Judges 20:26

26 Wherefore all the sons of Israel came (again) into the house of God, and they sat, and wept before the Lord, and they fasted in that day unto the eventide; and they offered to the Lord burnt sacrifices, and peaceable sacrifices (and they offered to the Lord burnt sacrifices, and peace offerings),

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 (so) when the sons of Israel had gone forth to battle in the tother day against Benjamin,

25 the sons of Benjamin brake out from the gates of Gibeah, and came to (the sons of) Israel; and the sons of Benjamin were wild against Israel by so fierce slaying (and the Benjaminites were so wild against the Israelites with such fierce slaughter), that they threw down eighteen thousand men of Israel drawing out (the) sword.

26 Wherefore all the sons of Israel came (again) into the house of God, and they sat, and wept before the Lord, and they fasted in that day unto the eventide; and they offered to the Lord burnt sacrifices, and peaceable sacrifices (and they offered to the Lord burnt sacrifices, and peace offerings),

27 and they asked the Lord of their state. In that time, the ark of the bond of peace of God was there (For at that time, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was there);

28 and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was sovereign of the Lord's house. Then they counselled (with) the Lord, and said, Shall we go out more to battle against the sons of Benjamin, our brethren, either shall we rest? To whom the Lord said, Go ye up against them, for tomorrow I shall betake (the sons of) Benjamin into your hands. (and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was the ruler of the Lord's House. And again they counselled with the Lord, and said, Should we go out again to do more battle against our kinsmen the Benjaminites, or should we cease? To whom the Lord said, Go ye up against them, for tomorrow I shall deliver the Benjaminites into your hands.)