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, 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, 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 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 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 smite 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, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.
38 Now there was an appointed sign 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 smite 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 come 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 ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valor.
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 valor.
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: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.
The book of Judges is the seventh book in the Old Testament of the KJV Holy Bible. It is a historical book that covers the period of time between the death of Joshua and the establishment of the monarchy in Israel. The book of Judges consists of twelve judges who were chosen by God to lead the Israelites during times of crisis and rebellion. Chapter 20 is the final chapter in the book of Judges and it describes the aftermath of a brutal war between the tribes of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. This chapter is a continuation of the events that took place in chapter 19, where the Levite's concubine was brutally raped and murdered by the men of Gibeah, a city in the tribe of Benjamin. The main themes in this chapter include justice, unity, and the consequences of sin. Through the events in this chapter, we can see the importance of seeking justice, the power of unity, and the devastating effects of sin on a community.
Chapter 20 begins with the Israelites gathering together as one man to seek justice for the Levite's concubine. The Levite had cut up his concubine's body into twelve pieces and sent them to each of the tribes of Israel, calling for them to take action against the men of Gibeah. The Israelites were horrified by this act and they all came together at Mizpah to discuss what to do. As they gathered, the leaders of the tribes asked the Levite to tell his story and explain why he had cut up his concubine's body. The Levite recounted the events of his journey and the brutal rape and murder of his concubine. The Israelites were outraged and they all agreed to go to war against the tribe of Benjamin for their heinous crime.
From this gathering, we can see the importance of seeking justice and standing up against injustice. The Israelites did not turn a blind eye to the Levite's concubine's murder, but they came together to seek justice and hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions. This is a powerful lesson for us today, to not remain silent in the face of injustice but to come together and take action.
The Israelites sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin, demanding that they hand over the men of Gibeah who had committed the crime. However, the tribe of Benjamin refused to hand over the men and instead, they gathered their army to defend themselves. The Israelites were shocked by the tribe of Benjamin's refusal and they prepared for war against their own brothers.
The battle between the Israelites and the tribe of Benjamin was fierce and many lives were lost on both sides. The Israelites initially suffered heavy losses, but they did not give up. They sought guidance from God and in the second battle, they were able to defeat the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites showed great determination and unity in their fight against the tribe of Benjamin, despite the fact that they were fighting against their own people. This unity and determination were crucial in their victory over the tribe of Benjamin.
This war highlights the power of unity and the consequences of division. The Israelites were able to defeat the tribe of Benjamin because they were united and fought together as one. If the tribes had been divided and turned against each other, they would not have been successful in defeating the tribe of Benjamin. This serves as a reminder for us today to stand united in the face of adversity and to not let differences divide us.
The war between the Israelites and the tribe of Benjamin had devastating consequences for both sides. The tribe of Benjamin was almost completely wiped out, with only six hundred men left. The other tribes of Israel were also greatly affected, with thousands of men losing their lives in the war. This chapter serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin and the ripple effects it can have on a community.
The sin of the men of Gibeah not only led to the death of the Levite's concubine but it also caused a war that resulted in the death of thousands of men. This shows how one sin can have a domino effect and cause harm to many others. It also serves as a warning for us to be mindful of our actions and the impact they can have on those around us.
After the war, the Israelites were filled with guilt and remorse for almost wiping out the tribe of Benjamin. They realized that if the tribe of Benjamin was not rebuilt, it would be a great loss to the nation of Israel. The Israelites came together and decided to help the tribe of Benjamin rebuild by giving them wives from among their own daughters and sisters. This act of kindness and forgiveness towards the tribe of Benjamin shows the importance of reconciliation and forgiveness, even in the face of great adversity.
The rebuilding of the tribe of Benjamin also serves as a symbol of hope and restoration. Despite the destruction and devastation caused by sin, God's people were able to come together and rebuild what was lost. This serves as a reminder that even in our darkest moments, there is always hope for redemption and restoration through God's grace.
Chapter 20 of the book of Judges teaches us important lessons about justice, unity, and the consequences of sin. It shows us the importance of seeking justice and not turning a blind eye to injustice. It also highlights the power of unity and the devastating effects of division. The war between the Israelites and the tribe of Benjamin serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin and the ripple effects it can have on a community. However, the chapter also shows us the power of forgiveness and reconciliation, as the Israelites helped to rebuild the tribe of Benjamin. Ultimately, this chapter reminds us of the importance of standing strong in our faith, seeking justice, and remaining united as a community, even in the face of adversity.
Through the events in this chapter, we can also see the faithfulness of God in guiding and protecting His people. Despite the Israelites' mistakes and failures, God was with them and helped them to overcome their enemies. This chapter serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and His ability to bring good out of even the most difficult situations.
In conclusion, chapter 20 of the book of Judges is a powerful chapter that teaches us important lessons about justice, unity, and the consequences of sin. It serves as a reminder for us to seek justice, stand united, and be mindful of our actions and their impact on others. It also reminds us of God's faithfulness and His ability to bring redemption and restoration out of even the darkest moments.
Share this page