(31) To smite of the people, and kill.--Rather, to smite the wounded or beaten of the people. It means, apparently, that when some of the Israelites had been wounded with slings, the Benjamites began to rush on them, for the purpose of killing them, and they feigned flight along two highways, of which one led to Bethel, and the other to a place which, to distinguish it from Gibeah, seems to have been called "Gibeah in the field." In this feigned flight thirty Israelites were killed. "Gibeah in the field" seems to be Jeba, and the main road from Gibeah (Tuleil el F-l), at about a mile's distance from the hill, branches off into two, of which one leads to Beitin (Bethel), and the other to Jeba ("Gibeah in the field").

The highways.--(Mesilloth.) Roads like the Roman viae regiae, regularly built.

Verse 31. - The house of God. Here manifestly Bethel, as in the margin. Gibeah in the field. The A.V. is the natural rendering of the Hebrew words, which imply a Gibeah in the field different from Gibeah, as the Septuagint seems to have understood them (Γαβαὰ ἐν ἀγρῷ). It is a happy conjecture, borne out by the existing roads, that this Gibeah-in-the-field is the same as Gobs, now Jeba. Indeed it is almost impossible to conceive how the pursuers, coming out of Gibeah, could be described as coming to two highways, of which one led to Bethel and the other to the very place they had come from. The latest explorers of the district fully concur in this identification of Gibeah-in-the-field with Jeba.

17:7-13 Micah thought it was a sign of God's favour to him and his images, that a Levite should come to his door. Thus those who please themselves with their own delusions, if Providence unexpectedly bring any thing to their hands that further them in their evil way, are apt from thence to think that God is pleased with them.And the children of Benjamin went out against the people,.... Sallied out of Gibeah upon them, where they had put themselves in array against them:

and were drawn away from the city; the Israelites retreating, and dissembling a flight, which drew the Benjaminites to pursue after them, by which means they were drawn off to a greater distance from the city of Gibeah:

and they began to smite the people, and kill as at other times; at the other two battles:

in the highways; where it seems two ways met:

of which one goeth up to the house of God; to Bethel, as the Targum (t); or rather to Shiloh, where the house or tabernacle of God was, and was two miles from Gibeah, as Bunting (u) says:

and the other to Gibeah in the field; so called, to distinguish it from the other Gibeah situated on an hill:

about thirty men of Israel; which were killed in this running fight; and it seems as if one part of the army of Israel took one road, and the other the other road, and so divided the army of the Benjaminites that pursued after them.

(t) So the Septuagint, and Noldius, p. 69. No. 345. (u) Travels, &c. p. 121.