Judges 20:3

3 And it was not hid from the sons of Benjamin, that the sons of Israel had gone up into Mizpeh.

Judges 20:3 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:3

Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel
were gone up to Mizpeh
Having no doubt the same notice the rest of the tribes had; but the thing complained of being done in their tribe, and by some of it, they might be willing to screen the delinquents, or were careless about and indifferent to the case, and secure and easy, as imagining their brethren would never go to war with them about it; or were proud and haughty, and would pay no regard to the summons given them:

then said the children of Israel, tell us, how was this wickedness?
proclamation was made in the assembly, that if any person there knew anything of this shocking affair, and horrid iniquity, which was the occasion of their meeting together, that they would rise up and declare what was the cause of it, how it came about, and by whom it was done; or they addressed themselves particularly to the Levite, and his host, and his servant, who might all be upon the spot to bear witness in this case, as it is certain the former of them was, who upon this stood up, and spoke as follows.

Judges 20:3 In-Context

1 Therefore all the sons of Israel went [out], and were gathered together as one man, from Dan till to Beersheba, and (also) from the land of Gilead, to the Lord in Mizpeh (before the Lord at Mizpeh);

2 and all the corners of peoples, and all the lineages of Israel, came together into the church of the people of God, four hundred thousand of footmen fighters. (and all the chief men of the people, of all the tribes of Israel, came together to a gathering of the people of God, yea, to four hundred thousand footmen who were ready to fight.)

3 And it was not hid from the sons of Benjamin, that the sons of Israel had gone up into Mizpeh.

4 And the deacon, [the] husband of the (secondary) wife that was slain, was asked, how so great felony was done; and he answered, I came with my (secondary) wife into Gibeah of Benjamin, and I turned thither. (And the Levite, the husband of the concubine who was murdered, was asked, How was this great felony done? and he answered, I came with my concubine to Gibeah in Benjamin, and I turned in there.)

5 And lo! [the] men of that city compassed in the night the house, in which I dwelled (And lo! the men of that city surrounded the house where I stayed that night), and they would slay me, and they travailed my (secondary) wife with unbelieveful madness of lechery; and at the last she was dead.