Judges 20
In Judges 20, Israel unites to address a grave injustice committed in the tribe of Benjamin. After the brutal crime against the Levite's concubine in Gibeah, the Israelites demand justice. The chapter details the tribe of Benjamin's refusal to hand over the guilty parties, leading to civil war. The battle is fierce, but ultimately, the tribe of Benjamin faces near destruction due to their defiance.
Judges 20:1-5 (NKJV)
1 So all the children of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, as well as from the land of Gilead, and the congregation gathered together as one man before the Lord at Mizpah.
2 And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot soldiers who drew the sword.
3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the children of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this wicked deed happen?”
4 So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “My concubine and I went into Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, to spend the night.
5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house at night. Because of me, they intended to kill me, but instead they ravished my concubine so that she died.
Israel gathers as a united front against the atrocity in Gibeah, summoning all tribes to Mizpah. The size of the gathering, 400,000 soldiers, demonstrates the gravity of the situation. The Levite recounts the events leading to his concubine’s death, portraying the men of Gibeah as murderous and guilty of violating his concubine. This sets the stage for the collective outrage of Israel against the tribe of Benjamin.
Judges 20:6-9 (NKJV)
6 So I took hold of my concubine, cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel, because they committed lewdness and outrage in Israel.
7 Look! All of you are children of Israel; give your advice and counsel here and now!”
8 So all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, nor will any turn back to his house;
9 But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: We will go up against it by lot.
The Levite explains how he took extreme action, sending his concubine’s dismembered body across Israel to provoke a response. His plea for counsel leads to a unified decision among the Israelites. They vow not to return home until they take action, deciding to go up against Gibeah to seek justice, showing their commitment to eradicating such evil from their midst.
Judges 20:10-13 (NKJV)
10 We will take ten men out of every hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to make provisions for the people, that when they come to Gibeah in Benjamin, they may repay all the vileness that they have done in Israel.”
11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united together as one man.
12 Then the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you?
13 Now therefore, deliver up the men, the perverted men who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and remove the evil from Israel!” But the children of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brethren, the children of Israel.
The Israelites organize themselves by forming a strategic plan to provision their army, showing their preparedness for a prolonged confrontation. They send a delegation to the Benjamites, urging them to hand over the guilty men in Gibeah. However, Benjamin refuses, which further escalates the situation. This refusal solidifies the conflict and underscores Benjamin’s solidarity with the evildoers in Gibeah.
Judges 20:14-17 (NKJV)
14 Instead, the children of Benjamin gathered together from their cities to Gibeah, to go to battle against the children of Israel.
15 And from their cities at that time the children of Benjamin numbered twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who numbered seven hundred select men.
16 Among all this people were seven hundred select men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss.
17 Now besides Benjamin, the men of Israel numbered four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war.
Rather than handing over the guilty men, Benjamin prepares for battle against the rest of Israel. Though vastly outnumbered with 26,700 men versus Israel’s 400,000, Benjamin places their trust in their elite warriors, especially the 700 left-handed slingers, renowned for their precision. The stark contrast in numbers highlights Benjamin’s defiance and confidence in their specialized forces.
Judges 20:18-21 (NKJV)
18 Then the children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God to inquire of God. They said, “Which of us shall go up first to battle against the children of Benjamin?” The Lord said, “Judah first!”
19 So the children of Israel rose 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 battle array to fight against them at Gibeah.
21 Then the children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day cut down to the ground twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites.
Before engaging in battle, Israel seeks God’s guidance, showing their dependence on Him. God appoints Judah to lead the charge. However, despite this divine directive, Benjamin’s warriors prevail, killing 22,000 Israelites on the first day. This outcome demonstrates Benjamin’s fierce resistance and the difficulties Israel faces, despite their numerical advantage and divine counsel.
Judges 20:22-25 (NKJV)
22 And the people, that is, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and again formed the battle line at the place where they had put themselves in array on the first day.
23 Then the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until evening, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, “Shall I again draw near for battle against the children of my brother Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against him.”
24 So the children of Israel approached the children of Benjamin on the second day.
25 And Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah on the second day, and cut down to the ground eighteen thousand more of the children of Israel; all these drew the sword.
After suffering a significant loss, Israel regroups and seeks the Lord's guidance again, weeping and asking whether to continue the battle. God reaffirms that they should press on, but once again, Benjamin emerges victorious, killing 18,000 Israelites on the second day. This continuous defeat challenges Israel’s resolve and forces them to consider deeper reasons for their struggles.
Judges 20:26-28 (NKJV)
26 Then all the children of Israel, that is, all the people, went up and came to the house of God and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
27 So the children of Israel inquired of the Lord (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 my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”
Israel’s persistence in seeking God, marked by fasting and sacrifices, shows a shift from relying solely on military might to a more humbled dependence on God’s favor. With Phinehas, a spiritual leader, interceding, they receive assurance from the Lord that He will deliver Benjamin into their hands on the following day. Their persistence and repentance are key to turning the tide.
Judges 20:29-32 (NKJV)
29 Then Israel set men in ambush all around Gibeah.
30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in battle array against Gibeah as at the other times.
31 So the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city. They began to strike down and kill some of the people, as at the other times, in the highways (one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah), and in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
32 And the children of Benjamin said, “They are defeated before us, as at first.” But the children of Israel said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.”
Israel changes their strategy by setting an ambush. They lure Benjamin into believing they will achieve another easy victory by retreating, which causes Benjamin to pursue them confidently, unaware that it’s a trap. This tactic reflects a tactical shift and shows Israel’s ability to learn from their previous defeats to overcome Benjamin’s initial superiority.
Judges 20:33-36 (NKJV)
33 So all the men of Israel rose from their place and put themselves in battle array at Baal Tamar. Then Israel’s men in ambush burst forth from their position in the plain of Geba.
34 And ten thousand select men from all Israel came against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not know that disaster was upon them.
35 The Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel. And the children of Israel destroyed that day twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjamites; all these drew the sword.
36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel had given ground to the Benjamites, because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah.
Israel’s strategy unfolds as planned. While Benjamin is engaged in the main battle, Israel’s ambush forces rise from their hiding place, catching the Benjamites off guard. Ten thousand select men attack Gibeah, resulting in a fierce battle. The tide turns in Israel’s favor with the Lord’s intervention, and Benjamin suffers heavy casualties, realizing too late that they are defeated.
Judges 20:37-40 (NKJV)
37 Now the men in ambush had quickly rushed upon Gibeah; the men in ambush spread out and struck the whole city with the edge of the sword.
38 Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise up from the city,
39 whereupon the men of Israel would turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty of the men of Israel, for they said, “Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.”
40 But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and there was the whole city going up in smoke to heaven.
The ambush strikes Gibeah, and the city is set ablaze as a signal for Israel to turn and confront Benjamin. At first, Benjamin believes they are winning, seeing some Israelites fall. However, when they see the smoke rising from their city, they realize they are in a losing position, as their stronghold is already being destroyed behind them.
Judges 20:41-44 (NKJV)
41 And when the men of Israel turned back, the men of Benjamin panicked, for they saw that disaster had come 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 whoever came out of the cities they destroyed in their midst.
43 They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them, and easily trampled them down as far as the front of Gibeah toward the east.
44 And eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all these were men of valor.
As the Israelites turn back on Benjamin, panic overtakes the Benjamites. With nowhere to retreat, they are surrounded and pursued toward the wilderness. Despite their bravery, they are overrun by Israel, and 18,000 of their warriors are killed. The strategic ambush proves devastating for Benjamin, who now face the consequences of their resistance.
Judges 20:45-48 (NKJV)
45 Then they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. And they cut down five thousand of them on the highways. Then they pursued them relentlessly up to Gidom, and killed two thousand of them.
46 So all who fell of Benjamin that day were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword; all these were men of valor.
47 But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and they stayed at the rock of Rimmon for four months.
48 And the men of Israel turned back against the children of Benjamin, and struck them down with the edge of the sword—from every city, men and beasts, all who were found. They also set fire to all the cities they came to.
In a final effort to escape, Benjamin’s remaining forces flee to the wilderness, but most are killed during their retreat. In total, 25,000 Benjamite soldiers perish that day. Only 600 manage to escape to the rock of Rimmon, where they survive for four months. Israel, having secured victory, continues to destroy Benjamin’s cities, leaving their tribe decimated and their future uncertain.