Judges 20:1-48 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

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Judges 20:11. All the men of Israel were knit together. Why had they not assembled against Micah and his chapel of gods? Then this and other evils might have been prevented. This was a just and necessary war, but the hand was not clean that handled the sword.

Judges 20:13. Deliver us the children of Belial that we may put them to death. By the refusal of this just demand, every Benjamite made the crime his own, and paid the forfeiture of his life.

Judges 20:16. Seven hundred chosen men, left-handed. The Hebrew and Chaldaic read, qui sola sinistra utebantra, who used the left hand only. Herodotus and Strabo have the like remark on some captains. The besieged used their slings against the besiegers with effect.

Judges 20:21. In all 22,000 men, and 18,000 men. Thus 40,000 fell, for they gave no quarter to the wounded: and why should God fight for them, while they had penates or houshold gods at home? Too confident in their numbers, they went to battle without consulting the Lord.

Judges 20:28. I will deliver them. After weeping, searching their own hearts, offering sacrifices, and seeking counsel of the Lord, they succeeded.

Judges 20:33. Baal-tamar. Chaldaic, the plains of Jericho.

Judges 20:47. The rock Rimmon, fifteen miles from Jerusalem. Jerome, in his epitaph on St. Paul, has noticed that the apostle's ancestor was among these six hundred men.

REFLECTIONS.

The sight of mangled limbs, and limbs of their own flesh, had addressed the Israelites with an eloquence beyond the power of language. The nation instantly assembled in arms, having but one sentiment, but one design, either to bring the delinquents to justice, or involve all Benjamin in one common destruction. This tribe was indeed their brother according to the flesh, but they would not know any man as a brother, who was become unworthy of the human name. The sword was unsheathed, and they resolved that it should never return to its scabbard, till Israel was purged of so foul a crime. In like manner when Rome was stained with impurity and blood, by the bacchanalian orgies, they nobly wiped away the blot, and refused to know any relative initiated into those mysteries. What shall we say then of modern, yea of christian Europe! The crime of Gibeah has been repeated in seaports; but where is the zeal of indignant Israel, or of insulted Rome? In a case of this nature we blush to say, that the christian zeal falls short of jewish and of pagan lustre. So our crimes accumulate till heaven is obliged at last to avenge its own quarrel.

The Israelites, while assembled for counsel and war, are not wanting to demand of Gibeah the delinquents. But mark the evasions of guilt. The elders in Gibeah, having by connivance partook of the crime, instead of compliance, send to all the cities of their tribe, and draw them into a fatal league by such deceitful pleas as wickedness is never wanting to urge. They would plead, no doubt, that the tribes were assembled in Mizpeh, not so much for the punishment of vice, which abounded in all cities, as against the liberties and independence of all Benjamin.

The Israelites however were not only unsuccessful in their embassy of expostulation, but awfully so in the first and second battle. And why so? Had the Lord no regard to a people armed in the cause; and for the support of his law? The fact is, Israel was all sinful; and one wicked man will not be converted by another. The Israelites had a common covenant, it is true; and therefore it was their duty to arm against their obstinate brother; but they ought to have armed long ago against the idols of Dan. Their cause was good, but in their hot zeal, they never dreamed of consulting the Lord, the first duty of a nation in trouble, till they had actually encamped against their brother. Then the Lord said, go; yes go, as you have begun, and be a scourge one to the other. Learn hence, that God's work must always be done in his counsel, and in his way; otherwise our efforts will be attended with weakness and want of success.

We learn farther, that temporary success, and success of the most distinguished kind, is not a proof of the goodness of a cause. Benjamin by his first victory would be highly elated; but the second would probably confirm his confidence that heaven had fully declared in his favour; yet no man should draw conclusions from imperfect views of providence. God has very frequently blessed designs to accomplish by the wicked, for the safety of his church; and while he accomplishes those designs, he makes them an instructive scourge one to another. Israel, unable to make head against his stubborn brother, either by counsel or by arms, was highly commendable for persevering in so good a cause: and in the issue he took the right method to succeed. He wept before the Lord, he offered burnt-offerings for his sin, and peace-offerings for his mercies. He consulted the Lord before he dared to take a further step, and received the positive promise of victory. Proceeding now by counsel, he laid an ambuscade for the city, and opposed his exulting foe by ten thousand valiant men. Ah, Benjamin, thy day was now come! Thy triumph was short. Why didst thou protect the wicked? Why wast thou not the first to say, after the example of thy fathers, that the wicked shall not live to reproach thy name? Genesis 31:32; Genesis 44:9. Then life and glory had attended thy valour, and thy fame had been lasting as the heavens and the earth.

From this sad history, this most instructive case, which cost Israel nearly seventy thousand men, let young people learn to shun the society of the wicked. Little did many a youth, who ought to have been in his father's house, think that the farce of crime would end in so dreadful a tragedy. And as most wicked men, in the hour of temptation, run beyond the imaginary limits prescribed to folly, no one can be safe for a moment in their company. Destruction and misery are in their way, and the way of peace they have not known. Therefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, that ye may be the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty.

By the three attacks of the Hebrews against this sore crime, let us be encouraged to return to the charge against all inordinate desires of the flesh; for he who fights with prayers and tears shall surely conquer his exulting foe.

Related Commentaries of Judges 20:1

Judges 20:1-48

1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.

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 drew sword.

3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?

4 And the Levite,a the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

5 And the 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,b that she is dead.

6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.

7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.

8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, 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 by lot against it;

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, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.

11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?

13 Now therefore deliver us the men, the children 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 hearken 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 twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.

17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.

18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.

19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.

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 destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.

22 And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

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.)

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 even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

27 And the children of Israel enquired 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 to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.

29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

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 were drawn away from the city; and they began to smitec of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.

33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.

34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them.

35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.

36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.

37 And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along,d and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

38 Now there was an appointed signe between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.

39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smitef 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.

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, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.

41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was comeg upon them.

42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.

43 Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with easeh over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

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 Rimmon: 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 twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.

47 But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.

48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand:i also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.