CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Judges 20
Chapter 20 of 21
Chapter Overview
What happens in Judges 20
The eleven tribes of Israel unite to punish the tribe of Benjamin for the crime committed at Gibeah. When Benjamin refuses to hand over the guilty men, a devastating civil war breaks out. After two painful defeats, Israel finally destroys most of the tribe of Benjamin.
Scripture
Judges 20
Israel Gathers Against Benjamin
Study note
All Israel gathered at Mizpah, from the far north (Dan) to the far south (Beersheba), along with Gilead from the east side of the Jordan. Four hundred thousand armed soldiers assembled. The Levite told the assembly what had happened at Gibeah. The people rose as one man, determined to punish the town. They chose by lot how to organize supplies and sent a demand to Benjamin to hand over the wicked men of Gibeah.
1 All of Israel came together as one. They gathered from Dan in the far north all the way to Beersheba in the deep south. People from Gilead east of the Jordan came too. They all met before the Lord at Mizpah. Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.
2 The leaders from every tribe of Israel stood before God's people. The group included four hundred thousand foot soldiers carrying swords. 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 The tribe of Benjamin got word that the rest of Israel had marched to Mizpah. The Israelites said, "Tell us exactly what happened. How did this terrible thing take place?" (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 The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, spoke up. He said, "My concubine and I came to Gibeah in Benjamin's territory to spend the night." 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 "That night, the men of Gibeah came after me. They surrounded the house, wanting to kill me. They attacked my concubine so violently that she died." 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 "So I took her body, cut it into pieces, and sent them throughout the whole land of Israel. I did this because they committed a vile and shameful crime in our nation." 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 "Now here you all are, people of Israel. Speak up. What are we going to do about this?" Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.
8 Every person stood up together and declared, "Not one of us will go home. Nobody is going back to their house." 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 "Here is our plan for dealing with Gibeah: we will draw lots to decide who goes up to fight." But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;
10 "We will pick ten men out of every hundred from each tribe, a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand. Their job will be gathering food and supplies for the army. Then the rest of the troops will march to Gibeah in Benjamin and give them what they deserve for this horrible thing they did in Israel." 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 Every man in Israel came together against that city. They were fully united in what they wanted to do. So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
Benjamin Refuses and Prepares for War
Study note
The tribes of Israel sent messengers throughout Benjamin demanding they hand over the guilty men. But the Benjaminites refused and instead gathered their own army to defend Gibeah. Benjamin had 26,000 swordsmen plus 700 elite soldiers from Gibeah, including 700 left-handed slingers who could hit a hair's-breadth target. Israel had 400,000 men. Despite being vastly outnumbered, Benjamin was preparing to fight their own brothers.
12 The other tribes sent word through all of Benjamin's land. They asked, "What about this awful crime in your land?" And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?
13 "Hand over those evil men in Gibeah so we can execute them and get rid of this evil from Israel." But the people of Benjamin would not listen to their fellow Israelites. 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 Instead, the Benjaminites gathered warriors from all their towns and hurried to Gibeah to fight the rest of Israel. 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 The Benjaminites gathered 26,000 soldiers who knew how to fight with swords. On top of that, there were 700 specially trained men from Gibeah itself. 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 Out of this whole army, there were seven hundred left-handed men. Each one could sling a stone at a single hair and not miss. Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.
17 Israel, not counting Benjamin, gathered four hundred thousand skilled fighters with swords. And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
Israel's Two Defeats
Study note
Israel asked God which tribe should attack first, and God said Judah. But on the first day, Benjamin killed 22,000 Israelites. Israel wept before God and asked if they should fight again. God said yes. On the second day, Benjamin killed another 18,000 Israelites. After losing 40,000 men in two days, Israel went to Bethel, wept, fasted, and offered sacrifices. These devastating losses taught Israel that even a righteous cause does not guarantee easy victory.
18 The Israelites traveled to Bethel and asked God, "Which of our tribes should lead the attack against Benjamin?" The Lord answered, "Judah goes first." 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 The Israelite army got up the next morning and set up their camp facing Gibeah. And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.
20 The soldiers of Israel marched out and formed their battle lines against Gibeah. 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 The Benjaminites charged out of Gibeah and slaughtered twenty-two thousand Israelite soldiers that day. 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 But the Israelite army refused to give up. They gathered their courage and went back to the exact same positions they had held the day before. 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 Before the second battle, the Israelites went before the Lord and wept until evening. They asked, "Should we go fight against our own relatives in the tribe of Benjamin again?" The Lord told them, "Go fight them." (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 So on the second day, Israel moved toward Benjamin again. And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.
25 Benjamin rushed out of Gibeah once more. They cut down eighteen thousand more Israelite fighters. Every one was a trained warrior. 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.
Israel's Victory on the Third Day
Study note
This time Israel sought God more earnestly, with fasting and offerings. Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, served as priest before the ark of the covenant. God promised victory on the third day. Israel used a strategy of ambush, similar to Joshua's attack on Ai. They pretended to retreat, luring Benjamin's army away from Gibeah. Meanwhile, a hidden force captured and burned the city. When the Benjaminites saw the smoke rising from their city, they panicked. Israel killed 25,100 Benjaminites that day. Only 600 men escaped to the rock of Rimmon, where they hid for four months.
26 After this, every Israelite went up to Bethel. They sat there weeping in the Lord's presence. They went without food all day until evening and brought their burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 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 The Israelites asked the Lord what to do. During this time, the ark of God's covenant was kept there, And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
28 and a priest named Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, was serving before it. They asked God, "Should we march out once more against our relatives in Benjamin, or should we call it off?" The Lord answered, "Go ahead. Tomorrow I will hand them over to you." 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 This time, Israel placed soldiers in hiding all around the city of Gibeah. And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.
30 On the third day, the Israelite army marched out and lined up against Gibeah just like they had done before. 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 The men of Benjamin rushed out to meet the army and got pulled away from the city. Just like the earlier fights, they started killing Israelites, about thirty men. This happened on the roads going toward Bethel and Gibeah and across the open fields. 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 The Benjaminites were confident, saying, "We are beating them again, same as before!" But the Israelites had a plan. They said, "Pull back and draw them away from their city and out onto the roads." 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 The main Israelite force fell back to a place called Baal-tamar and reformed their battle lines. Meanwhile, the hidden Israelite soldiers burst out from their positions west of Gibeah. And all the men of Israel rose 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.
34 Ten thousand of Israel's toughest warriors launched a head-on assault against Gibeah. The fighting turned brutal, and the Benjaminites had no clue that they were about to be completely wiped out. 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 The Lord crushed Benjamin before Israel that day. The Israelites killed twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjaminite swordsmen. 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 The Benjaminites finally saw they were finished. The Israelite main force had been pulling back on purpose because they were counting on the ambush hiding near Gibeah. 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 The hidden soldiers rushed straight into Gibeah. They fanned out and killed every person in the city with their swords. 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 The main Israelite army and the hiding group had a plan. When the hiding group sent up a big cloud of smoke from the city, 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 the main army would spin around and attack. By the time the Benjaminites had struck down about thirty Israelites, they were boasting, "We are clearly winning this battle, just like the last two times!" 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 then a towering column of smoke started rising from behind them. The Benjaminites whipped around and saw their entire city going up in flames. 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 At that moment, the main Israelite army turned and charged. The Benjaminite soldiers were gripped with terror as they realized the disaster that had hit them. And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.
42 They ran from the Israelites, heading toward the wilderness, but the battle was right on their heels. Israelite soldiers poured out of the nearby towns and struck them down from all sides as they fled. 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 They surrounded the Benjaminites, chased them relentlessly, and trampled them down near the eastern side of Gibeah. Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
44 Eighteen thousand Benjaminites fell in battle that day. Every one of them was a courageous fighter. And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.
45 The survivors turned and ran toward the wilderness, heading for the rock of Rimmon. But the Israelites picked off five thousand of them along the roads. They kept chasing them all the way to Gidom and killed two thousand more. 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 By the end of the day, twenty-five thousand men of Benjamin who fought with swords had been killed. All of them were brave, skilled fighters. 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 Only six hundred men managed to escape. They fled into the wilderness and took shelter at the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed for four months. But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.
48 The Israelite army doubled back and attacked every remaining Benjaminite town. They killed all the people and animals they found and burned every town they came to. 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.
Key Themes
Themes in Judges 20
The pursuit of justice at great costGod's purposes in allowing temporary defeatThe near-destruction of a tribe through civil warSeeking God persistently even after painful setbacks
Apply This Today
Living Judges 20
Israel sought justice but suffered devastating defeats before prevailing. Sometimes doing the right thing comes with enormous cost and painful setbacks. The lesson is to seek God more earnestly with each setback rather than giving up. God's timing and methods may differ from ours, but persistence in prayer and faithfulness eventually leads to breakthrough.
Go Deeper
Study Judges in Covenant Path
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