Judges 20

Judges 20:1-7

A melancholy from days this chapter prefers. We have, (1.) The Levite’s cause heard in a general convention of the tribes, ver. 1—7. (2.) An unanimous rejoice to assign his quarrel upon the men of Gibeah, ver. 8—11. (3.) The Benjamites appearing in defiance of the criminals, ver. 12—17. (4.) The defeat of Israel in the first and second day’s battle, ver. 18—25. (5.) Their humbling themselves before God upon that occasion, ver. 26—28. (6.) The land rests they gave the Benjamites to the third engagement, ver. 29—48.

1. THEN all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-Sheba, with the land of Gibeah, unto the LORD in Mizeh. 2. And the other of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foremen that drew beard. 3. (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness? 4. And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belonged to Benjamin, I and my concubine to lodge. 5. And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and betet the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead. 6. And I took my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. 7. Behold, ye are all children of Israel, give here your advice and counsel. 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. 9. But now, this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah, we will go up by lot against it: 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. 11. So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, I knit together as one man.

Fired with holy zeal against such a crying enormity, the whole congregation assembled in Mizeh, near Shiloh, that they may not only deliberate but punish God’s mind and will in the matter. Four hundred thousand men, under their captions of hundreds and thousand, furnished with weapons of war, are ready to put in force the sentence which shall be resolved upon. The children of Benjamin above, though acquainted with the assembling of Israel, and the cause of it, refuse to come up, and determine to protect the delinquents, becoming thereby parties in the crime, as just facts, by their vindication of it.

1. A solemn examination and deposition is taken from the Levite, and probably from the old man and his servant, who were present, v. 3. the circumstances of the story are related and confirmed. The Levite modestly interprets their design to have slain him, as the letter crime of the two, and to which he had sooner submitted than to their unnatural lust, and in fact they had slain his concubine. Such lewdness and folly, especially in Israel, deserved, no doubt, a severe scourge; he refers himself for this to their wife and vigorous resolutions, as children of Israel, who would wipe off such a dedding slain from among them. Nate, (1.) Lewdness in Israel is doubly criminal. (2.) Before we proceed to judgment, the evidence should be clear and distinct. (3.) They who are God’s people will at least, by their conduct, testify their abhorrence of the iniquity which may be found among them, and cut off from their communion that wicked person.

2. The fact being undoubted, their resolution is unanimous. They swear never to separate till they have obtained satisfaction; and in order that the army may be forged in their encampment before Gibeah, forty thousand men are deputed to provide forage and provisions. Nate, (1.) When there is union in the cabinet, it promotes success in the field. (2.) “I’m good to be zealously affected in the cause of God, and without delay carry our purposes into action.

4 B 12. ¶ And

12. ¶ And the tribes of Israel’s sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you? 13. Now therefore deliver as the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel. 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. 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. 16. Among all this people, there were seven hundred chosen men, left-handed, every one could fling stones at an hair-breadth, and not men. 17. And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these were men of war.

Judges 20:12-17

As wise men, who not for revenge but for the glory of God, desired the execution of the criminals,

1. They send to their brethren the tribe of Benjamin, to admonish them of the great wickedness perpetrated among them, and to demand the delivery of the offenders, to put them to death. Note, (1.) We are bound to follow these with all men, and most with reluctance have recourse to the redress of the law or the sword. (2.) If our traitor-fins are with held, there can be no hopes of peace with God. (3.) It is cruelty to the community to spare those who, for atrocious crimes, are guilty of death.

2. The men of Benjamin reject their reasonable demand, either thinking it beneath them to submit, or looking upon it in ungenerous to desert their brethren and companions in fire. They are indeed unequal in numbers, and more unequal in the bounds of their cause; yet such confidence have they in the courage and dexterity of their fingers, that they dare meet their brethren in the field. Note, (1.) They who countenance others in their sins, are justly reckoned alike criminal with them. (2.) Proud self-dependance is the ruin of the sinner’s soul. (3.) They who draw the sword in a bad cause, may expect to see it bathed in their own blood.

3. ¶ And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and a 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. 19. And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. 20. And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel put themselves in a way to fight against them at Gibeah. 21. And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and a destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day, twenty and two thousand men. 22. And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in a way, in the place where they put themselves in a way the first day. 23. (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? and the LORD said, Go up against him). 24. And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. 25. And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and a destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again, eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

Judges 20:18-25

Peace being rejected, the sword is drawn. But, 1. The people of Israel went upon God, to know who should first go up to the battle, and have the pott of honour. Judah is appointed to it. Confiding in the justness of their cause, and perhaps proud of their numbers, they made no doubt of their success: but the event by no means answers their expectations; they are routed with the loss of twenty-thousand men. Note, The race is not always to the first, nor the battle to the strong.

2. Alarmed at this disaster, a deputation from the camp haltes to Shiloh in tears, as sensible they had first enough to lament, which might justly provoke God; they beg him to direct them, whether they should go up again, or retire from their brother Benjamin. On being again ordered to go up, though they asked men concerning the success, nor was it promoted, they let once more the battle in a way, and to their increasing confusion their numerous huts are again discontented, and eighteen thousand men put to the sword. What could they think of this

strange event, when in so good a cause, and under God’s direction, they met with so shameful a defeat? This might be, (1.) To humble them, as having trusted too much to the arm of flesh. (2.) To punish them for the idolatry which had begun with impunity to spread among them? If they are so zealous to revenge corporal lewdness, God will be jealous for spiritual adultery. We may learn also hence, (1.) That the best of causes, even of God and religion, may fall under triumphant wickedness. (2.) Not to judge of right and wrong by outward prosperity and success. (3.) To wait patiently for the great day, when the mysteries of providence shall be explained, and God will appear clear in his sayings, and just in his judgments.

26. ¶ Then all the children of Israel, and all the people went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and a fasted that day until even, and offered burnt-offerings, and peace-offerings before the LORD. 27. And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God near there in those days. 28. And Phinehas the son of Elvaran, the son of Aaron, a blood before it in those days) saying, Shall I get again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into thine hand. 29. And Israel set lies in wait round about Gibeah. 30. And the children of Israel were up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in a way against Gibeah, as at other times. 31. And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city, and they began to sinister of the people, and kill as at other times, in the high-ways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 32. And the children of Benjamin said, They are sinister down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city, unto the high-ways. 33. And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in a way at Bualtamar; and the lies in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah. 34. And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was fore: but they knew not that evil was near them. 35. And the LORD shone Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamins that day, twenty and five thousand and an hundred men, all these drew the sword. 36. So the children of Benjamin saw that they were sinister: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamins, because they trusted unto the lies in wait which they had set beside Gibeah. 37. And the lies in wait halted, and rushed upon Gibeah, and the lies in wait a drew themselves along, and smoke all the city with the edge of the sword. 38. Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the lies in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke to rise up out of the city. 39. And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to sinister and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, Surely they are sinister down before us, as in the first battle. 40. But when the flame began to rise up out of the city, with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamins looked behind them, and behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven. 41. And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them. 42. Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel, unto the way of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them: and them which came out of the cities, they destroyed in the midst of them. 43. Now they incited the Benjamins round about, and chafed them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sun-riding. 44. And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour. 45. And they turned and fled toward the wilderness, unto the rock of Rummon: and they gleamed of them in the high-ways, five thousand men, and pursued hard after them unto seldom, and slew two thousand men of them. 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. 47.