Judges 20:38-48

38 Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke to rise from the city.
39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite [and] kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as [in] the first battle.
40 But when the flame began to rise from the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, the flame of the city ascended to heaven.
41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil had come upon them.
42 Therefore they turned [their backs] before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them who [came] out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
43 [Thus] they inclosed the Benjaminites on all sides, [and] chased them, [and] trod them down with ease over against Gibeah towards the sun-rising.
44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these [were] men of valor.
45 And they turned and fled towards the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them to Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.
46 So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these [were] men of valor.
47 But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness to the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.
48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of [every] city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

Judges 20:38-48 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.

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