Chapter 20
The People of Israel Versus the Tribe of Benjamin
20:1 Then all the people of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the LORD at Mizpah.
The response to the Levite’s “message” was significant, all of the tribes from Dan, now the furthest northern city, to Beersheba, one of the furthest southern cities (similar to one saying from Los Angeles to New York to express the entire nation, will be repeated several times in the Bible, see 1 Samuel 3:20; 2 Samuel 3:10; 17:11; 24:2, 15; 1 Kings 4:25; 2 Chronicles 30:5). Everyone, included those tribes east of the Jordan (the land of Gilead), were united as though they were one man, they all shared a burning indignation against the tribe of Benjamin, the crime of Gibeah truly shocked the nation. They assembled an army of men and came to YHWH at Mizpah near the border of Ephraim’s and Benjamin’s territory. Since the Tabernacle was still in Shiloh at this time the reference “to the LORD” is believed to be a united call to God for His guidance (the prophet Samuel in the future will call people to gather before God in Mizpah, see 1 Samuel 7:5-6, 16; 10:17).
20:2 And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot that drew the sword.
The text so far is not implying that every Israelite came to this assembly, but that their leaders did, and they brought with them their fighting men. They presented themselves as people of God which differentiates this from being a political war, instead, this is a holy war with a moral mission. We are told that the combined army was 400,000 armed warriors.
20:3 (Now the people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the people of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this evil happen?”
It would be difficult to quietly enter a city with 400,000 plus people, the people of Benjamin undoubtedly heard about the assembly early since Mizpah was a Benjamite city. This parenthetical sentence does not add anything to the story at this point, but the second half of the verse does. The people of Israel have gathered in response to the Levite’s unusual ‘message’ and now they want to hear the details.
20:4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. 5 And the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead. 6 So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and outrage in Israel. 7 Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here.”
The Levite’s rendition of the event is brief, leaving out some details including the fact that he was the one that brought out his concubine to the rapists. He once again asks for their advice and counsel (see Judges 19:30).
20:8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house. 9 But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot, 10 and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may repay Gibeah of Benjamin for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel.” 11 So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.
The group assembled all agreed that action be taken against those responsible for the “outrage that they have committed in Israel.” They will go to Gibeah, but not all of them, “Instead, this is what we will do to Gibeah; we will draw lots to decide who will attack it. One tenth of the men from each tribe will be chosen to supply the warriors with food, and the rest of us will take revenge on Gibeah of Benjamin for this shameful thing they have done in Israel.” (Judges 20:9-10, NLT) They pledge that none will go home until justice is served.
20:12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What evil is this that has taken place among you? 13a Now therefore give up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge evil from Israel.”
Men were sent throughout the territory of Benjamin asking for those responsible for the murder of the Levite’s concubine so that they can do as the law requires them to “put them to death and purge evil from Israel.” (See Deuteronomy 22:22)
20:13b But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel. 14 Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel. 15 And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. 16 Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. 17 And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war.
The people of Israel tried to avoid a war but the people of Benjamin would not listen. The Benjaminites pulled together 26,000 armed men plus 700 chosen men (trained and selected) who were apparently an elite group of warriors, making their army consisting of 26,700 men against the 400,000 men from the other tribes.
20:18 The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and inquired of God, “Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” And the LORD said, “Judah shall go up first.”
This is where many begin to have complications with the story. The battle between the people of Israel and the people of the tribe of Benjamin occurred in three stages. The first two battles were won by the Benjaminites and the people of Israel were defeated with a heavy loss of life. However, in the third battle God grants the people of Israel victory, but why would God say, “Judah shall go up first” for the first battle, and then “Go up against them” for the second battle, if they were to going be defeated? The Talmud (click here for information about ancient Jewish literature including the Talmuds) suggests that the people failed to ask the right question, but on the third attempt they correctly inquired:
What he promised he delivered, but they did not discern whether it was to be victory or defeat [but only asked whether they should go to war and which should go first]. In the end, when they did inquire properly [with the Urim and Tummim], what they had done was approved: ‘And Phineas son of Eleazar 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 tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.[1]
Perhaps it was more than a misphrased question. As discussed several times in this commentary that the human heart is depraved and its true intentions are unknowable by others, but that is not true with God, he knows the heart. When the people asked God the first two times we don’t know what their true motives were. Were they simply going through the motions? Were their hearts in alignment with God’s, or were they full of pride? Only God would know. This is reminiscent of the Israelites going through the motions of burning sacrifices and celebrating the appointed feasts, but yet get chastised by God. “Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.” (Isaiah 1:13-14, ESV, see also Jeremiah 6:20; 1 Samuel 15:22; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:21-22, Matthew 9:13; 12:7; Mark 12:33) God wants His people to depend on Him and will allow problems, illnesses, and even defeat in battles to bring His people back to Hm. Which, after two defeats, the people of Israel fasted and truly sought YHWH (see Judges 20:26).
Some question the location, they ask “Why Bethel? The Tabernacle was still in Shiloh (see Joshua 18:1, 8, 19, 19:51; Judges 18:31; 21:19; 1 Samuel 1:3, 9, 24), but we read that the Ark of the Covenant was in Bethel (see verse 27). So, was the ark removed from the Tabernacle, perhaps for the battle (like what we read in 1 Samuel 4:3), or was something else going on? Some believe that they went to Shiloh and called the Tabernacle, the “House of God” (Hebrew ḇěṯ-·’ēl’, meaning House of God or transliterated as Bethel). If the Ark of the Covenant was indeed in the city of Bethel for some reason then the Bethel in this story would refer to the city not the Tabernacle.
In verse eighteen we read that the people of Israel went to Bethel to inquire of God asking, “Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” YHWH responded with, “Judah shall go up first.” With succinct answers like this it is assumed that the people inquired through the high priest using the Urim and Thummim (click here for more information regarding these two items). The sending of Judah first may be due to the fact that the concubine was from that tribe (see Judges 19:1). It is interesting to note that the reply stated ‘first’, should that have been interpreted as being the first attack of several?
20:19 Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. 20 And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah. 21 The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites.
This is a brief summary of a bloody battle where the people of Israel suffered a major blow at Gibeah, the location where the crime originally occurred, they lost 22,000 men.
20:22 But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day. 23 And the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening. And they inquired of the LORD, “Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?” And the LORD said, “Go up against them.”
The men of Israel weren’t discouraged as they prepared to go back into battle the next day, while the people of Israel went to cry before YHWH and inquire of Him if they should go back into battle with their brothers. God’s response was, “Go up against them.”
20:24 So the people of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day. 25 And Benjamin went against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who drew the sword.
The battle continued for a second day, again the people of Israel were defeated, this time they lost 18,000 men.
20:26 Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. 27 And the people 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, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, “Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?” And the LORD said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.”
In response to the defeat all of the people of Israel that assembled in Mizpah and the whole army of the men of Israel traveled to Bethel to sit before YHWH and cry. While there, they fasted the whole day, offered burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings. They again inquire from YHWH, except this time we are told that Phineas the grandson of Aaron interceded for them asking whether they should continue or cease. YHWH responded that they are to go, and that He will hand them over to them, victory is assured.
20:29 So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. 30 And the people of Israel went up against the people of Benjamin on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.
The men of Israel set up an ambush that follows the same battle strategy used by Joshua in his second attack on the city of Ai (see Joshua 8:1-29). The people of Israel proceed to place themselves to look like they are using the same battle strategy they used for the past two days.
20:31 And the people of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city. And as at other times they began to strike and kill some of the people in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel. 32 And the people of Benjamin said, “They are routed before us, as at the first.” But the people of Israel said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.” 33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel who were in ambush rushed out of their place from Maareh-geba. 34 And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard, but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them.
The people of Benjamin see what the people of Israel are doing, thinking nothing had changed, they come out to attack. Then the men of Israel pretended to flee from them, drawing the men away from Gibeah leaving it vulnerable to attack but also heading right into an ambush at Baal-tamar (between Bethel and Gebeah, very little is known about this location). Meanwhile 10,000 select warriors of the men of Israel left Maareh-geba (meaning the meadows of Gebeah, the Septuagint states they were west of Gibeah) and came towards Gibeah where the battle was fierce. We are told that the Benjaminites did not realize that their destruction was near.
20:35 And the LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who drew the sword. 36 So the people of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah.
The credit for the defeat of Benjamin by the people of Israel is given to YHWH, as 25,100 men of Benjamin died that day. The men of Israel retreated, giving round to Benjamin because they knew that the men that ambushed the city would be successful.
20:37 Then the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush moved out and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. 38 Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in the main ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city 39 the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, “Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.”
The men of Israel that ambushed the city were able to kill everyone in the city and light a fire to signal the men of Israel that were fleeing in front of the city to turn and engage in battle.
20:40 But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. 41 Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was close upon them. 42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them. And those who came out of the cities were destroying them in their midst.
When the Benjaminites saw Gibeah burning they were dismayed (Hebrew yib·bā·hēl’, terrified of sudden threat) and instead of engaging the men of Israel, they turn and attempt to to flee, but were unable to escape.
20:43 Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gibeah on the east. 44 Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor. 45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. Five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways. And they were pursued hard to Gidom, and 2,000 men of them were struck down. 46 So all who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor. 47 But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. 48 And the men of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns that they found they set on fire.
With the men of Israel closing in, the men of Benjamin continue to flee in all directions. Some towards Nohah (unknown location, the word means resting place which is how the Septuagint translates the word), the rock of Rimmon (believed to be a cliff face full of caves near Gibeah), and others toward Gidom (unknown location). We are told that 25,000 men from Benjamin were killed that day. Some 600 fled to the rock of Rimmon where they hid for four months. “And the Israelites returned and slaughtered every living thing in all the towns—the people, the livestock, and everything they found. They also burned down all the towns they came to.” (Judges 20:48, NLT) The destruction of Gibeah and much of the towns and cities in the territory of Benjamin was thorough, but now there is another problem, how do you prevent the tribe from going extinct?
Considerations
Time Frame
Reading that Phineas was the high priest at this time (see verse 28) places this story early in the period of the judges. Likely concurrent with Othniel’s time as judge. Some believe the name Phineas was used to represent the high priest’s lineage, but then that raises the question why the mention of his father and grandfather.
Gibeah’s Impact on Israel
This little town whose name means ‘hill’ has an interesting history. Gibeah made a significant impact on the history of both the nation and the people of Israel. Besides this incredibly bloody story that ended with an intertribal massacre that changed the dynamics of the tribe of Benjamin. We see that Gibeah was King Saul’s home town (see 1 Samuel 10:26), who later made it the royal capital (see 1 Samuel 22:6; 23:19). It was also known as “Gibeah of Saul” (see Samuel 11:4; 15:34; Isaiah 10:29), we also see that the city is referred to over forty times in the Old Testament. Plus, some believe that Gibeah and Geba are the same city, the location where King Saul’s son Jonathan was victorious over the Philistines (see 1 Samuel 13:1).
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[1] Neusner, J. (2011). The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary (Vol. 18a, p. 159). Hendrickson Publishers.