Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
So they turned and ran away from the Israelite army toward the wilderness, but the battle caught up with them. The Israelites also destroyed those who came out from the cities, surrounding them completely.
This verse describes how the Benjamites fled from the Israeli army but were completely surrounded and defeated, with even those from their cities being destroyed.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Judges, the tribes of Israel were engaged in a civil war against the tribe of Benjamin due to a horrific crime committed in the city of Gibeah, which involved the rape and murder of a Levite's concubine. This led to the other tribes demanding justice and mobilizing for battle, resulting in multiple confrontations. In Judges 20:42, the Benjamites are shown fleeing toward the wilderness in defeat, only to be overtaken and destroyed by the pursuing Israelite forces.
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