Judges 20:46So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword; all these were men of valor.
The setting
Israel, ~1100 BC. The final tally of Benjamin's warriors killed in one day - 25,000 dead. This represents nearly every fighting man in the tribe, leaving mostly women, children, and 600 survivors hiding at Rimmon.
The emotion here: overwhelmed by the magnitude of destruction he must record
The original word
shaleph (שָׁלַף) — those who drew the sword, trained warriors who died for their tribe's sin
Why it matters
This casualty rate would have eliminated Benjamin as a functioning tribe - they lost 96% of their army
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 20:46
Again 'men of valor' - the narrator refuses to dehumanize the dead even as enemies
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows God's righteous judgment, but the repetition of 'men of valor' shows the narrator is actually mourning - this is a tragedy, not a victory celebration.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 20:46
Bible Genome reading
Judges 20:46 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 20:46 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 total casualties, valor, judgment. Notable phrases: twenty-five thousand men; drew the sword; men of valor.
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 20:46 mean to you, today?
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