Judges 20:23 The Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and they inquired of the LORD. They said, "Shall we go up again to battle against the Benjamites, our brothers?" The LORD answered, "Go up against them."

<< Judges 20:23 >>

New International Version (©1984)
The Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and they inquired of the LORD. They said, "Shall we go up again to battle against the Benjamites, our brothers?" The LORD answered, "Go up against them."

New Living Translation (©2007)
For they had gone up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the LORD until evening. They had asked the LORD, "Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again?" And the LORD had said, "Go out and fight against them."

English Standard Version (©2001)
And the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening. And they inquired of the LORD, “Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?” And the LORD said, “Go up against them.”

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
The sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall we again draw near for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against him."

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
(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.)

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
The Israelites went and cried in the presence of the LORD until evening. They asked the LORD, "Should we continue to wage war against our close relatives, the men of Benjamin?" The LORD answered, "Go fight them!"

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, 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.)

American King James Version
(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.)

American Standard Version
And the children of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until even; and they asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I again draw nigh to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And Jehovah said, Go up against him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Yet so that they first went up and wept before the Lord until night: and consulted him, and said: Shall I go out any more to fight against the children of Benjamin my brethren, or not? And he answered them: Go up against them, and join battle.

Darby Bible Translation
And the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening; and they inquired of the LORD, "Shall we again draw near to battle against our brethren the Benjaminites?" And the LORD said, "Go up against them."

English Revised Version
(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even; and they asked of the LORD, saying, Shall I again draw nigh to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)

Webster's Bible Translation
(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, 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.)

World English Bible
The children of Israel went up and wept before Yahweh until evening; and they asked of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I again draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?" Yahweh said, "Go up against him."

Young's Literal Translation
And the sons of Israel go up and weep before Jehovah till the evening, and ask of Jehovah, saying, 'Do I add to draw nigh to battle with the sons of Benjamin, my brother?' And Jehovah saith, 'Go up against him.'

Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Go up against him - It appears most evident that the Israelites did not seek the protection of God. They trusted in the goodness of their cause and in the multitude of their army. God humbled them, and delivered them into the hands of their enemies, and showed them that the race was not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until even,.... The evening of the day in which the battle was fought; not that the whole army went up to Shiloh to the house of God there, but a deputation of them, who lamented their defeat, and the loss of so many lives, but not their sins and transgressions, and particularly the idolatry they had been guilty of:

and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, shall we go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? they seemed to have some doubt, by the loss they sustained, whether they were right in going to war with Benjamin, especially as he was their brother; and therefore the question now is, not who should go up first, which was already determined, but whether they should go at all; and still they do not ask any help of God in battle, nor success, but were depending on their numbers, and the justness of their cause, and therefore neither is promised to them, only they have an answer to their question:

and the Lord said, go up against him; for Benjamin was certainly in the wrong, and therefore the Israelites are directed to go against him, and they also were not sufficiently chastised, nor thoroughly humbled.

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

But before renewing the conflict they went up to Bethel, wept there before Jehovah, i.e., before the sanctuary of the ark, where Jehovah was present in the midst of His people, enthroned between the cherubim, until the evening, and then inquired of the Lord (again through the high priest) "Shall I again draw near to war with the children of Benjamin my brother" (i.e., renew the war with him)? The answer ran thus: "Advance against him."

Geneva Study Bible

(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.)

Wesley's Notes

20:23 Wept - Not so much for their sins, as for their defeat and loss. My brother - They impute their ill success, not to their own sins, but to their taking up arms against their brethren. But still they persist in their former neglect of seeking God's assistance in the way which he had appointed, as they themselves acknowledged presently, by doing those very things which now they neglected.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

17:7-13 Micah thought it was a sign of God's favour to him and his images, that a Levite should come to his door. Thus those who please themselves with their own delusions, if Providence unexpectedly bring any thing to their hands that further them in their evil way, are apt from thence to think that God is pleased with them.

Joshua 7:6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the LORD, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads.

Joshua 7:7 And Joshua said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!

Judges 20:18 The Israelites went up to Bethel and inquired of God. They said, "Who of us shall go first to fight against the Benjamites?" The LORD replied, "Judah shall go first."

Judges 20:22 But the men of Israel encouraged one another and again took up their positions where they had stationed themselves the first day.

Judges 20:24 Then the Israelites drew near to Benjamin the second day.

Judges 20:26 Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, and there they sat weeping before the LORD. They fasted that day until evening and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the LORD.

1 Samuel 11:4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud.

Add Battle Benjamin Benjaminites Benjamites Brethren Brother Brothers Counsel Draw Evening Fight Forward Inquired Nigh Requesting Saying Sons Till Weep Weeping Wept

Battle Benjamin Children Counsel Draw Evening Israel Wept

wept Jud 20:26,27 Ps 78:34-36 Ho 5:15

And the It seems most evident that the Israelites did not seek the protection of God. When they `went to the house of God,' ver 18 it was not to enquire concerning the {expediency} of the war, nor of its {success}, but which of the tribes should begin the attack: and the question is, `Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?' Having so much {right} on their side, they had no doubt of the {justice} of their cause, and the {propriety} of their conduct; and having such a {superiority} of numbers, they had no doubt of {success}. But God humbled them, and delivered them into the hands of their enemies; and shewed them that the race was not to the swift, not the battle to the strong.

Judges Chapter 20 Verse 23

Alphabetical: again against and answered battle before Benjamin Benjamites brother brothers draw evening for go him inquired Israel Israelites LORD my near of our said saying Shall sons The them they to until up we went wept

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