Judges 20.1-48 deals with how the children of Israel dealt with this incident. They assembled at Mizpeh (“watchtower”) as one man to Yehovah and were able to muster 400,000 people (God was testing Israel, too) who drew the sword, but Benjamin refused to attend. The Levite then tells them the story about what happened, and they agreed to chastise the inhabitants of Gibeah for what they had done. Had Israel judged all this at the first it would have never come to this. Small sins build up. The tribe of Benjamin was notified to give up the offenders. But, instead of complying with this request, Benjamin took up arms to defend them. Benjamin was numbered at 26,700 and the sons of Israel had 400,000. They had more loyalty to the tribe than to obeying the Torah. People today make the same mistake. They will put the interest of their family or nation above loyalty to the Kingdom of God, which is the rule of God in our lives. People will go to a congregation because everyone in the family goes there, even though it is teaching replacement theology.
v 1…Then all the sons of Israel (except Benjamin) from Dan (the city) to Beersheba (well of the oath/seven), including the land of Gilead (Reuben, Gad and the two sections of Manasseh on the east side), came out, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at Mizpah (a city near Shiloh on the border of Judah and Benjamin) the Lord will have a controversy with both sides).
v 2…And the chiefs of all the people (princes and rulers; the “cornerstones”), even all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 foot soldiers who drew the sword.
v 3…Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone to Mizpah. And the sons of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this wickedness take place (had Israel judged this at first all of this would not have happened)?”
v 4…So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came with my concubine to spend the night in Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin
v 5…But the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me; instead, they ravished my concubine so that she died.
v 6…And I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritances, for they have committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel (adultery, murder and they would have committed sodomy if allowed).
v 7…Behold, all you sons of Israel give your advice and counsel here (.”
v 8…Then all the people arose as one man, saying, “Not one of us will go to his tent, nor will any of us return to his house (till satisfaction is made for this evil).
v 9…But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah, we will go up against it by lot (they did inquire of the Lord).
v 10…And we will take ten men out of 100 throughout the tribes of Israel, and 100 out of 1000, and 1000 out of 10,000 to supply food for the people, that when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, they may punish them for all the disgraceful acts that they have committed in Israel (about 40,000 will get supplies for this large army).”
v 11…Thus all the men of Israel (360,000) were gathered against the city united as one man (one heart or intentions).
v 12…Then the tribes of Israel sent men through the entire tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has taken place among you?
v 13…Now then, deliver up the men, the worthless fellows (sons of Belial) in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and remove this wickedness from Israel.” But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel (they had more loyalty to a tribe than they did in obeying the Torah; people are like that today in their loyalty to Replacement Theology. They will go to a “church” where their family goes than obeying the Torah in the Kingdom of God).
v 14…And the sons of Benjamin gathered from the cities in Gibeah, to go out to battle against the sons of Israel.
v 15…And from the cities on that day the sons of Benjamin were numbered, 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered, 700 choice men.
v 16…Out of all these people, 700 people were left-handed (Benjamin means “son of the right hand”), each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss (“miss” is Chata, the word for sin).
v 17…Then the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war (skillful at it).
v 18…Now the sons of Israel arose, and went to Bethel (the house of God in Shiloh which was on the north side of Bethel-Judges 21.19), and inquired of the Lord (before Phinehas the high priest according to the Urim v’ Tummim, and said, “Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?” Then the Lord said, “Judah shall go up first (the Lord had a controversy with all the tribes, and he is going to deal with the real problem among all of them-idolatry; the sons of Israel will lose the first two battles, even when God told them to go).”
v 19…So the sons of Israel arose in the morning and camped against Gibeah.
v 20…And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel arrayed for battle against them at Gibeah.
v 21…Then the sons of Benjamin came out at Gibeah and felled to the ground 22,000 men of Israel.
v 22…But the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and arrayed for battle again in the place where they had arrayed themselves the first day.
v 23…And the sons of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until evening, and inquired of the Lord (through the Urim v’ Tummim of the high priest), saying, “Shall we again draw near for battle against the sons of Benjamin?” ANd the Lord said, “Go up against them.”
v 24…Then the sons of Israel came against the sons of Benjamin the second day.
v 25…And Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah the second day and felled to the ground again 18,000 men of the sons of Israel; all these drew a sword.
v 26…Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel (the house of God in Shiloh was on the north side-21.19) and wept; thus they remained there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening. And they offered burnt offerings (Korban Olot) and peace offerings (Korban Shelemim) before the Lord (there is no mention of a Korban Chata’at, or sin offering, but their repentance was sincere; true teshuvah requires a sin offering and a turning away from sin).
v 27…And the sons of Israel inquired of the Lord, for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days (in Shiloh);
v 28…and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron’s son (he is still alive during these events), stood before it to minister in those days, saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease (using the Urim v’ Tummim)?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand (God has been chastening Israel up to this point because they have lost the last two battles; God was now going to reverse the roles-1 Cor 10.12. Notice the Lord told them go fight, then let them lose because he was dealing with both sides. ANother thing to notice is here is that they were assured of victory but they still had to fight).”
v 29…So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah (like at Ai).
v 30…And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and arrayed themselves against Gibeah, as at other times.
v 31…And the sons of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city; and they began to strike and kill some of the people , as at other times; on the highways, one of which goes up to the house of God (Mishkan at Shiloh), and the other to Gibeah and in the field, about thirty men of Israel (three is the number of resurrection; we may die in service to Yehovah but we will be resurrected).
v 32…And the sons of Benjamin said, “They are struck down before us as at the first.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let us flee that we may draw them away from the city to the highways.
v 33…Then the men of Israel arose from their place and arayed themselves at Baal-tamar (lord of the palm tree); and the sons of Israel in ambush broke out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba (meadows of Geba/Gibeah).
v 34…When ten thousand choice men from all Israel came against GIbeah , the battle became fierce; but Benjamin did not know that disaster was close to them.
v 35…And the Lord struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day, all who draw the sword.
v 36…So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. When the men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah;
v 37…the men in ambush (the “waiters” in obscurity are not to be underestimated) hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush also deployed and struck the city with the edge of the sword.
v 38…Now the appointed sign between the sons of Israel and the men in ambush was that they should make a great cloud of smoke from the city.
v 39…Then the men of Israel turned in the battle (acting like they were running away, and Benjamin began to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel, for they said, “Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.”
v 40…But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked behind them, and behold, the whole city was going up in smoke to heaven.
v 41…Then the men of Israel turned and the men of Benjamin were terrified; for they saw that disaster was close to them.
v 42…Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel toward the direction of the wilderness (possibly of Judah), but the battle overtook them while those who came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them (Benjaminites who came out of the cities were also destroyed).
v 43…They destroyed Benjamin, pursued them without rest and trod them down opposite Gibeah toward the east.
v 44…Thus 18,000 men of Benjamin fell; all these were valiant warriors.
v 45…The rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock at Rimmon (near Gibeah), but they caught 5000 of them on the highways and overtook them at Gidom (completely cut off; severed) and killed 2000 of them.
v 46…So all of Benjamin who fell that day were 25,000 men who drew the sword; all these were valiant warriors.
v 47…But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock at Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon four months (the number of testing; they found refuge in “the Rock” in a time of testing).
v 48…The men of Israel then turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found.
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