Judges 20:10 Meaning and Explanation
“And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The people organize a tenth of their number to supply provisions so the army can answer Gibeah for its folly.
What Does Judges 20:10 Mean?
The plan grows concrete. One in ten men, drawn proportionally from all the tribes, will be set apart to fetch provisions, freeing the rest to march on Gibeah. The careful arithmetic, ten of a hundred, a hundred of a thousand, shows an organized, sustained campaign, not a hasty raid. They intend to repay Gibeah 'according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.'
There is sober planning here, the kind that counts the cost before acting. Yet the closing words echo the Levite's charge: this is response to 'folly wrought in Israel,' sin that defiled the whole people. The verse shows a community marshaling its resources to confront evil it can no longer tolerate. The challenge that lingers is one the Scriptures pose often: to ensure that the measure we mete out stays under the justice and mercy of God, and does not become its own kind of folly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 20:10
What does Judges 20:10 mean?
The people organize a tenth of their number to supply provisions so the army can answer Gibeah for its folly.