1And all the sons of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and the land of Gilead, to Jehovah at Mizpeh. 2And the leaders of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of all the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen drawing sword. 3And the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpeh. And the sons of Israel said, Speak up. How did this evil happen? 4And the man replied, the Levite, husband of the woman who had been murdered, and said, I came into Gibeah which is to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. 5And the men of Gibeah rose up against me. And they turned around the house against me at night; they thought to kill me, and they raped my concubine, and she died. 6And I took hold on my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her into all the land of the inheritance of Israel. For they have done lewdness and disgraceful folly in Israel. 7Behold, you are the sons of Israel. Give here your advice and counsel. 8And all the people rose up as one man, saying, Not one of us shall go to his tent, and not one of us shall return to his house. 9And now, this is the thing which we shall do to Gibeah, going against it by lot. 10And we shall take ten men of a hundred of all the tribes of Israel, and a hun- dred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to take food for the people, that they may act, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the disgraceful folly which it has done in Israel. 11And every man of Israel was gathered to the city, knit together as one man. 12And the tribes of Israel sent men to all the tribes of Benjamin, saying, What is this evil which has happened among you? 13And now, give up the men, sons of worthlessness, which are in Gibeah, and we will cause them to die. And we shall consume evil from Israel. But Benjamin was not willing to listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel. 14And the sons of Benjamin were gathered out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle with the sons of Israel. 15And the sons of Benjamin counted themselves on that day. Out of the cities were twenty-six thousand men drawing sword, besides the ones living in Gibeah who counted themselves seven hundred chosen men. 16Among all this people were seven hundred chosen men who were impeded in the right hand, each of these able to sling a stone at a hair, and he did not miss! 17And the men of Israel numbered themselves, besides Benjamin, four hundred thousand men drawing sword, each of these a man of war. 18And they rose up and went up to Bethel and asked of God. And the sons of Israel said, Who shall go up for us at the beginning of the battle with the sons of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah, at the beginning. 19And the sons of Israel rose up in the morning and camped against Gibeah. 20And the men of Israel went to battle with Benjamin; and the men of Israel set themselves in order against them, to battle against Gibeah. 21And the sons of Benjamin came out from Gibeah. And on that day they destroyed twenty-two thousand to the earth in Israel. 22And the people, the men of Israel, made themselves strong, and again set the battle in order in the place where they set themselves on the first day. 23And the sons of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until the evening, and asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I again draw near to battle with the sons of my brother Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Go up against him. 24And the sons of Israel drew near to the sons of Benjamin on the second day. 25And Benjamin came out to meet them from Gibeah on the second day, and again destroyed to the earth eighteen thousand men of the sons of Israel; all these were drawers of sword. 26And all the sons of Israel went up, even all the people, and came to Beth-el, and wept. And they sat there before Jehovah, and fasted on that day until the evening, and caused burnt offerings and peace offerings to ascend before Jehovah. 27And the sons of Israel asked of Jehovah (and the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron was standing before it in those days) saying, Shall I again go out to battle with the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease? And Jehovah said, Go up, for tomorrow I will give him into your hand. 29And Israel set ambushers against Gibeah all around. 30And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day, and set themselves in order against Gibeah, as at other times. 31And the sons of Benjamin came out to meet the people. They were drawn away out of the city, and began to strike the people down wounded as at other times, in the highways, of which one goes up to Beth-el, and one to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 32And the sons of Benjamin said, They are destroyed before us as at the beginning. But the sons of Israel said, Let us flee and draw them away out of the city, into the highways. 33And all the men of Israel rose from their place and set themselves in order at Baal-tamar. And Israel’s ambush came out of its place, out of the meadow of Gibeah. 34And they came in across from Gibeah, ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel. And the battle was heavy. And they did not know that evil was striking against them. 35And Jehovah struck Benjamin before Israel. And the sons of Israel destroyed twenty-five thousand, one hundred men on that day in Benjamin; all these were drawers of sword. 36And the sons of Benjamin saw that they were stricken. And the men of Israel had given place to Benjamin, for they trusted to the ambush which they had set against Gibeah. 37And the ambush hurried and came against Gibeah, and the ambush drew itself out and struck all of the city by the mouth of the sword. 38And there was a sign set to the men of Israel with the ambush, to make it great, their causing a rising of smoke to go up from the city. 39And the men of Israel turned in battle, and Benjamin had begun to strike, causing some to be slain of the men of Israel, about thirty men. For they said, Surely they are stricken down before us, as at the first battle. 40And the rising of smoke began to go up from the city, a pillar. And Benjamin turned around, and, behold, the whole city had gone up toward the heavens. 41And the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were troubled. For they had seen that evil had struck them. 42And they turned before the men of Israel toward the way of the wilderness. And the battle followed them. And those who were from the city were destroying them in their midst. 43They surrounded Benjamin, and they pursued them without rest. And they trod them down until they were opposite Gibeah, at the rising of the sun. 44And eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of these men of strength. 45And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. And they gleaned five thousand men of them in the highways, and caught them, to Gidom. And they struck two thousand men of them. 46And all the ones of Benjamin who fell were twenty five-thousand men drawing the sword on that day; all of these men of strength. 47And six hundred men turned and fled into the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon. And they lived in the rock of Rimmon four months. 48And the men of Israel turned back to the sons of Benjamin, and struck them by the mouth of the sword, from the entire city to livestock, to all that was found. Also they set fire to all the cities which were found.
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge 1 Judg 20:1 The Levite in a general assembly declares his wrong.
Judg 20:8 The decree of the assembly.
Judg 20:12 The Benjamites, being cited, make head against the Israelites.
Judg 20:18 The Israelites in two battles lose forty thousand.
Judg 20:26 They destroy by a stratagem all the Benjamites, except six hundred.
Then all.
Judg 20:2 Judg 20:8 Judg 20:11 Judg 21:5 Deut 13:12 -
Deut 13:18 Josh 22:12as one man.
1Sam 11:7 1Sam 11:8 2Sam 19:14 Ezra 3:1 Neh 8:1from Dan.
Judg 18:29 1Sam 3:20 2Sam 3:10 2Sam 24:2 1Chr 21:2 2Chr 30:5with the.
Num 32:1 Num 32:40 Josh 17:1 2Sam 2:9unto the.
Judg 20:18 Judg 20:26 Judg 11:11in Mizpeh.
Judg 10:17 Judg 11:11 Josh 15:38 Josh 18:26 1Sam 7:5 1Sam 7:6 1Sam 10:17 2Kgs 25:23It does not appear that the Israelites on this occasion, were summoned by the authority of any one common head, but they came together by the consent and agreement, as it were, of one common heart, fired with a holy zeal for the honour of God and Israel. The place of their meeting was Mizpeh; they gathered together unto the Lord there; for Mizpeh was so very near to Shiloh, that their encampment might very well be supposed to reach from Mizpeh to Shiloh. Shiloh was a small town, and therefore, when there was a general meeting of the people to present themselves before God, they chose Mizpeh for their head quarters, which was the next adjoining city of note; perhaps, because they were not willing to give that trouble to Shiloh, which so great an assembly would occasion; it being the residence of the priests that attended the tabernacle.
2 drew sword.
Judg 20:15 Judg 20:17 Judg 8:10 2Sam 24:9 2Kgs 3:26 3 the children of Benjamin.
Pro 22:3 Matt 5:25 Luke 12:58 Luke 12:59 Luke 14:31 Luke 14:32how was.
Judg 19:22 -
Judg 19:27 4 the Levite. Heb. the man the Levite. I came.
Judg 19:15 -
Judg 19:28 5 And the men.
Judg 19:22beset.
Gen 19:4 -
Gen 19:8and my concubine.
Judg 19:25 Judg 19:26forced. Heb. humbled.
Deut 22:24 Ezek 22:10 Ezek 22:11 6 cut her.
Judg 19:29folly in Israel.
Judg 20:10 Judg 19:23 Gen 34:7 Josh 7:15 2Sam 13:12 2Sam 13:13 7 ye are all.
Exod 19:5 Exod 19:6 Deut 4:6 Deut 14:1 Deut 14:2 1Cor 5:1 1Cor 5:6 1Cor 5:10 -
1Cor 5:12give here.
Judg 19:30 Josh 9:14 Pro 20:18 Pro 24:6 Jas 1:5 8 as one man.
Judg 20:1 Judg 20:11We will not.
Judg 21:1 Judg 21:5 Pro 21:3 Eccl 9:10 9 by lot against it.
Josh 14:2 1Sam 14:41 1Sam 14:42 1Chr 24:5 Neh 11:1 Pro 16:33 Jonah 1:7 Acts 1:26 10 ten thousand: or, myriad,
Gen 24:60 11 Knit together as one man. Heb. fellows.
12 sent men.
Deut 13:14 Deut 20:10 Josh 22:13 -
Josh 22:16 Matt 18:15 -
Matt 18:18 Rom 12:18 13 deliver.
2Sam 20:21 2Sam 20:22children of Belial.
Judg 19:22 Deut 13:13 1Sam 30:22 2Sam 20:1 2Sam 23:6 1Kgs 21:13 2Chr 13:7put away.
Deut 17:7 Deut 17:12 Deut 19:19 Deut 21:21 Deut 22:21 Deut 22:24 Deut 24:7 Eccl 11:10would not.
1Sam 2:25 2Chr 25:16 2Chr 25:20 Pro 29:1 Hos 9:9 Hos 10:9 Rom 1:32 Rev 18:4 Rev 18:5The conduct of the Israelites was very equitable in this demand; but perhaps the rulers or elders of Gibeah ought previously to have been applied to, to deliver up the criminals to justice. However, the refusal of the Benjamites, and their protection of those who had committed this horrible wickedness, because they were of their own tribe, prove them to have been deeply corrupted, and (all their advantages considered) as ripe for divine vengeance as the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah had been. Confiding in their own valour and military skill, they seen to have first prepared for battle in this unequal contest with such superior numbers.
14 Num 20:20 Num 21:23 2Chr 13:13 Job 15:25 Job 15:26 15 twenty.
Judg 20:25 Judg 20:35 Judg 20:46 Judg 20:47 Num 26:41 16 left-handed.
Itter yad yemeeno, "obstructed in his right hand;" so the Chaldee Targum,
gemid beedaih deyammeena, contracted or impeded in his right hand." Le Clerc observes, that the 700 men left-handed seem therefore to have been made slingers, because they could not use the right hand, which is employed in managing heavier arms; and they could discharge the stones from the sling in a direction against which their opponents were not upon their guard, and thus do the greater execution.
Judg 3:15 1Chr 12:2sling stones. The sling was a very ancient warlike instrument; and, in the hands of those who were skilled in the use of it, produced astonishing effects. The inhabitants of the islands of Baleares, now Majorca and Minorca, were the most celebrated slingers of antiquity. They did not permit their children to break their fast, till they had struck down the bread they had to eat from the top of a pole, or some distant eminence. Vegetius tells us, that slingers could in general hit the mark at 600 feet distance.
1Sam 17:40 1Sam 17:49 1Sam 17:50 1Sam 25:29 2Chr 26:14 17 four hundred.
Judg 20:2 Num 1:46 Num 26:51 1Sam 11:8 1Sam 15:4 1Chr 21:5 2Chr 17:14 -
2Chr 17:18 18 house of.
Judg 18:31 Judg 19:18 Josh 18:1 Joel 1:14asked.
Judg 20:7 Judg 20:23 Judg 20:26 Judg 20:27 Judg 1:1 Num 27:5 Num 27:21 Josh 9:14Judah.
Judg 1:1 Judg 1:2 Gen 49:8 -
Gen 49:10 19 rose up.
Josh 3:1 Josh 6:12 Josh 7:16 20 Judg 20:20 21 the children.
Gen 49:27 Hos 10:9destroyed.
Deut 23:9 2Chr 28:10 Ps 33:16 Ps 73:18 Ps 73:19 Ps 77:19 Eccl 9:1 -
Eccl 9:3 Jer 12:1 22 encouraged.
Judg 20:15 Judg 20:17 1Sam 30:6 2Sam 11:25 Ps 64:5 23 wept.
Judg 20:26 Judg 20:27 Ps 78:34 -
Ps 78:36 Hos 5:15And the. It seems most evident that the Israelites did not seek the protection of God. When they "went to the house of God," (ver. 18,
Judg 20:18) it was not to enquire concerning the expediency of the war, nor of its success, but which of the tribes should begin the attack: and here the question is, "Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?" Having so much right on their side, they had no doubt of the justice of their cause, and the propriety of their conduct; and having such a superiority of numbers, they had no doubt of success. But God humbled them, and delivered them into the hands of their enemies; and shewed them that the race was not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.
24 Judg 20:24 25 destroyed.
Judg 20:21 Gen 18:25 Job 9:12 Job 9:13 Ps 97:2 Rom 2:5 Rom 3:5 Rom 11:33 26 all the children.
Judg 20:18 Judg 20:23wept.
1Sam 7:6 2Chr 20:3 Ezra 8:21 Ezra 9:4 Ezra 9:5 Joel 1:14 Joel 2:12 -
Joel 2:18 Jonah 3:5 -
Jonah 3:10 27 enquired.
Judg 20:18 Judg 20:23 Num 27:21the ark.
Josh 18:1 1Sam 4:3 1Sam 4:4 Ps 78:60 Ps 78:61 Jer 7:12The loss of two battles at length brought this stiff-necked people to enquire of the Lord; for all the company at this time met at Shiloh, and kept a day of fasting and prayer with great earnestness and solemnity. "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear."
Isa 59:1 28 Phinehas. It is evident, from this mention of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, that these transactions must have taken place not long after the death of Joshua.
Num 25:7 -
Num 25:13 Josh 22:13 Josh 22:30 -
Josh 22:32 Josh 24:33stood.
Deut 10:8 Deut 18:5Shall I yet.
Josh 7:7 1Sam 14:37 1Sam 23:4 -
1Sam 23:12 1Sam 30:8 2Sam 5:19 -
2Sam 5:24 2Sam 6:3 2Sam 6:7 -
2Sam 6:12 Pro 3:5 Pro 3:6 Jer 10:23Go up.
Judg 1:2 Judg 7:9 2Chr 20:17 29 Israel. Though God had promised them success, they knew they could expect it only by the use of proper means. Hence they used all prudent precaution, and employed all their military skill.
liers.
Judg 20:34 Josh 8:4 2Sam 5:23 30 Judg 20:30 31 drawn.
Josh 8:14 -
Josh 8:16smite of the people, and kill, as at. Heb. smite of thepeople wounded as at, etc. the house of God. or, Beth-el. Gibeah.
Judg 19:13 Judg 19:14 Isa 10:29thirty.
Josh 7:5 32 Let us flee. This was done, not only because they had placed an ambuscade behind Gibeah, which was to enter and burn the city as soon as the Benjamites left it; but it would seem, that the slingers, by being within the city and its fortifications, had great advantage over the Israelites by their slings, when they could not come among them with their swords, unless they got them in the plain country.
Josh 8:15 Josh 8:16 33 rose up.
Josh 8:18 -
Josh 8:22put themselves. There appear to have been three divisions of the Israelitish army: one at Baal-tamar, (which was situated, says Eusebius, near Gibeah;) a second behind the city in ambush; and a third, who skirmished with the Benjamites before Gibeah.
34 ten thousand.
Judg 20:29knew not.
Josh 8:14 Job 21:13 Pro 4:19 Pro 29:6 Eccl 8:11 Eccl 8:12 Eccl 9:12 Isa 3:10 Isa 3:11 Isa 47:11 Matt 24:44 Luke 21:34 Luke 21:34 1Thess 5:3 35 twenty.
Judg 20:15 Judg 20:44 -
Judg 20:46 Job 20:5Though the numbers of the Israelites were immensely superior to those of Benjamin, though the stratagem was well laid and ingeniously executed, and the battle bravely fought, yet the inspired historian ascribes the victory to the hand of the Lord, as entirely as if he had smitten the Benjamites by a miracle.
36 for the man.
Josh 8:15 -
Josh 8:29 37 the liers in wait hasted.
Josh 8:19drew themselves along. or, made a long sound with thetrumpets.
Exod 19:13 Josh 6:5 38 Now there. From this verse to the end of the chapter, we have the details of the same operations which are mentioned, in a general way, in the preceding verses of this chapter.
sign. or, time.
Gen 17:21 2Kgs 4:16*marg:
Judg 20:38and. Heb. with. flame. Heb. elevation.
39 And when.
Judg 20:31smite and kill. Heb. smite the wounded.
40 a pillar.
Gen 19:28 Song 3:6 Joel 2:30 Rev 19:3looked.
Josh 8:20flame. Heb. whole consumption.
41 were amazed.
Exod 15:9 Exod 15:10 Isa 13:8 Isa 13:9 Isa 33:14 Luke 17:27 Luke 17:28 Luke 21:26 1Thess 5:3 2Pet 2:12 Rev 6:15 -
Rev 6:17 Rev 18:8 -
Rev 18:10was come upon them. Heb. touched them.
42 the battle.
Lam 1:3 Hos 9:9 Hos 10:9 43 inclosed.
Josh 8:20 -
Josh 8:22with ease. or, from Menuchah, etc. over against. Heb. untoover against.
44 Judg 20:44 45 Rimmon.
Josh 15:32 1Chr 6:77 Zech 14:10 46 twenty.
Judg 20:15 Judg 20:35 47 six hundred.
Judg 21:13 Ps 103:9 Ps 103:10 Isa 1:9 Jer 14:7 Lam 3:32 Hab 3:2rock of Rimmon. The rock Rimmon was doubtless a strong place; but it is uncertain where situated. It is probable however, that it was near, and took its name from, the village of Remmon, mentioned by Eusebius, fifteen miles north from Jerusalem. It appears that rocks are still resorted to in the East, as places of security; and some of them are even capable of sustaining a siege. De La Roque says, that "The Grand Seignior, wishing to seize the person of the emir (Fakr-eddin, prince of the Druses,) gave orders to the pacha to take him prisoner: he accordingly came in search of him, with a new army, in the district of Chouf, which is part of mount Lebanon, wherein is the village of Gesin, and close to it, the rock which served for a retreat to the emir. It is named in Arabic, Magara Gesin, i.e., the cavern of Gessin, by which name it is famous. The pacha pressed the emir so closely, that this unfortunate prince was obliged to shut himself up in the cleft of a great rock, with a small number of his officers. The pacha besieged him there several months; and was going to blow up the rock by a mine, when the emir capitulated."
48 smote them.
Deut 13:15 -
Deut 13:17 2Chr 25:13 2Chr 28:6 -
2Chr 28:9 Pro 18:19came to hand. Heb. was found. they came to. Heb. werefound.
