## Rashi on Judges Chapter 20

###### Rashi on Judges 20:2:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:2:1)

**פִּנּוֹת כָּל הָעָם.** (תרגום:) רֵישֵׁי כָּל עַמָּא:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**The leaders of the entire people.** The heads of the entire people.¹

footnotes:
¹ This is Targum Yonasan’s translation.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:5:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:5:1)

**דִּמּוּ לַהֲרֹג.** כִּוְּנוּ לַהֲרֹג, אנישמינט״ו בְּלַעַ״ז:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**They thought they would murder me.** They intended to murder me. "Apesment" in old French.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:10:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:10:1)

**לַעֲשׂוֹת לְבוֹאָם.** לְבִיאָתָם זוֹ לְגִבְעַת בִּנְיָמִין ׳כְּכָל הַנְּבָלָה׳ וְגוֹ׳:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**When taking action in their engagement** in this engagement with Givas Binyomin, as befits their entirely loathsome, etc.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:11:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:11:1)

**חֲבֵרִים.** שָׁוִים בְּעֵצָה אַחַת:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Comrades.** In unified counsel.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:12:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:12:1)

**בְּכָל שִׁבְטֵי בִנְיָמִן.** עֲשָׂרָה שְׁבָטִים נֶחְשְׁבוּ עֲשָׂרָה מִשְׁפְּחוֹתָיו, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מֵרָחֵל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁבָטִים:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**To all the tribes of Binyomin.** Their ten clans were considered ten families, so that twelve tribes would emanate from Rochel.²

footnotes:
² The ten clans and the tribes of Menashe and Efraim.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:16:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:16:1)

**אִטֵּר יַד יְמִינוֹ.** גְּמוּדֵי יַד יְמִינָם, לֹא הָיוּ שׁוֹלְטִים בָּהּ כְּאִלּוּ הָיְתָה אֲטוּמָה, כְּמוֹ (תהלים סט:טז): ״אַל תֶּאְטַר עָלַי בְּאֵר פִּיהָ״:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**With shriveled right arms.** Their right arms were shrunken. They could not utilize them, as if they were closed, as in "Let not the well close its mouth over me."³

footnotes:
³ Tehilim, 69:16.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:16:2
[Rashi on Judges 20:16:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:16:2)

**כָּל זֶה.** שְׁבַע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ הַלָּלוּ:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Each of them** These seven hundred men.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:16:3
[Rashi on Judges 20:16:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:16:3)

**אֶל הַשַּׂעֲרָה.** לְחוּט הַשֵּׂעָר:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**At a hair.** A strand of hair.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:16:4
[Rashi on Judges 20:16:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:16:4)

**וְלֹא יַחֲטִא.** לֹא יִשְׁגֶּה:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**And not miss.** And not err.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:18:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:18:1)

**יְהוּדָה בַתְּחִלָּה.** אֲבָל לֹא בָחֲנוּ לִשְׁאוֹל אִם לְנַצֵּחַ אִם לִינָּצֵחַ, וּבָאַחֲרוֹנָה שֶׁבָּחֲנוּ, אָמַר (פסוק כח): ״עֲלוּ כִּי מָחָר אֶתְּנֶנּוּ בְיָדֶךָ״, הִשְׁכִּימוּ וְהִשְׁלִימוּ דִּבְרֵיהֶם:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Yehudah first.** But they did not try to inquire whether they would be victorious or vanquished. When they ultimately tried, He replied, "Go up, for tomorrow I shall deliver them into your hand." They were consistent, and fulfilled their promise.⁴

footnotes:
⁴ V.28.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:21:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:21:1)

**וַיַּשְׁחִיתוּ.** נֶעֶנְשׁוּ עַל שֶׁלֹּא קִנְּאוּ כְּמוֹ כֵן בְּמַעֲשֵׂה דְּמוּת מִיכָה שֶׁהָיָה כְּבָר:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**They crushed.** They were punished because they were not equally vengeful over the incident of the figure of Michah,⁵ which had already taken place.⁶

footnotes:
⁵ Chapters 17, 18.
⁶ Sanhedrin, 103:b.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:33:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:33:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:33:1)

**בְּבַעַל תָּמָר.** בְּמֵישַׁר יְרִיחוֹ:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Baal Tamar.** The plain of Yericho.⁷

footnotes:
⁷ “Tamar”, lit. “date”, alludes to Yericho, “The city of dates.” Devarim, 34:3.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:33:2
[Rashi on Judges 20:33:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:33:2)

**מֵגִיחַ.** נִמְשָׁךְ, כְּמוֹ (איוב מ:כג): ״יָגִיחַ יַרְדֵּן אֶל פִּיהוּ״; (תהלים כב:י): ״גֹחִי מִבָּטֶן״:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Poured.** Extended themselves, as in "He shall draw the Yardein into his mouth,"⁸ "You drew me from the womb."⁹

footnotes:
⁸ Eyov, 40:23.
⁹ Tehilim, 22:10.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:33:3
[Rashi on Judges 20:33:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:33:3)

**מִמַּעֲרֵה גֶבַע.** מִמָּקוֹם צַר, עֶרְוָתָהּ וְגִלּוּיָהּ שֶׁל גִּבְעַת בִּנְיָמִין, מְקוֹם תּוֹרְפָה שֶׁלָּהּ שֶׁהִיא נוֹחָה לִיכָּבֵשׁ מִשָּׁם, כְּמוֹ (בראשית מב:ט): ״לִרְאוֹת אֶת עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ בָּאתֶם״:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Maareh Gev'ah.** From a narrow pass, the "nakedness,"¹⁰ nakedness. or exposed overlook of Givas Binyomin; its uncovered part from which it was defenseless against conquest, as in, "You have come to gaze at the nakedness of the land."¹¹

footnotes:
¹⁰ “Maareh” is from “Ervah,”
¹¹ Beraishis, 42:9. Yoseif accused his brothers of spying, claiming. that they were seeking Egypt’s “nakedness,” or exposed, defenseless areas.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:36:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:36:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:36:1)

**וַיִּתְּנוּ אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל.** אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה, מָקוֹם לְבִנְיָמִן לִבְרֹחַ אֶל הַגִּבְעָה, כִּי סָמְכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל הָאוֹרֵב שֶׁיֵּצְאוּ לִקְרָאתָם:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**The Yisroelite troops gave.** Those in the field gave ground to Binyomin to escape to Givoh, since the Yisroelites depended on the ambushers to advance toward them.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:37:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:37:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:37:1)

**וַיִּמְשֹׁךְ הָאוֹרֵב.** מָשַׁךְ בַּשּׁוֹפָר; דָּבָר אַחֵר: מָשַׁךְ בַּשּׁוֹפָר הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ, אֶל הָעִיר:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**The ambushers sounded the signal.** The shofar blast. Another interpretation: With the shofar, they drew the people with them to the city.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:38:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:38:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:38:1)

**וְהַמּוֹעֵד הָיָה.** מִתְּחִלָּה הָיָה אוֹת בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבֵין הָאוֹרֵב, לִהְיוֹת הָאוֹרֵב מַרְבֶּה לְהַעֲלוֹת עֲשַׁן הָעִיר, וְיָבִינוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר לָכַד הָאוֹרֵב אֶת הַגִּבְעָה:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**A time frame was pre-arranged** At the outset, a signal was arranged between the Yisroelites and the ambushers, whereby the ambushers would raise continuous smoke from the city. The Yisroelites would thus understand that the ambushers had conquered Givoh.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:38:2
[Rashi on Judges 20:38:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:38:2)

**מַשְׂאַת הֶעָשָׁן.** גֹּבַהּ הֶעָשָׁן:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Clouds of smoke.** High hanging smoke.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:39:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:39:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:39:1)

**וַיַּהֲפֹךְ אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל.** עַכְשָׁיו חוֹזֵר לִתְחִלַּת הַדְּבָרִים וְשׁוֹנֶה וּמְפָרֵשׁ, עֶשְׂרִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אֶלֶף שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ לְמַעְלָה (פסוק לה), כֵּיצַד נָפְלוּ וְהֵיכָן נָפְלוּ:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**The Yisroelite troops retreated.** Scripture now returns to the beginning of the narrative, reviewing and explaining how the twenty five thousand mentioned above¹² fell, and where they fell.

footnotes:
¹² V.35.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:42:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:42:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:42:1)

**וַאֲשֶׁר מֵהֶעָרִים.** הָאוֹרֵב שֶׁנִּכְנַס בָּעִיר, מַשְׁחִיתִים אוֹתוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַשֵּׁבֶט, בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**While those in the city.** The ambushers who had penetrated the city demolished the tribe from within the city.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:43:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:43:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:43:1)

**כִּתְּרוּ אֶת בִּנְיָמִן.** הִקִּיפוּ אֶת בִּנְיָמִן כְּכֶתֶר הַמַּקִּיף אֶת הָרֹאשׁ, וְכֵן (תהלים כב:יג): ״אַבִּירֵי בָשָׁן כִּתְּרוּנִי״, וְכֵן (חבקוק א:ד): ״כִּי רָשָׁע מַכְתִּיר אֶת הַצַּדִּיק״, וְכֵן גַּם בִּלְשׁוֹן עֲטָרָה נִקְרֵאת הַקָּפָה (שמואל א כג:כו): ״וְשָׁאוּל וַאֲנָשָׁיו עֹטְרִים אֶל דָּוִד וְאֶל אֲנָשָׁיו לְתָפְשָׂם״:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**They [lit. crowned] Binyomin.** They encircled Binyomin the way a crown encircles the head. Similarly, "The mighty of Bashan encircled me,"¹³ and, "For the villain encircles the saint."¹⁴ Also, the word "wreath" connotes encirclement, as in, "Shaul and his troops encircled [lit. wreathed] David and his troops in order to seize them"¹⁵

footnotes:
¹³ Tehilim, 22:13.
¹⁴ Chabakuk, 1:4.
¹⁵ Shmuel 1, 23:26.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:43:2
[Rashi on Judges 20:43:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:43:2)

**הִרְדִיפֻהוּ.** קוֹרְאִים אַחֲרָיו רְדִיפָה, צוֹעֲקִים זֶה לָזֶה לִרְדֹּף:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Called for their pursuit.** They called for pursuit behind them—they shouted to each other to pursue.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:43:3
[Rashi on Judges 20:43:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:43:3)

**מְנוּחָה הִדְרִיכֻהוּ.** אֵצֶל הֶעָרִים שֶׁהֵם נוֹחִים בָּהֶם, שָׁם הִדְבִּיקוּהוּ:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**And intercepted them at rest.** At the cities, where they generally rested, they intercepted them.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:43:4
[Rashi on Judges 20:43:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:43:4)

**הִדְרִיכֻהוּ.** הִשִּׂיגוּהוּ, וְיֵשׁ דֻּגְמָתוֹ בִּלְשׁוֹן גְּמָרָא (כתובות ס ב): רְהַט בַּתְרֵיהּ פַּרְסָא בְּחָלָא וְלֹא אַדְרְכֵיהּ:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Intercepted them.** Caught them. There is a similar term in the Talmud, "He pursued him a parsa in the sand, but did not catch him."¹⁶

footnotes:
¹⁶ Kesubos, 60:b.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:43:5
[Rashi on Judges 20:43:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:43:5)

**עַד נֹכַח הַגִּבְעָה.** מִמִּזְרָחָהּ שֶׁל גִּבְעָה:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Up to the area facing Givoh.** East of Givoh.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:44:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:44:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:44:1)

**וַיִּפְּלוּ מִבִּנְיָמִן שְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר אֶלֶף.** בַּשָּׂדֶה בְּתוֹךְ הַמִּלְחָמָה:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**There fell, from Binyomin,** eighteen thousand troops In the field, in the thick of battle.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:45:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:45:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:45:1)

**וַיְעֹלְלֻהוּ.** הֲרִיגָה אַחַר הֲרִיגָה, כְּעוֹלְלוֹת שֶׁאַחַר הַבָּצִיר:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**They gleaned them.** Killing constantly, like plucking gleanings after reaping.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:45:2
[Rashi on Judges 20:45:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:45:2)

**חֲמֵשֶׁת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ.** הֲרֵי עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה אֶלֶף:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Five thousand troops.** Thus totaling twenty three thousand.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:45:3
[Rashi on Judges 20:45:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:45:3)

**עַד גִּדְעֹם.** שֵׁם מָקוֹם:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Until Gid'om.** The name of a place.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:45:4
[Rashi on Judges 20:45:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:45:4)

**וַיַּכּוּ מִמֶּנּוּ אַלְפַּיִם אִישׁ.** הֲרֵי עֶשְׂרִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אֶלֶף הָאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה (פסוק לה), וְהַמֵּאָה הַכְּתוּבִים לְמַעְלָה (שם), לֹא פֵּרַשׁ הֵיכָן נָפְלוּ:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Striking down, of them, two thousand troops.** Thus totaling twenty-five thousand mentioned above.¹⁷ The remaining one hundred recorded above¹⁸ fell at unnamed locations.

footnotes:
¹⁷ V.35.
¹⁸ Ibid.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:48:1
[Rashi on Judges 20:48:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:48:1)

**שָׁבוּ אֶל בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן.** בְּכָל הֶעָרִים:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Turned to the sons of Binyomin** in all the cities.


###### Rashi on Judges 20:48:2
[Rashi on Judges 20:48:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:48:2)

**מֵעִיר מְתֹם.** הֵתַמּוּ כָּל יוֹשְׁבֵי הֶעָרִים:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Completely annihilating the cities.** They annihilated all the inhabitants of the cities,


###### Rashi on Judges 20:48:3
[Rashi on Judges 20:48:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Judges/r/20:48:3)

**וְעַד בְּהֵמָה.** וַאֲנָשִׁים בִּכְלַל ׳מְתוֹם׳ הָיוּ, שֶׁ׳מְּתוֹם׳ לְשׁוֹן כְּלָיָה הוּא וְיֵשׁ לִתְמֹהַּ עַל אֶלֶף הֵיכָן הֵם, שֶׁהֲרֵי עֶשְׂרִים וְשִׁשָּׁה אֶלֶף הִתְפַּקְּדוּ מִן הֶעָרִים, וּמִן הַגִּבְעָה שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת, וְכָאן מָנָה בַּנּוֹפְלִים עֶשְׂרִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אֶלֶף וּמֵאָה אִישׁ, וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת נִמְלְטוּ אֶל סֶלַע הָרִמּוֹן, וְהָאֶלֶף בָּרְחוּ אֶל הֶעָרִים וְנָפְלוּ לְמָחֳרָת כְּשֶׁשָּׁבוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל עָרֵי בִנְיָמִן לְהַחֲרִים הַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Including the cattle—**the people are included in "completely annihilating," since **מְּתֹם** denotes absolute annihilation. There is a problem with the location of one thousand, as twenty-six thousand were counted in the cities, and seven hundred at Givoh;¹⁹ here, those who fell totaled twenty-five thousand, one hundred troops,²⁰ and six hundred escaped to Rimon cliff.²¹ Evidently, one thousand fled to the cities, and fell the following day when the Bnei Yisroel turned to the cities of Binyomin to annihilate the women and children.

footnotes:
¹⁹ V.15.
²⁰ V. 46.
²¹ V. 47. This totals 25,700, whereas the total in v. 15 was 26,700.