King James Version

Judges 20:3

(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ֙vayishmevand hearשָׁמַעconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and hear”, the next action in the storyH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…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, […בִנְיָמִ֔ןvinyaminBenjaminבִּנְיָמִיןnoun, proper name — “Benjamin”H1144Binjamin, youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territoryBenjamin.כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…עָל֥וּalvascend upעָלָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “ascend up”, a completed 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…בְנֵֽיvenesonבֵּןnoun, 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, […יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.הַמִּצְפָּ֑הhamitspahthe Mitspah. when 'in pause'מִצְפָּהdefinite article, noun, proper name — “the Mitspah. when 'in pause'”H4709Mitspah, the name of two places in PalestineMitspah. (This seems rather to be only an orthographic variation of H4708 (מִצְפֶּה) when 'in pause'.)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.דַּבְּר֕וּdabrvspeakדָבַרverb, piel, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “speak”, a commandH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.אֵיכָ֥הeykhahhowאֵיךְparticle, interrogative — “how”H349how? or how!; also wherehow, what.נִהְיְתָ֖הnihyetahbeהָיָהverb, niphal, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.הָרָעָ֥הharaahthe badרַעdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…הַזֹּֽאתhazotthe thisזֹאתdefinite article, pronoun, demonstrative, feminine, singular — “the this”H2063this (often used adverb)hereby (-in, -with), it, likewise, the one (other, same), she, so (much), such (deed), that, therefore, these, this (thing), thus.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpah. — And the children of Israel said: 'Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass?'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpah.) And the children of Israel said, Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass?

Young’s Literal Translation

And the sons of Benjamin hear that the sons of Israel have gone up to Mizpeh. And the sons of Israel say, 'Speak ye, how hath this evil been?'

World English Bible

(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) The children of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this wickedness happen?”

Darby Translation

And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah. And the children of Israel said, Tell [us], how was this wickedness?

Douay-Rheims

(Nor were the children of Benjamin ignorant that the children of Israel were come up to Maspha.) And the Levite the husband of the woman that was killed, being asked, how so great a wickedness had been committed,

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpah. — And the children of Israel said: 'Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass?'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Massepha: and the children of Israel came and said, Tell us, where did this wickedness take place?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμεὶν, ὅτι ἀνέβησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ εἰς Μασσηφά· Καὶ ἐλθόντες εἶπαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ, λαλήσατε, ποῦ ἐγένετο ἡ πονηρία αὕτη;