16 Among all this people H5971 there were seven H7651 hundred H3967 chosen H977 men H376 lefthanded; H334 H3027 H3225 every one could sling H7049 stones H68 at an hair H8185 breadth, and not miss. H2398
But when the children H1121 of Israel H3478 cried H2199 unto the LORD, H3068 the LORD H3068 raised them up H6965 a deliverer, H3467 Ehud H164 the son H1121 of Gera, H1617 a Benjamite, H1145 a man H376 lefthanded: H334 H3225 and by him H3027 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 sent H7971 a present H4503 unto Eglon H5700 the king H4428 of Moab. H4124
They were armed H5401 with bows, H7198 and could use both the right hand H3231 and the left H8041 in hurling stones H68 and shooting arrows H2671 out of a bow, H7198 even of Saul's H7586 brethren H251 of Benjamin. H1144
And he took H3947 his staff H4731 in his hand, H3027 and chose H977 him five H2568 smooth H2512 stones H68 out of the brook, H5158 and put H7760 them in a shepherd's H7462 bag H3627 which he had, even in a scrip; H3219 and his sling H7050 was in his hand: H3027 and he drew near H5066 to the Philistine. H6430
And David H1732 put H7971 his hand H3027 in his bag, H3627 and took H3947 thence a stone, H68 and slang H7049 it, and smote H5221 the Philistine H6430 in his forehead, H4696 that the stone H68 sunk H2883 into his forehead; H4696 and he fell H5307 upon his face H6440 to the earth. H776 So David H1732 prevailed H2388 over H4480 the Philistine H6430 with a sling H7050 and with a stone, H68 and smote H5221 the Philistine, H6430 and slew H4191 him; but there was no sword H2719 in the hand H3027 of David. H1732
Yet a man H120 is risen H6965 to pursue H7291 thee, and to seek H1245 thy soul: H5315 but the soul H5315 of my lord H113 shall be bound H6887 in the bundle H6872 of life H2416 with the LORD H3068 thy God; H430 and the souls H5315 of thine enemies, H341 them shall he sling out, H7049 as out of the middle H8432 H3709 of a sling. H7050
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Judges 20
Commentary on Judges 20 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 20
Into the book of the wars of the Lord the story of this chapter must be brought, but it looks as sad and uncomfortable as any article in all that history; for there is nothing in it that looks in the least bright or pleasant but the pious zeal of Israel against the wickedness of the men of Gibeah, which made it on their side a just and holy war; but otherwise the obstinacy of the Benjamites in protecting their criminals, which was the foundation of the war, the vast loss which the Israelites sustained in carrying on the war, and (though the righteous cause was victorious at last) the issuing of the war in the almost utter extirpation of the tribe of Benjamin, make it, from first to last, melancholy. And yet this happened soon after the glorious settlement of Israel in the land of promise, upon which one would have expected every thing to be prosperous and serene. In this chapter we have,
Jdg 20:1-11
Here is,
Jdg 20:12-17
Here is,
Jdg 20:18-25
We have here the defeat of the men of Israel in their first and second battle with the Benjamites.
Jdg 20:26-48
We have here a full account of the complete victory which the Israelites obtained over the Benjamites in the third engagement: the righteous cause was victorious at last, when the managers of it amended what had been amiss; for, when a good cause suffers, it is for want of good management. Observe then how the victory was obtained, and how it was pursued.