Judges 20:10

10 One tenth of the men in Israel will provide food for the army, and the others will go and punish Gibeah for this immoral act that they have committed in Israel."

Judges 20:10 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:10

And we will take ten men of an hundred, throughout all the
tribes of Israel
Excepting that of Benjamin which was not with them, not any of them:

and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand;
in all 40,000, out of the 400,000:

to fetch victual for the people;
ten men were to provide food for ninety, and one hundred men for nine hundred, and 1000 men for 9000, in all 40,000, for 360,000; these were either to go to their own tribes and habitations, or to the towns and cities adjacent, to procure food for this large army; for they came from their homes without any provision, not knowing that the affair would keep them long; but perceiving that it would require time before it could be determined, they judged it the wisest method for some to be appointed to take care of provision for the army, that it might not be scattered about on that account, but pursue the war with vigour till satisfaction was obtained:

that they might do, when they came to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to
all the folly that they have wrought in Israel;
punish with death the delinquents, and chastise the inhabitants, and especially the magistrates, for their connivance at such wicked persons among them, and negligence of doing their duty.

Judges 20:10 In-Context

8 All the people stood up together and said, "None of us, whether he lives in a tent or in a house, will go home.

9 This is what we will do: we will draw lots and choose some men to attack Gibeah.

10 One tenth of the men in Israel will provide food for the army, and the others will go and punish Gibeah for this immoral act that they have committed in Israel."

11 So all the men in Israel assembled with one purpose - to attack the town.

12 The Israelite tribes sent messengers all through the territory of the tribe of Benjamin to say, "What is this crime that you have committed?

Footnotes

• [a]. [One ancient translation] Gibeah; [Hebrew] Geba.