What does Judges 20:48 mean?

"And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to." - Judges 20:48

Judges 20:48 - "And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to."

Judges 20:48 in the King James Version of the Bible reads, "And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to."

This verse is part of the narrative of the book of Judges, which depicts a period of upheaval and conflict in the history of the Israelites. The book of Judges comes after the Israelites have entered the Promised Land and settled there. However, they are still struggling to fully conquer and subdue the land, and are facing opposition from various other tribes and nations.

The specific context of Judges 20:48 is the conclusion of a conflict between the tribes of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. The conflict arises from a heinous act committed by certain men of Benjamin, which leads to a war between the rest of the Israelite tribes and the tribe of Benjamin. The battle takes a heavy toll on both sides, resulting in widespread destruction and loss of life.

The verse describes the aftermath of the battle, with the men of Israel turning back to attack the children of Benjamin, utterly destroying them. Not only are the men of Benjamin defeated, but the Israelites also set fire to the cities they come across, as well as killing their livestock and anything else they come across.

In terms of themes, this verse captures the brutal and destructive nature of war. It highlights the devastating consequences of conflict, as well as the loss and suffering that it brings. The verse also emphasizes the harsh reality of ancient warfare, where not only the combatants but also the civilian population and even the animals are targeted and affected by the violence.

Moreover, this verse also illustrates the theme of divine judgment and justice. Throughout the book of Judges, the Israelites are depicted as a people who repeatedly stray from their covenant with God, leading to divine retribution in the form of military defeat and hardship. The conflict with the tribe of Benjamin is portrayed as a consequence of the moral and spiritual decay of the Israelites, and their eventual victory is seen as a restoration of God's justice.

In terms of symbolism, the destruction and fire mentioned in the verse can be seen as a metaphor for the purification and renewal of the land. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, fire was often used as a symbol of divine judgment and purification. The burning of the cities and the destruction of the livestock can be viewed as a symbolic act of cleansing, purging the land of the evil and sin that had taken root there.

Overall, Judges 20:48 is a powerful and evocative verse that captures the brutal realities of ancient warfare and the themes of divine judgment and justice. It serves as a poignant reminder of the destructive nature of conflict, as well as the enduring relevance of the moral and spiritual lessons found in the Bible.

Judges 20:48 Artwork

Ezekiel 20:48 - "And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched."

Jeremiah 48:20 - "Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,"

Judges 15:20 - "And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years."

Judges 20:29 - "And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah."

Judges 20:19 - "And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah."

Judges 5:20 - "They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera."

Judges 20:20 - "And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah."

Judges 21:20 - "Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;"

Ezekiel 48:20 - "All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand: ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city."

Judges 20:27 - "And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,"

Judges 20:44 - "And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour."

Judges 20:24 - "And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day."

Judges 20:7 - "Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel."

Ezekiel 20:4 - "Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:"

Judges 14:20 - "But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend."

John 12:48 - "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

Judges 1:20 - "And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak."

Judges 18:20 - "And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people."

Judges 20:9 - "But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;"

Judges 20:11 - "So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man."

Genesis 48:20 - "And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh."

Judges 20:41 - "And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them."

Judges 20:47 - "But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months."

Judges 20:12 - "¶ And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?"

Judges 20:14 - "But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel."

Judges 20:21 - "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."

Acts 13:20 - "And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet."

Judges 20:4 - "And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge."

Judges 20:17 - "And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war."