Judges 20:35Yahweh struck Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men: all these drew the sword.
The setting
Central Israel, ~1100 BC. The third day of civil war between the 11 tribes and Benjamin. Near Gibeah (modern Jaba, Palestine)...
The emotion here: heavy-hearted chronicling devastating consequences
The original word
nāgap (נגף) — to strike down with divine plague or judgment, not mere military defeat
Why it matters
This was Israel's first civil war, with 65,000 total casualties over three days
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 20:35
Benjamin was defending rapists and murderers — this wasn't random violence
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows God is violent, but Benjamin had been given multiple chances to hand over the criminals. This was justice after all other options failed.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 20:35
Bible Genome reading
Judges 20:35 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 20:35 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. The setting is the battlefield. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine judgment, tragedy. Notable phrases: Yahweh struck Benjamin; twenty-five thousand.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Judges 20:35 mean to you, today?
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