Judges 20:13-23

13 Hand over those evil men of Gibeah. We'll put them to death. In that way we'll get rid of those evil people." But the people of Benjamin wouldn't listen to the other people of Israel.

14 They came together at Gibeah from their towns. They came to fight against the other people of Israel.

15 Right away the people of Benjamin gathered together 26,000 men from their towns. They were carrying swords. The men were added to the 700 who had been chosen from those who were living in Gibeah.

16 Among all of those men there were 700 who were left-handed. Each of them could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

17 Israel gathered 400,000 men together. They were carrying swords. All of them were fighting men. That number didn't include the tribe of Benjamin.

18 The people of Israel went up to Bethel. There they spoke to God. They asked him, "Who will go up first and fight for us against the people of Benjamin?" The LORD answered, "The tribe of Judah will go first."

19 The next morning the people of Israel got up. They set up camp near Gibeah.

20 The men of Israel went out to fight against the men of Benjamin. They took up their battle positions against them at Gibeah.

21 The men of Benjamin came out of Gibeah. They killed 22,000 men of Israel on the field of battle that day.

22 But the men of Israel cheered each other on. They again took up their positions in the places where they had been the first day.

23 The men of Israel went and sobbed in the sight of the LORD until evening. They spoke to the Lord. They asked, "Should we go up again to fight against the men of Benjamin? They are our fellow Israelites." The LORD answered, "Go up and fight 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

Judges 20:13-23

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Judges 20:13-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 20