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Judges 20:45

ESV And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. Five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways. And they were pursued hard to Gidom, and 2,000 men of them were struck down.
NIV As they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, the Israelites cut down five thousand men along the roads. They kept pressing after the Benjamites as far as Gidom and struck down two thousand more.
NASB The rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, but they caught five thousand of them on the roads and overtook them at Gidom, and killed two thousand of them.
CSB Then Benjamin turned and fled toward the wilderness to Rimmon Rock, and Israel killed five thousand men on the highways. They overtook them at Gidom and struck two thousand more dead.
NLT The survivors fled into the wilderness toward the rock of Rimmon, but Israel killed 5,000 of them along the road. They continued the chase until they had killed another 2,000 near Gidom.
KJV And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.

What does Judges 20:45 mean?

Israel's eleven other tribes have turned the tables on the twelfth tribe, Benjamin. The fighters of Benjamin's army believed they had all but won their third battle. Instead, the Israelites drew them out with a false retreat and cut them off from their base at Gibeah, burning it to the ground (Judges 20:29–32; 40–42). This results in the Benjaminites being almost surrounded. Already, most of Benjamin's soldiers have been killed (Judges 20:43–44).

Those warriors who remain are attempting to run to the wilderness to escape. Their immediate goal is a place called the "rock of Rimmon." Scholars suggest this was a set of limestone cliffs not far from Gibeah and Geba. These cliffs are full of countless holes and caves, perfect for hiding from enemies.

Very few of those fleeing made it to safety. The Israelite soldiers overran and killed almost every Benjaminite soldier. When the battle is over, only about one in twenty of Benjamin's initial forces will be alive (Judges 20:15, 26).
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