Bible Commentaries
Judges 20

Verse 1

Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.

All ... the congregation was gathered ... as one man. In consequence of the immense sensation the horrid tragedy of Gibeah had produced, a national assembly was convened, at which 'the chief [ pinowt (H6438), grainers] (cf. 1 Samuel 14:38, where the term is used for a leader in a military sense) of all the people' from all parts of the land, including the Eastern tribes, appeared as delegates.

Mizpeh - the place of convention (for there were other Mizpehs) was in a town situated on the confines of Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 15:38; Joshua 18:26). Assemblies were frequently held there afterward (1 Samuel 7:11; 1 Samuel 10:17); and as it was but a short distance from Shiloh, the phrase, "Unto the Lord," may be taken in its usual sense, as denoting consultation of the oracle. This circumstance, together with the convention being called "the assembly of the people of God," seems to indicate that, amid the excited passions of the nation, those present felt the profound gravity of the occasion, and adopted the best means of maintaining a becoming deportment.

Verse 2

And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.

No JFB commentary on this verse.

Verse 3

(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?

Now the children of Benjamin heard. Some suppose that Benjamin had been passed over, the crime having been perpetrated within the territory of that tribe; and that, as the concubine's corpse had been divided into twelve pieces, two had been sent to Manasseh, one respectively to the Western and Eastern division. It is more probable that Benjamin had received a formal summons, like the other tribes, but chose to treat it with indifference or haughty disdain.

Verse 4

And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

The Levite ... answered and said. The injured husband gave a brief and unvarnished recital of the tragic outrage, from which it appears that force was used which he could not resist. His testimony was doubtless corroborated by those of his servant and the old Ephraimite. There was no need of strong or highly-coloured description to work upon the feelings of the audience. The facts spoke for themselves, and produced one common sentiment of detestation and vengeance.

Verses 5-7

And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.

No JFB commentary on these verses.

Verse 8

And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.

All the people arose as one man. The extraordinary unanimity that prevailed shows that, notwithstanding great disorders had broken out in many parts, the people were sound at the core; and remembering their national covenant with God, now felt the necessity of wiping out so foul a stain on their character as a people. It was resolved that the inhabitants of Gibeah should be subjected to condign punishment. But the resolutions were conditional; because as the common law of nature and nations requires that an inquiry should be made, and satisfaction demanded, before committing an act of hostility or vengeance, messengers were despatched through the whole territory of Benjamin, demanding the immediate surrender or execution of the delinquents. The request was just and reasonable; and by refusing it, the Benjamites virtually made themselves a party in the quarrel. It must not be supposed that the people of this tribe were insensible or indifferent to the atrocious character of the crime that had been committed on their soil. But their patriotism or their pride were offended by the hostile demonstration of the other tribes. The passions were inflamed on both sides; but certainly the Benjamites incurred an awful responsibility by the attitude of resistance they assumed.

Verse 9

But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;

No JFB commentary on this verse.

Verse 10

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.

We will take ten men ... The soldiers in the Jewish army seem to have we been divided into tens, who should lodge under the same tent, and mess together, as is highly probable, from every tenth man's being appointed to fetch or prepare provision for his fellow-soldiers. Nay, if we are to explain the sacred history of the Jews by modern Eastern arrangements, we must suppose that the appointment of every tenth man in the congregation of Israel was not so much to collect food for the use of their companions in that expedition as to dress it, to serve it up, and to wait upon, them in eating it, (Harmer, 3:; 'Observations,' 64:4; 'Observations,'

ix.)

Verses 11-13

So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

No JFB commentary on these verses.

Verse 14

But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah. Allowing their The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah. Allowing their valour to be ever so great, nothing but blind passion and unbending obstinacy could have impelled them to take the field against their brethren with such a disparity of numbers.

Verse 15

And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

No JFB commentary on this verse.

Verse 16

Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.

Left-handed; every one could sling. The sling was one of the earliest weapons used in war. The Hebrew sling was probably similar to that of the Egyptian, consisting of a leather thong, broad in the middle, with a loop at one end, by which it was firmly held with the hand; the. other end terminated in a lash, which was let slip, when the stone was thrown. Those skilled in the use of it, as the Benjamites were, could hit the mark with unerring certainty. A good sling could carry its full force to the distance of 200 yards.

Verse 17

And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.

No JFB commentary on this verse.

Verse 18

And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.

The children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God. This consultation at Shiloh was right. But they ought to have done it at the commencement of their proceedings. Instead of this, all their plans were formed; and never doubting, it would seem, that the war was just and inevitable, the only subject of their inquiry related to precedency of the tribes-a point which it is likely was discussed in the assembly. Had they asked counsel of God sooner, their expedition would have been conducted on a different principle-most probably by reducing the number of fighting men, as in the case of Gideon's army. As it was, the vast amount of volunteers formed an excessive and unwieldy force, unfit for strenuous excessive and unwieldy force, unfit for strenuous and united action against a small, compact, and well-directed army. A panic ensued, and the confederate tribes, in two successive engagements, sustained great losses. These repeated disasters (notwithstanding their attack on Benjamin had been divinely authorized) overwhelmed them with shame and sorrow. Led to reflection, they became sensible of their guilt in not repressing their national idolatries, as well as in too proudly relying on their superior numbers, and the precipitate rashness of this expedition. Having humbled themselves by prayer and fasting, as well as observed the appointed method of expiating their sins, they were assured of acceptance as well as of victory. The presence and services of Phinehas on this occasion help us to ascertain the chronology thus far, that the date of the occurrence must be fixed shortly after the death of Joshua.

Verses 19-28

And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.

No JFB commentary on these verses.

Verse 29

And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah. A plan was formed of taking that city by stratagem, similar to that employed in the capture of Ai.

Verses 30-32

And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.

No JFB commentary on these verses.

Verse 33

And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.

Baal-tamar - a palm grove where Baal was worshipped. The main army of the confederate tribes was drawn up there.

Out of the meadows of Gibeah - Hebrew, the caves of Gibeah; a hill in which the ambuscades lay hid.

Verse 34

And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them.

Ten thousand chosen men. This was a third division, different both from the ambuscade and the army who were fighting at Baal-tamar. The general account stated in Judges 20:35 is followed by a detailed narrative of the battle, which is continued to the end of the chapter.

Verses 35-44

And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Verse 45

And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.

The rock of Rimmon. Numbers of the fugitives found refuge in the caves of this rocky mountain, which is situated to the northeast of Beth-el. Such places are still sought as secure retreats in times of danger; and until the method of blowing up rocks by gunpowder became known, in such caves a few men could sustain a siege for several months.

Verse 46

So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.

All which fell that day of Benjamin. Upon comparing this with Judges 20:35, it will be seen that the loss is stated here in round numbers, and is confined only to that of the third day. We must conclude that 1,000 had fallen during the two previous engagements, in order to make the aggregate amount given, Judges 10:15.

Verse 47

But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.

No JFB commentary on this verse.

Verse 48

And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

The men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin. This frightful vengeance, extending from Gibeah to the whole territory of Benjamin, was executed under the impetuous impulse of highly-excited passions. But doubtless the Israelites were only the agents of inflicting the righteous retributions of God; and the memory of this terrible crisis, which led almost to the extermination of a whole tribe, was conducive to the future good of the whole nation.