King James Version

Judges 20:18

And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.

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Hebrew

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וַיָּקֻ֜מוּvayaqumvand riseקוּםconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and rise”, the next action in the storyH6965to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)abide, accomplish, [idiom] be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, [idiom] be dim, endure, [idiom] enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift up (again), make, [idiom] but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise (up), rear (u…וַיַּעֲל֣וּvayaalvand ascend upעָלָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and ascend up”, the next action in the storyH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…בֵֽיתveytBeth-elבֵּית־אֵלnoun, proper name — “Beth-el”H1008Beth-El, a place in PalestineBeth-el.אֵל֮elBeth-elבֵּית־אֵלnoun, proper name — “Beth-el”H1008Beth-El, a place in PalestineBeth-el.וַיִּשְׁאֲל֣וּvayishalvand demandשָׁאַלconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and demand”, the next action in the storyH7592to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demandask (counsel, on), beg, borrow, lay to charge, consult, demand, desire, [idiom] earnestly, enquire, [phrase] greet, obtain leave, lend, pray, request, require, [phrase] salute, [idiom] straitly, [idiom] surely, wish.בֵאלֹהִים֒velohimin Godאֱלֹהִיםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “in God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙vayomrvand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…בְּנֵ֣יbenesonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.מִ֚יmiwhoמִיparticle, interrogative — “who”H4310who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffixany (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God.יַעֲלֶהyaalehascend upעָלָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “ascend up”, an unfinished actionH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…לָּ֣נוּlanvtoלָּ֣נוּpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “to”toבַתְּחִלָּ֔הvatchilahin beginתְּחִלָּהpreposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in begin”, the ordinary formH8462a commencement; rel. original (adverb, -ly)begin(-ning), first (time).לַמִּלְחָמָ֖הlamilchamahto battleמִלְחָמָהpreposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “to battle”, the ordinary formH4421a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare)battle, fight(-ing), war(-rior).עִםimwithעִםpreposition — “with”H5973adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al).בְּנֵ֣יbenesonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […בִנְיָמִ֑ןvinyaminBenjaminבִּנְיָמִיןnoun, proper name — “Benjamin”H1144Binjamin, youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territoryBenjamin.וַיֹּ֥אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…יְהוָ֖הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).יְהוּדָ֥הyehudahJudahיְהוּדָהnoun, proper name — “Judah”H3063Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territoryJudah.בַתְּחִלָּֽהvatchilahin beginתְּחִלָּהpreposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in begin”, the ordinary formH8462a commencement; rel. original (adverb, -ly)begin(-ning), first (time).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the children of Israel arose, and went up to Beth-el, and asked counsel of God; and they said: 'Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin?' And the LORD said: 'Judah first.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And the children of Israel arose, and went up to Beth-el, and asked counsel of God; and they said, Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah shall go up first.

Young’s Literal Translation

And they rise and go up to Beth-El, and ask of God, and the sons of Israel say, 'Who doth go up for us at the commencement to battle with the sons of Benjamin?' and Jehovah saith, 'Judah — at the commencement.'

World English Bible

The children of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and asked counsel of God. They asked, “Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin?” Yahweh said, “Judah first.”

Darby Translation

And the children of Israel arose and went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah first.

Douay-Rheims

And they arose and came to the house of God, that is, to Silo: and they consulted God, and said: Who shall be in our army the first to go to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord answered them: Let Juda be your leader.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And they arose and went up to Bæthel, and enquired of God: and the children of Israel said, Who shall go up for us first to fight with the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Juda shall go up first as leader.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἀνέστησαν καὶ ἀνέβησαν εἰς Βαιθὴλ, καὶ ἠρώτησαν ἐν τῷ Θεῷ· καὶ εἶπαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ, τίς ἀναβήσεται ἡμῖν ἐν ἀρχῇ εἰς παράταξιν πρὸς υἱοὺς Βενιαμίν; καὶ εἶπε Κύριος, Ἰούδας ἐν ἀρχῇ ἀναβήσεται ἀφηγούμενος.