Now, therefore, deliver us the men, the children of Belial,
which are in Gibeah
Those wicked men that were the authors of that abominable wickedness there committed:
that we may put them to death;
as they deserved, since they were guilty both of adultery and murder; their meaning is, that they in conjunction with the tribe of Benjamin might condemn them to death and punish them with it, as their crime deserved:
and put away evil from Israel;
prevent both the spread of such a sinful evil in the nation, encouraged by such examples, and the evil of punishment coming upon them from God, should they let such wickedness pass with impunity:
but the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their
brethren the children of Israel;
they refused to give up the men of Gibeah, that had been guilty of such great wickedness; reckoning it a reproach, as Josephus F6 says, to obey the commands of others, for fear of war, and unwilling to yield to any in arms, neither on account of multitude nor courage.