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Judges 20:36
ESV So the people of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah.
NIV Then the Benjamites saw that they were beaten. Now the men of Israel had given way before Benjamin, because they relied on the ambush they had set near Gibeah.
NASB So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. When the men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah,
CSB Then the Benjaminites realized they had been defeated.The men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin, because they were confident in the ambush they had set against Gibeah.
NLT Then the men of Benjamin saw that they were beaten. The Israelites had retreated from Benjamin’s warriors in order to give those hiding in ambush more room to maneuver against Gibeah.
KJV So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.

What does Judges 20:36 mean?

The first line of this verse concludes the previous thought (Judges 20:35). Because of Israel's strategic battle plan (Judges 20:29–32), the fierce warriors of the tribe of Benjamin did not realize they were about to be defeated until it was too late. By the time their city of Gibeah was lost, as described in the following verses, all they could do was run for their lives.

The second half of this verse begins by describing the events of the battle, specifically from the perspective of Israel's army. The main force of the army appeared to retreat from the battle with Benjamin, giving ground to lure the bulk of Benjamin's army from Gibeah and surrounding cities. The Israelites trusted that the other two groups of their army would fulfill their missions once Benjamin's army was lured too far away to stop them. If each group of Israel's army did its part, Gibeah and the Benjaminite army would finally be defeated.
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