Judges 20:4-14

4 The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered, "My concubine and I went to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.

5 The citizens of Gibeah came to attack me. They surrounded the house [where I was staying] that night. They intended to kill me, but instead, they raped my concubine until she died.

6 So I took my concubine and cut her into pieces. Then I sent the pieces throughout the territory of Israel. I did this because the citizens of Gibeah did this perverted and godless thing in Israel.

7 All you people of Israel, tell me what you think. Give me your advice right now!"

8 All the people stood united, saying, "None of us will go to his tent or return to his house.

9 This is what we'll do to Gibeah. We'll decide by lot who should attack it.

10 We'll take one-tenth of all the men from the tribes of Israel to get supplies for the troops. When the troops go to Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin they can punish the citizens of Gibeah for the godless thing they did in Israel."

11 So all the men of Israel assembled. They stood united against the city.

12 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin. They asked, "How could such an evil thing happen among you?

13 Now hand over those worthless men in Gibeah. We must put them to death to rid ourselves of this kind of evil in Israel." But the men of Benjamin refused to listen to the men of Israel.

14 So the men of Benjamin went from their towns and assembled at Gibeah to go to war with the men of Israel.

Judges 20:4-14 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.