The Book of Judges
Judges 20
Chapter XX · Vol. II, pp. 619–621
1 The Levite in a general assembly declareth his wrong. 8 The decree of the assembly. 12 The Benjamites, being cited, make head against the Israelites. 18 The Israelites in two battles lose forty thousand. 29 They destroy by a stratagem all the Benjamites, except six hundred.
1 Then aall the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, bfrom Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, cunto the LORD in Mizpeh.9
a ver.2,8,11. 1 Sa.11.7. 2 Sa.19.14. Ezr.3.1.
b 1 Sa.3.20. 2 Sa.3.10; 24.2; 17.11. 1 Ki.4.25. Dan being the city northmost, and Beersheba the most south, the phrase from Dan to Beersheba denotes the whole country.
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c Jos.18.21. ch.11.11. 1 Sa.10.17; 7.5. 2 Ki.25.22. It was near Shiloh, ver.18,26.
9 No less than seven Mizpehs are mentioned in Scripture. The word signifies 'a place of look-out' or 'watch-tower,' and was therefore applicable to many places in Palestine. The Mizpeh here mentioned is in Benjamin. It was situated on the hill now called Neby-Samwil, which is the most commanding and conspicuous in the whole region. It rises 600 feet above the plain of Gibeon, which lies immediately to the north of it; and it is 4 miles north-west of Jerusalem. The hill of Gibeah is clearly seen from it, and is only 3 miles distant. The gathering-place of the tribes was doubtless on the northern slope of the hill, and on the broad plain of Gibeon below. No other place among the mountains of southern Palestine was so well adapted for such an assemblage. Being in Benjamin, too, it was calculated to strike terror into the whole tribe.—P.
2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that ddrew sword.
3 (Now the children of Benjamin eheard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell1 us, how was this wickedness?
4 And the Levite,2 the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, fI came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge:
2 Heb. the man the Levite.
f ch.19.15-21.
5 And gthe men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me; and my concubine have they forced,3 that she is dead.
g ch.19.22-28.
3 Heb. humbled.
6 And hI took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed ilewdness and folly in Israel.
h ch.19.29.
i ch.19.23. Ge.34.7. Jos.7.15. 2 Sa.13.12,13.
8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, lWe will not any of us go to his tent,4 neither will we any of us turn into his house:
9 But now, this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up mby lot against it:
m Jos.14.2. 1 Ch.xxiv.-xxvi. Ne.11.1. ch.1.1,2.
10 And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people,5 that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.
5 This record will account, in a great degree, for the vast numbers occasionally ascribed to the Israelitish armies, as, to speak in modern phrase, we see what an immense commissariat was required to carry provisions for the army.—C.
11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together6 as one man.
6 Heb. fellows.
12 And the tribes of Israel nsent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?
n De.20.10,11. Jos.22.13. Ro.12.18; 14.19. He.12.14.
13 Now therefore odeliver us the men, the childrenp of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not qhearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel;
14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time, out of the cities, rtwenty and six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.7
r ver.25,35,47,48, with ver.2; ch.8.10.
7 It may be impossible now to account for this presumptuous courage of Benjamin in defying such an army. Some probabilities may be suggested. They may have expected so large an army soon to disband for want of provisions; or they may have expected their indignation soon to cool; or, what is most probable, they may have trusted in the terrible impression of their slingers, who, like the English archers at Cressy and Agincourt, must have made a terrible impression on the close array of their enemies.—C.
16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men sleft-handed: every one could sling stones at an hair-breadth, and not miss.8
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s Heb. shut or locked in their right hand, ch.3.15. 1 Ch.12.2.
8 The wonderful skill of these slingers will help to illustrate David's victory over Goliath. The practice of slinging stones is not yet extinct in Palestine. I have seen shepherds use the sling with wonderful precision and force.—P.
17 And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered tfour hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the uhouse of God,9 and xasked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first1 to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, yJudah shall go up first.
u Jos.18.1. ch.18.31; 19.18; 21.12; ver.26.
9 'And went up to Bethel'—not to the tabernacle which was pitched at Shiloh; but to the ark, which appears from ver.27,28, to have been brought to Bethel, in order to be near the camp. Bethel was only 5 miles from Mizpeh.—P.
x ver.23,27. Jos.9.14. ch.1.1,2. Nu.27.5,21. 1 Sa.23.2,4,11,12; 30.8. 2 Sa.5.19,23.
1 They did not ask, 'Shall we go up?' which would have referred the whole matter to God; but, 'Which shall go up first?' which referred the secondary part to God, but took the primary decision upon themselves.—Note, There is great watchfulness of spirit required, lest, when we ask God's guidance and blessing in any affair undertaken, we should have neglected first to have asked him to let us see, by his word and Spirit, whether it should be undertaken at all. Many who ask counsel both of God and men, mean encouragement and aid in their own plans, rather than guidance to God's plans.—C.
y ch.1.2. Ge.49.8-10.
20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and adestroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.
a Ec.9.1,11. Ps.73.18,19; 33.16. Je.12.1.
22 And the people, the men of Israel, bencouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.
b ver.15,17.
23 (And the children of Israel went up and cwept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)
c Ps.78.34,36; 50.15. Ho.5.15. ver.18,26.
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 ddestroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.
d Job 9.12,13. Ps.97.2. These two defeats punished the Israelites for their indulgence of sin among themselves, and for their sinful dependence on their superior numbers.
26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God,2 and ewept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the LORD.
27 Andf the children of Israel inquired of the LORD, (for the gark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
28 And hPhinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron,3 stood before it in those days,) saying, iShall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, kGo up; for to-morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.
h Nu.25.7-13. De.10.8; 18.5. Jos.24.33.
3 Hence it is evident that these supplementary narratives, commencing at ch.xvii., are intended to show the manner in which idolatry and anarchy were introduced, and specially to evince how soon the most blessed work of revival, such as came in with Joshua about the time of crossing the Jordan, may be succeeded by coldness, deadness, forgetfulness, apostasy, idolatry, anarchy, and the most polluting immorality.—Note, There is great vanity in men when they talk of the value of institutions as the safeguards of society. Institutions, not of men's devising, but of God's appointing, are good; but the Spirit, word, and grace of God are the only safeguards of churches or nations.—C.
i Pr.3.5,6. Je.10.23. 1 Sa.14.37; 23.4. 2 Sa.5.19,23. ver.18.
k ch.1.2; 7.9. 2 Sa.5.19,24. 2 Ch.20.17.
30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.
31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and mwere drawn away from the city; and they began to smite4 of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to nthe house of God,5 and the other to oGibeah in the field,6 about thirty men of Israel.
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m Jos.8.14-16.
4 Heb. to smite of the people wounded, as at, &c.
5 'One goeth up to Bethel.'—P.
o Jos.18.24. ch.19.13,14. Is.10.29.
6 The battle took place at some little distance from Gibeah, and it appears that several paths radiated from the battle-field, one of them went to Bethel, another direct to the town of Gibeah.—P.
32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, pLet us flee, and draw them from the city7 unto the highways.
p Jos.8.15,16.
7 The discomfiture of the Israelites on the two former occasions had evidently resulted from the presumptuous ardour in attacking the Gibeonites amongst the inclosures of the city, whereby their numbers became rather a mark for the Benjamite slingers than a means either of attack or defence.—Note, Self-will, impiety, and presumption generally fail in skilfulness; for when men forget God, their true wisdom, how can they retain even their worldly wisdom!—C.
33 And all the men of Israel qrose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.
q Jos.8.18-22. 2 Sa.5.23.
34 And there came against Gibeah rten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they sknew not that evil was near them.8
35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed9 of the Benjamites that day ttwenty and five thousand and an hundred men; all these drew the sword.
9 Mark the difference between the recital of destruction, ver.21,25,35: 'Down to the ground' is wanting in the last—intimating complete destruction.—C.
t ver.15,44-46.
36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for uthe men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.
u Jos.8.14-22.
37 And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait xdrew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.
x Or, made a long sound, Ex.19.13. ch.4.6.
38 Now there was an appointed sign1 between the men of Israel and2 the liers in wait, thaty they should make a great flame3 with smoke to rise up out of the city.
39 And zwhen the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite4 and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
z ver.31. Jos.8.15.
4 Heb. to smite the wounded.
40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, athe flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
a Heb. the whole consumption, Jos.8.19,20.
41 And when the men of Israel turned again, theb men of Benjamin were amazed:5 for they saw that evil was come upon them.6
b Jos.8.20. Ex.15.9,10. Pr.29.6. Lu.17.27,29; 21.34. Re.18.10. 1 Th.5.3. 2 Pe.2.12. Mat.24.44.
5 'Observe,' says Henry, 'that the Benjamites in the beginning of the battle were confident that the day was their own. Sometimes God suffers wicked men to be lifted up in successes and hopes, that their fall may be the sorer. See how short their joy is, and their triumphing but for a moment. Evil was near them, and they did not know it; they saw, when it was too late to prevent it, that evil was come upon them. What evils may at any time be near us we cannot tell, but the less they are feared the heavier they fall; sinners will not be persuaded to see evil near them, but how dreadful will it be when it comes, and there is no escaping! 1 Th.5.3.'—I.
6 Heb. touched them.
42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them:7 and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
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7 Evil, saith the wise man, pursueth sinners. The sinner may have many escapes, nay, apparent temporary victories, but his day cometh at last.—C.
43 Thus they cenclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease8 over against9 Gibeah toward the sun-rising.
44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men: all these were men of valour.
45 And they turned, and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of dRimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.
46 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were etwenty and five thousand1 men that drew the sword: all these were men of valour.
e ver.15. The other 1100 were either slain in the former battles, or fled their country.
1 We find it recorded, ver.35, that 25,100 were destroyed that day, which is made up to 25,000 by the items, ver.44,45; but how do these account for the deficient 100? Simply by attending to the difference between destroyed and fell. Destroyed includes the killed and severely wounded; of the latter class there was barely 100. Fell describes the killed with the sword, of whom, alas! for the quarrels of brethren! there were 25,000.—C.
47 Butf six hundred men turned, and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.
f ch.21.13. Ps.103.9,10. Is.1.9. Je.14.7. La.3.22. Hab.3.2.
Notes
[Ver. 21. Destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men. As objections to Scripture history have frequently arisen from the numbers of the Israelites coming out of Egypt, or subsequently engaging or falling in battle; an answer has been attempted by showing that some eastern nations placed the units first, and thence advanced in their numeration. This mode of eumeration would make the number killed at Gibeah 2020 instead of 22,000, but the 18,000 in ver. 25 silences at once these vain attempts to evade and conciliate rather than to reply to infidelity. The proper reply is the character of the historians, and the internal and external evidences which demonstrate the divine origin of the history.—Note, It is worthy of remark, as another and a just reply to infidel objectors, that it is not said, either in ver. 21 or 25, that so many Israelites were slain, but 'destroyed down to the ground,' put, as in modern phrase, hors de combat. C.]
Ver. 28. [They had asked, ver. 23, 'Shall I go up again to battle?' and God bade them go, that is, 'go' to be punished for their presumption in the former question, and their neglect in this. Neglect—for they do not ask, 'Wilt thou go with us?' but, 'Shall we go?' Now they add, 'Shall I cease?' and God promises victory. C.]
Ver. 47. [About 8 miles north by east of Gibeah, among the wild mountains, is a conspicuous white hill, rising like a cone above the neighbouring hill-tops, and overlooking the whole wilderness down to the Jordan valley. Upon it stands a large village called Rummon. This is unquestionably the Rock Rimmon on which the Benjamites took refuge. It is admirably adapted for this purpose. A deep ravine cuts off all approach from the south; and other ravines skirt its western and northern sides, making it a natural fortress. The top of the hill is rounded, affording ample space for the refugees; while in the sides are many caverns. P.]
Reflections.—It is comely when professors of the true religion are unanimous and hearty in their zeal against enormous crimes; and when, with prudent deliberations and proper despatch, they proceed to the punishment of them. But infatuated are they who patronize and protect the vicious, especially when at the expense of their own liberties and lives. Proud self-dependence is the ruin of sinners; and such as draw the sword in a bad cause may expect to see it bathed in their own blood. The dispensations of Providence appear very mysterious in thus calling men to work, and yet frowning upon them in the execution of it. But let us not be so inconsiderate as to judge of its use from the prosperity or adversity which attends it. There is need to wait patiently for the issue of things: and such as punish others should be innocent, or at least penitent themselves. Short is the triumphing of the wicked, and fatal to them at last. It is vain to fight where God is our enemy, or to flee when he pursueth. What desolations sin makes in the earth! but dreadful indeed will be the case of sinners at the last day, when there shall be no rock to hide them, nor mountain to cover them. And who knows what extensive and everlasting woe may proceed from one moment of indulged lust!