What is the meaning of "va'Yahafoch Ish Yisrael"?
Radak: They turned away [and fled] from Binyamin, to uproot them from the city.
Verse 31 already said that Binyamin killed 30 Yisraelim!
Rashi, Mahari Kara: First the Navi told about the battle in general. Now, it tells in detail, from the beginning, how 25,000 fell from Binyamin.
Malbim: Initially, Binyamin killed 30 Yisraelim. When the western ambush attacked, Yisrael temporarily overpowered. Yisrael in the north fled, and Binyamin killed another 30, and thought that they will win again.
Why were they not concerned lest the ambush destroy the city? Many say that this was shortly after Yehoshua died. They should have remembered how Yisrael lured Anshei Ai out of their city, and an ambush burned the city!
Kli Yakar (Lani'ado): "Ach Nigof Nugaf" - they interpreted the 30 Yisraelim that they killed 1 as a sign that they would defeat Yisrael, like before. Hashem removed their Chachmah.
Perhaps they did not expect Yisrael to do so to their brothers. (PF)
Surely Yisrael could retreat to lure them out of the city, but men would not let themselves be killed for this! (PF)
