Judges 20:26

26 Then all the children of Israel and all the people went up, and came unto the house of God and wept, and sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

Judges 20:26 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:26

Then all the children of Israel and all the people went up,
and came unto the house of God
This looks as if the whole body of the army, with other people from parts adjacent, went up to the tabernacle of God in Shiloh:

and wept and sat there before the Lord;
not only wept, but continued weeping, and that not merely for their defeat, but for their sins, since it follows:

and fasted that day until even;
afflicted their bodies with fasting, which was a token of the humiliation of their souls for their sins:

and offered burnt offering's and peace offerings before the Lord,
to make atonement for their sins, and to implore success on their arms.

Judges 20:26 In-Context

24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

26 Then all the children of Israel and all the people went up, and came unto the house of God and wept, and sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

27 And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

28 and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, "Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin, my brother, or shall I cease?" And the LORD said, "Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into thine hand."