King James Version

Judges 20:39

And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.

Study

Hebrew

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

וַיַּהֲפֹ֥ךְvayahafokheand changeהָפַךְconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and change”, the next action in the storyH2015to turn about or over; by implication, to change, overturn, return, pervert[idiom] become, change, come, be converted, give, make (a bed), overthrow (-turn), perverse, retire, tumble, turn (again, aside, back, to the contrary, every way).אִֽישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “a certain”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑הbamilchamahin battleמִלְחָמָהpreposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in battle”, the ordinary formH4421a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare)battle, fight(-ing), war(-rior).וּבִנְיָמִ֡ןuvinyaminand Benjaminבִּנְיָמִיןconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Benjamin”H1144Binjamin, youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territoryBenjamin.הֵחֵל֩hechelbeginחָלַלverb, hiphil, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “begin”, a completed actionH2490properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an 'opening wedge'); to play (the flute)begin ([idiom] men began), defile, [idiom] break, defile, [idiom] eat (as common things), [idiom] first, [idiom] gather the grape thereof, [idiom] take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast as) profane (self), prostitute…לְהַכּ֨וֹתlehakotto strikeנָכָהpreposition, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct — “to strike”, the to-form of the verbH5221to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [idiom] go forward, [idiom] indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, [idiom] surely, wound.חֲלָלִ֤יםchalalimkillחָלָלadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “kill”, the ordinary formH2491pierced (especially to death); figuratively, pollutedkill, profane, slain (man), [idiom] slew, (deadly) wounded.בְּאִֽישׁbeishin a certainאִישׁpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in a certain”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…יִשְׂרָאֵל֙yisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.כִּשְׁלֹשִׁ֣יםkishloshimas thirtyשְׁלוֹשִׁיםpreposition, adjective, cardinal, both genders, plural, absolute — “as thirty”, the ordinary formH7970thirty; or (ordinal) thirtieththirty, thirtieth. Compare H7991 (שָׁלִישׁ).אִ֔ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…כִּ֣יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “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…אָמְר֔וּamervsayאָמַרverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “say”, a completed actionH559to 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…אַךְ֩akhonlyאַךְparticle, affirmation — “only”H389a particle of affirmation, surely; hence (by limitation) onlyalso, in any wise, at least, but, certainly, even, howbeit, nevertheless, notwithstanding, only, save, surely, of a surety, truly, verily, [phrase] wherefore, yet (but).נִגּ֨וֹףnigofbeatנָגַףverb, niphal, infinitive absolute — “beat”, the verb used for emphasisH5062to push, gore, defeat, stub (the toe), inflict (a disease)beat, dash, hurt, plague, slay, smite (down), strike, stumble, [idiom] surely, put to the worse.נִגָּ֥ףnigafbeatנָגַףverb, niphal, participle, absolute — “beat”, a verb used as a describing wordH5062to push, gore, defeat, stub (the toe), inflict (a disease)beat, dash, hurt, plague, slay, smite (down), strike, stumble, [idiom] surely, put to the worse.הוּא֙huas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.לְפָנֵ֔ינוּlefaneynvto a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “to a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…כַּמִּלְחָמָ֖הkamilchamahas battleמִלְחָמָהpreposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “as battle”, the ordinary formH4421a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare)battle, fight(-ing), war(-rior).הָרִאשֹׁנָֽהharishonahthe firstרִאשׁוֹןdefinite article, adjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “the first”, the ordinary formH7223first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun)ancestor, (that were) before(-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore(-father) (-most), former (thing), of old time, past.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said: 'Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.

Young’s Literal Translation

And the men of Israel turn in battle, and Benjamin hath begun to smite the wounded among the men of Israel, about thirty men, for they said, 'Surely they are utterly smitten before us, as [at] the first battle;

World English Bible

The men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, “Surely they are struck down before us, as in the first battle.”

Darby Translation

And when the men of Israel turned back in the battle, Benjamin began to smite, slaying of the men of Israel about thirty men; for they said, Surely they are quite routed before us as in the first battle.

Douay-Rheims

And when the children of Israel saw this in the battle (for the children of Benjamin thought they fled and pursued them vigorously, killing thirty men of their army)

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the children of Israel saw that the liers in wait had seized Gabaa, and they stood in line of battle; and Benjamin began to smite down wounded ones among the men of Israel about thirty men; for they said, Surely they fall again before us, as in the first battle.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶδον οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι προκατελάβετο τὸ ἔνεδρον τὴν Γαβαὰ, καὶ ἔστησαν ἐν τῇ παρατάξει· καὶ Βενιαμὶν ἤρξατο πατάσσειν τραυματίας ἐν ἀνδράσιν Ἰσραὴλ ὡς τριάκοντα ἄνδρας· ὅτι εἶπαν, πάλιν πτώσει πίπτουσιν ἐνώπιον ἡμῶν ὡς ἡ παράταξις ἡ πρώτη.