

“Benjamin”

H1144

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

בַּיּ֣וֹם11 of 21

“that day”

H3117

a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso

הַה֔וּא12 of 21
H1931

he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo

עֶשְׂרִ֨ים13 of 21

“twenty”

H6242

twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth

וַֽחֲמִשָּׁ֥ה14 of 21

“and five”

H2568

five

אֶ֛לֶף15 of 21

“thousand”

H505

hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand

וּמֵאָ֖ה16 of 21

“and an hundred”

H3967

a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction

אִ֑ישׁ17 of 21

“men”

H376

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

כָּל18 of 21
H3605

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

אֵ֖לֶּה19 of 21
H428

these or those

שֹׁ֥לֵֽף20 of 21

“all these drew”

H8025

to pull out, up or off

חָֽרֶב׃21 of 21

“the sword”

H2719

drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implement

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 20:35 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 20:35 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Job 20:5Judges 20:15Judges 20:44-46

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