The battle began as the other battles, but this encounter was different, since the Israelites used a new strategy. They attempted to draw the Benjaminites away from the security of their city, as they awaited in ambush.

And the Benjaminites went out against the people: This clause, introduced by the Hebrew waw conjunction (And), tells what happened next. But in many languages this clause might be translated as a dependent clause, for example “When the Benjaminites came out against the Israelites.” Went out against is literally “went out to meet,” meaning “came out to attack” (see comments on verse 20.25). As was their custom (verse 20.21), the Benjaminites emerged from the city of Gibeah to attack the Israelite soldiers. The people refers to the Israelites, which may be made clear by saying “the other tribes of Israel.”

And were drawn away from the city: This scene is similar to the one described in verse 8.16, with the Benjaminites emerging and getting further and further from their city. This time, however, when they saw the Benjaminites come out of the city, instead of rushing forward into battle, the Israelites dropped back and withdrew. Given the Israelites’ previous heavy losses, the Benjaminites must have assumed they were retreating. So they advanced even further to attack and chase them. Thus the Benjaminites were enticed to leave the safety of their town, leaving them in a vulnerable position. The conjunction and is added by Revised Standard Version to introduce a new sequence in the action and can be maintained in most languages. Were drawn away renders a passive verb in Hebrew, showing that the Benjaminites were falling into the Israelites’ trap. The city is Gibeah. Good News Translation says the Benjaminites “were led away from the city,” but this is not exactly the case. Rather, they “allowed themselves to be drawn [or, pulled] away from the city.”

And as at other times they began to smite and kill some of the people … is literally “and they began to strike down from the people pierced as footstep by footstep….” The narrator informs the audience that, as before, the Benjaminites first appear to have the upper hand and they begin to kill some of the Israelites (verse 20.21, 25). For as at other times (literally “as footstep by footstep”), see the comments on verse 16.20 and verse 20.30. The pronoun they refers to the Benjaminites. In this context the Hebrew verb for smite (nakah) does not refer to hitting, but to actual killing (see verse 1.8). In Hebrew there is emphasis on the word rendered kill (literally “pierced”), which is sometimes used to refer to sexual acts. Indeed, there may be an ironic reference to the initial act that provoked this war (verse 19.25). However, here it clearly refers to those killed in battle (see verse 9.40), who are “pierced through.” There is a wordplay here in Hebrew, since the words for began and kill have the same consonants (ch-l-l).

In the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibe-ah is literally “in the roads that one went up to Bethel and one to Gibeah.” The word highways could be misleading to modern readers, since the Hebrew word here does not refer to large highways, but rather to well-traveled roads. One road went to Bethel and the other to Gibe-ah. The repetition of the number one is an ironic reminder that the Israelites were not one! The Hebrew verb rendered goes up (ʿalah) is the same one often used to mean “attack” (see verse 1.1). Here it seems to heighten the irony. In some languages it will be better to translate goes up to as “going to” or “leading to” (New International Version). For Bethel see verse 1.22 and verse 20.18. Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew by leaving the verb goes up implied in the phrase and the other to Gibe-ah, but in many languages it will be better to be explicit, for example, “and one leading to Gibeah.” The two roads mentioned here may have connected Bethel and Gibeah. Some commentators think Gibe-ah is incorrect and should be “Gibeon” (Revised English Bible, New American Bible), a small town nearby. However, the mention of these two towns, Bethel and Gibe-ah, marks an important contrast, since Bethel was the town where the Israelites worshiped the LORD, and Gibe-ah was where evil men carried out evil deeds. So it seems best to follow the Hebrew text here, as recommended by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project.

And in the open country is literally “in the field.” The Hebrew text does not have the connector and, so the phrase in the open country could modify highways. For example, Good News Translation says “As they had before, they began killing some Israelites in the open country, on the road to Bethel and on the road to Gibeah. They killed about thirty Israelites” (similarly Revised English Bible). However, some versions link this phrase to what follows. For example, New International Version has “They began to inflict casualties on the Israelites as before, so that about thirty men fell in the open field and on the roads—the one leading to Bethel and the other to Gibeah” (similarly New Living Translation). The text is open to either interpretation. The Hebrew word for open country refers to a flat open stretch of land here.

About thirty men of Israel refers to the number of Israelites killed in this early attack. These men probably knew they were likely to die as they drew the Benjaminites into the Israelite trap. The number thirty is a common one in Judges, especially in the Samson story. The Hebrew expression rendered of Israel can also mean “in Israel.” This phrase is the object for the verb smite, so it might be helpful to say “about 30 Israelites died” or “killing about thirty men of Israel” (New Revised Standard Version).

This verse is quite long and to ensure ease of comprehension, can be divided into three or more shorter sentences. Possible models are:

• The Benjaminites charged out after the Israelites and were drawn away from the town. They began their attack along the roads leading to Bethel and Gibeah, fighting and killing [the Israelites] as they had done before. Around thirty Israelites lay dead in the open field.

• The Benjaminites came out to attack the Israelites, but they drew them away from the town. As before, the Benjaminites began attacking and killing the Israelites. In the fields along the two roads that led to Bethel and Gibeah, around thirty Israelites lay dead.

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .