King James Version
Judges 20:44 in the King James Version says “And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.” — study this verse from Judges chapter 20 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.
“And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.”
Judges 20:44 · KJV
Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising . with ease: or, from Menuchah, etc over: Heb. unto over against
And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.
And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.
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.
KJV Study — Public Domain
“And there fell”
H5307to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
“of Benjamin”
H1144binjamin, youngest son of jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory
“eighteen”
H8083a cardinal number, eight (as if a surplus above the 'perfect' seven); also (as ordinal) eighth
“thousand”
H505hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand
“men”
H376a 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)
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
“men”
H376a 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)
“of valour”
H2428probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength
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.
Judges 20:44 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.