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Judges 20:13-23

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13 Now therefore give up the men, 1the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death 2and purge evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel.
14 Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel.
15 And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 3 26,000 men 4who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men.
16 Among all these were 700 chosen men who were 5left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
17 And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered 6 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war.
18 The people of Israel arose and went up to 7Bethel and inquired of God, 8"Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?" And the LORD said, 9"Judah shall go up first."
19 Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.
20 And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah.
21 10The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites.
22 But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day.
23 11And the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening. And they inquired of the LORD, "Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against them."
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Judges 20:13-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 20

This chapter relates, how that there was an assembly of the children of Israel at Mizpeh, upon what had happened to the concubine of the Levite, where he appeared and related the whole affair to them, Jud 20:1-7 upon which they unanimously agreed to chastise the inhabitants of Gibeah for what they had done, Jud 20:8-11, and in order to do that sent to the tribe of Benjamin to deliver the guilty, but instead of that they took to their arms, and prepared for battle in defence of them, Jud 20:12-17 and two battles ensued on this, in which the Israelites, who were on the right side of the question, were worsted, Jud 20:18-25 but upon their seeking the Lord again, and their humiliation before him, they engaged a third time in battle, and got an entire victory over the Benjaminites, and destroyed them all excepting six hundred men, Jud 20:26-48.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 11

  • 1. Judges 19:22; See Deuteronomy 13:13
  • 2. Deuteronomy 13:5; Deuteronomy 17:2
  • 3. [Numbers 1:37; Numbers 26:41]
  • 4. ver. 2
  • 5. Judges 3:15; [1 Chronicles 12:2]
  • 6. [See ver. 15 above]
  • 7. ver. 26, 31
  • 8. [Judges 1:1]
  • 9. [Judges 1:1]
  • 10. ver. 25
  • 11. ver. 26-28
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.