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Judges 20:25
ESV And Benjamin went against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who drew the sword.
NIV This time, when the Benjamites came out from Gibeah to oppose them, they cut down another eighteen thousand Israelites, all of them armed with swords.
NASB And Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah the second day and struck to the ground again eighteen thousand men of the sons of Israel; all of these drew the sword.
CSB That same day the Benjaminites came out from Gibeah to meet them and slaughtered an additional eighteen thousand Israelites on the field; all were armed.
NLT but the men of Benjamin killed another 18,000 Israelites, all of whom were experienced with the sword.
KJV And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

What does Judges 20:25 mean?

This result might have made the people of Israel deeply question their choice to engage in a civil war. They have come with overwhelming force (Judges 20:12–17) to eliminate a source of great evil. Gibeah (Judges 19:14) is a city guilty of open rape and violence (Judges 19:22–28). Despite outnumbering the Benjaminites (Judges 20:12–17), Israel's attack against Gibeah has been defeated on two separate occasions (Judges 20:18–24). As on the first day, a tremendous number of Israeli soldiers are killed. The total, now, is nearly one in ten of the original army. Israel has now lost more soldiers than the entire number of the Benjamite forces.

Scholars suggest Gibeah's natural defenses would have made it difficult to invade. History also notes the tremendous advantage native residents of a land have when battling invaders who don't know the area as well. And yet, the substantial number of those killed in these attempts suggests something else is working against the Israelites. This brings into question whether the Lord God is truly on their side. In seeing His will, the people find a direct and encouraging answer (Judges 20:26–28).
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