The children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to strike and kill of the people, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goes up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah, in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
"The word for ’whole’ (kalil, Judges 20:40) is often used of ’whole burnt offerings’ (Deuteronomy 33:10) and is in fact used of burning a town whose people have become involved in idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:16). The entire town [of Gibeah] literally became a burnt offering!" [Note: Ibid., p. 500.] 