Went up and wept; not so much for their sins as for their defeat and loss, as appears by the sequel. Against the children of Benjamin my brother; they impute their ill success not to their own sins, as they had great reason to do, but to their taking up arms against their brethren, the lawfulness whereof they now begin to doubt of. But still they persist in their former neglect of seeking God's assistance in the way which he had appointed, as they themselves acknowledge presently, by doing those very things which now they sinfully neglected, Judges 20:26, and therefore are again justly punished. Go up against him: God answers to their question; but as they did not desire his assistance and success, so he doth not promise it.
Related Commentaries of Judges 20:23
Judges 20:23
23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept 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.)