KJV King James Version
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.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
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.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” “Judah will be first,” the LORD replied.
WEB World English Bible
The children of Israel arose, and went up to Bethel, and asked counsel of God; and they said, “Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin?” Yahweh said, “Judah first.”
ASV American Standard Version
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.
YLT 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.’
Surrounding context — Judges 20
15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.
16 Among all this people [there were] seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair [breadth], and not miss.
17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these [were] men of war.
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.
19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.
20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
וַיָּקֻ֜מוּH6965 · qa.may(Leb)-kamaiוַיַּעֲל֣וּH5927 · a.lahto ascend: riseבֵֽית־H1008 · bet-elBethelאֵל֮H1008 · bet-elBethelוַיִּשְׁאֲל֣וּH7592 · sha.alto askבֵאלֹהִים֒H430 · e.lo.himGodוַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙H559 · a.marto sayבְּנֵ֣יH1121 · benson: childיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לH3478 · yis.ra.elIsraelמִ֚יH4310 · miwho?יַעֲלֶה־H5927 · a.lahto ascend: riseלָּ֣נוּH9035 · nuusבַתְּחִלָּ֔הH8462 · te.chil.lahbeginningלַמִּלְחָמָ֖הH4421 · mil.cha.mahbattleעִם־H5973 · imwithבְּנֵ֣יH1121 · benson: childבִנְיָמִ֑ןH1144 · bin.ya.minBenjaminוַיֹּ֥אמֶרH559 · a.marto sayיְהוָ֖הH3068 · ye.ho.vahLORDיְהוּדָ֥הH3063 · ye.hu.dahJudahבַתְּחִלָּֽה׃H8462 · te.chil.lahbeginning
Cross-references
Judges 20:23(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)Judges 20:26-27Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.Numbers 27:21And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask [counsel] for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, [both] he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.Numbers 27:5And Moses brought their cause before the LORD.Genesis 49:8-10Judah, thou [art he] whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand [shall be] in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.Judges 1:1-2Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?Joel 1:14Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders [and] all the inhabitants of the land [into] the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,Joshua 18:1And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.Judges 18:31And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.Joshua 9:14And the men took of their victuals, and asked not [counsel] at the mouth of the LORD.Judges 20:7Behold, ye [are] all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.Judges 19:18And he said unto him, We [are] passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence [am] I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I [am now] going to the house of the LORD; and there [is] no man that receiveth me to house.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
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