Judges 20:46

WEB

So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand swordsmen; all these were valiant fighters.

KJV

So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.

Commentary

So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and thousand men,.... It is before said 25,100 Jdg 20:35 here the one hundred are omitted, and the round number of thousands given, which is no unusual way of speaking and writing; the whole army of Benjamin consist ed of 26,700 of which 18,000 were slain in the field of battle, 5000 in the highways, and 2000 at Gidom, in all 25,000; and we may suppose one hundred as they were straggling in the road, or found in by places, or are not mentioned with either of the thousands for the sake of a round number, and six hundred fled to the rock Rimmon; as for the other 1000, it is highly probable, they fell in the two first battles, as Ben Gersom and Abarbinel rightly suppose; for it is not credible, that though they got such amazing victories, it was without the loss of men, and these are as few as well can be imagined. Jarchi thinks these thousand fled to the cities of Benjamin, and were slain when the Israelites entered them, as after related, Jdg 20:48 which is much more probable than a tradition they have, that they went into the land of Romania, and dwelt there. Now all those that were slain were men that drew the sword; soldiers, not husbandmen, artificers, &c. but armed men: all these were men of valour; even those that fled, who chose rather to lose their lives than ask for quarter.