Judges 20 Study Notes: Israel Goes to War Against Benjamin
The tribes meet at Mizpah, hear the Levite describe the crime at Gibeah, and demand that Benjamin give up the guilty men. Benjamin refuses, and Israel loses two battles despite seeking God, then weeps, fasts, and sacrifices. A third attack with an ambush succeeds, and only six hundred Benjamites escape.
General
In the third battle, what signal told the main Israelite army to turn back and fight?
Answer: Smoke rising up from the town
For the third battle Israel hid troops in ambush around Gibeah (20:29) and lined up as before. When Benjamin’s army marched out, the main force fell back and lured it out of the town onto the roads (20:31-32). Meanwhile the hidden troops rushed into Gibeah and struck it (20:37). The agreed signal was a huge column of smoke going up from the town; when the Benjamites looked back and saw it rising, Israel’s army turned to fight, and the Benjamites were terrified (20:38-41). The plan closely resembles the capture of Ai in Joshua’s day, where the LORD told Joshua to set an ambush, and smoke rising from the burning town turned the battle (Joshua 8:2, 19-21).
- Judges 20:29 (BSB)“So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.”Israel sets an ambush around Gibeah.
- Judges 20:38-40 (BSB)“The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city, the men of Israel would turn in the battle. When the Benjamites had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They are defeated before us as in the first battle.” But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke.”The agreed signal is a great cloud of smoke rising from the town.
- Joshua 8:2 (BSB)“And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.””At Ai the LORD told Joshua to set an ambush behind the city.
- Joshua 8:19-21 (BSB)“and as soon as he did so, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They rushed forward, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire. When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now turned against their pursuers. When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai.”At Ai the hidden troops took the city and set it on fire, and the smoke turned the battle.
Theological
In the third engagement, what agreed signal prompted the main Israelite force to turn and attack?
Answer: Smoke rising up from the town
Israel posted hidden troops around Gibeah (20:29), feigned retreat to draw the Benjamites onto the roads (20:31-32), and the concealed force fell on the town (20:37). The prearranged signal was a huge column of smoke rising from Gibeah; seeing it, the Benjamites realized their peril as Israel turned on them (20:38-41). The tactic mirrors the LORD-directed ambush at Ai, where smoke rising from the burning town likewise reversed the battle (Joshua 8:2, 19-21).
- Judges 20:29 (BSB)“So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.”Israel sets an ambush around Gibeah.
- Judges 20:38-40 (BSB)“The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city, the men of Israel would turn in the battle. When the Benjamites had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They are defeated before us as in the first battle.” But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke.”The agreed signal is a great cloud of smoke rising from the town.
- Joshua 8:2 (BSB)“And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.””At Ai the LORD told Joshua to set an ambush behind the city.
- Joshua 8:19-21 (BSB)“and as soon as he did so, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They rushed forward, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire. When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now turned against their pursuers. When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai.”At Ai the hidden troops took the city and set it on fire, and the smoke turned the battle.
General
After news of the crime at Gibeah spread through the tribes, where did the Israelites gather before the LORD?
Answer: At Mizpah
Israelites from one end of the land to the other, along with men of Gilead, came together at Mizpah. The narrator stresses their unity: the whole congregation gathered with one mind in the LORD’s presence, and the leaders of every tribe took their places among God’s people, with 400,000 armed foot soldiers (20:1-2). Benjamin, the tribe in whose land Gibeah lay, heard about the gathering, but it is not said to have come (20:3). The assembly was a response to the call at the end of chapter 19, where all who saw what had been done urged Israel to think it over and speak up (19:30). Mizpah was used again as a gathering place for all Israel in Samuel’s day (1 Samuel 7:5-6).
- Judges 20:1-2 (BSB)“Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah. The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people: 400,000 men on foot, armed with swords.”All the tribes and their leaders gather before the LORD at Mizpah with a large armed force.
- Judges 19:30 (BSB)“And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!””Those who saw what the Levite sent out urged Israel to consider the deed and give counsel, the call chapter 20 answers.
- 1 Samuel 7:5-6 (BSB)“Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.” When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.”Mizpah served again later as the place where all Israel gathered before the LORD.
Theological
Where does Judges 20:1 say the congregation assembled before the LORD in response to the outrage at Gibeah?
Answer: At Mizpah
The congregation, drawn from one end of the land to the other and from Gilead, assembled at Mizpah, acting with striking unanimity in the LORD’s presence; the tribal leaders took their places among God’s people, with 400,000 armed foot soldiers (20:1-2). Benjamin heard of the gathering but is not said to have attended (20:3). The assembly answers the summons of 19:30 to weigh the deed and give a verdict. Mizpah would again be the rallying place of all Israel under Samuel (1 Samuel 7:5-6).
- Judges 20:1-2 (BSB)“Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah. The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people: 400,000 men on foot, armed with swords.”All the tribes and their leaders gather before the LORD at Mizpah with a large armed force.
- Judges 19:30 (BSB)“And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!””Those who saw what the Levite sent out urged Israel to consider the deed and give counsel, the call chapter 20 answers.
- 1 Samuel 7:5-6 (BSB)“Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.” When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.”Mizpah served again later as the place where all Israel gathered before the LORD.
General
When the Levite asked for a verdict, how did the assembled people respond?
Answer: They declared none would go home until Gibeah was punished
All the people rose together and declared that none of them would go back home (20:8). They would move against Gibeah as the lot directed, setting aside one man in ten to bring food for the army while the rest went to punish the town for its atrocity (20:9-10). So every man of Israel joined together against Gibeah (20:11). Casting lots was a recognized way of seeking a decision, and Scripture teaches that the LORD determines how the lot falls (Proverbs 16:33). The whole scene answers the call that closed chapter 19 to consider the deed and speak up (19:30).
- Judges 20:8-11 (BSB)“Then all the people stood as one man and said, “Not one of us will return to his tent or to his house. Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will go against it as the lot dictates. We will take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to supply provisions for the army when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for the atrocity they have committed in Israel.” So all the men of Israel gathered as one man, united against the city.”The people resolve together not to go home, plan to go against Gibeah by lot, and gather as one.
- Proverbs 16:33 (BSB)“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”Scripture teaches that the outcome of the lot is decided by the LORD.
- Judges 19:30 (BSB)“And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!””The call to take counsel and speak up is answered by the assembly’s verdict.
Theological
How does the assembly respond to the Levite’s appeal for advice and a verdict in 20:7?
Answer: They declared none would go home until Gibeah was punished
The assembly rises with one voice, declares that none will return home (20:8), and resolves to proceed against Gibeah by lot, with a tenth of the men assigned to bring food for the rest (20:9-10); Israel then gathers as one body against Gibeah (20:11). The use of the lot submits the decision to the LORD, who governs its outcome (Proverbs 16:33). The resolution answers the summons of 19:30 to deliberate and speak.
- Judges 20:8-11 (BSB)“Then all the people stood as one man and said, “Not one of us will return to his tent or to his house. Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will go against it as the lot dictates. We will take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to supply provisions for the army when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for the atrocity they have committed in Israel.” So all the men of Israel gathered as one man, united against the city.”The people resolve together not to go home, plan to go against Gibeah by lot, and gather as one.
- Proverbs 16:33 (BSB)“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”Scripture teaches that the outcome of the lot is decided by the LORD.
- Judges 19:30 (BSB)“And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!””The call to take counsel and speak up is answered by the assembly’s verdict.
General
True or False: The Benjamites handed over the guilty men of Gibeah in order to avoid a war with the other tribes.
Answer: False
This is false. Benjamin would not listen to its fellow Israelites (20:13). Instead, men from all its towns assembled at Gibeah to make war on the rest of Israel (20:14). By shielding the guilty men, the whole tribe took their side and made their cause its own. Scripture says that letting the guilty go free is something the LORD detests, and that peoples will curse anyone who declares the guilty innocent (Proverbs 17:15; 24:24).
- Judges 20:13-14 (BSB)“Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites. And from their cities they came together at Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites.”Benjamin refuses to listen and gathers at Gibeah to fight the rest of Israel.
- Proverbs 17:15 (BSB)“Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.”Acquitting the guilty is detestable to the LORD.
- Proverbs 24:24 (BSB)“Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”—peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;”Scripture condemns anyone who tells the guilty that they are innocent.
Theological
True or False: In response to the demand of 20:13, Benjamin surrendered the guilty men of Gibeah to avert war.
Answer: False
This is false. Benjamin refused to heed its fellow Israelites (20:13) and mustered at Gibeah to make war on them (20:14). By protecting the offenders, the tribe sided with them, doing what Scripture calls detestable in the LORD’s sight and worthy of the curse of peoples (Proverbs 17:15; 24:24).
- Judges 20:13-14 (BSB)“Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites. And from their cities they came together at Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites.”Benjamin refuses to listen and gathers at Gibeah to fight the rest of Israel.
- Proverbs 17:15 (BSB)“Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.”Acquitting the guilty is detestable to the LORD.
- Proverbs 24:24 (BSB)“Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”—peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;”Scripture condemns anyone who tells the guilty that they are innocent.
General
What does 20:16 say about the 700 select left-handed soldiers in Benjamin’s army?
Answer: They could sling stones with hair-fine accuracy
Benjamin mustered 26,000 sword-bearing men from its towns plus 700 select men from Gibeah (20:15). Among these troops were 700 chosen left-handers so skilled with the sling that they could hit a target as thin as a hair (20:16). The rest of Israel mustered 400,000 experienced swordsmen (20:17), so Benjamin chose war while vastly outnumbered. Left-handed skill appears elsewhere as a mark of Benjamin: Ehud, the deliverer the LORD raised up against Moab, was a Benjamite who was left-handed (3:15), and Benjamite warriors were later known for slinging stones with either hand (1 Chronicles 12:2).
- Judges 20:15-17 (BSB)“On that day the Benjamites mobilized 26,000 swordsmen from their cities, in addition to the 700 select men of Gibeah. Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing. The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized 400,000 swordsmen, each one an experienced warrior.”Benjamin musters its troops, including 700 skilled left-handers, against Israel’s 400,000.
- Judges 3:15 (BSB)“And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.”Ehud, the deliverer the LORD raised up earlier in the book, was a left-handed Benjamite.
- 1 Chronicles 12:2 (BSB)“they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin):”Benjamite warriors are later described as able to sling stones with either hand.
Theological
According to 20:16, what was notable about Benjamin’s 700 select left-handed troops?
Answer: They could sling stones with hair-fine accuracy
Benjamin fielded 26,000 swordsmen and the 700 picked men of Gibeah (20:15), including 700 picked left-handed men whose slinging could strike a target as fine as a hair (20:16), against 400,000 Israelite swordsmen (20:17). The tribe’s martial skill is a recurring note: Ehud, the deliverer raised up by the LORD, was a Benjamite who was left-handed (3:15), and Benjamite warriors were later ambidextrous slingers and archers (1 Chronicles 12:2).
- Judges 20:15-17 (BSB)“On that day the Benjamites mobilized 26,000 swordsmen from their cities, in addition to the 700 select men of Gibeah. Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing. The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized 400,000 swordsmen, each one an experienced warrior.”Benjamin musters its troops, including 700 skilled left-handers, against Israel’s 400,000.
- Judges 3:15 (BSB)“And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.”Ehud, the deliverer the LORD raised up earlier in the book, was a left-handed Benjamite.
- 1 Chronicles 12:2 (BSB)“they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin):”Benjamite warriors are later described as able to sling stones with either hand.
General
How does the prophet Hosea later use the events at Gibeah when addressing Israel?
Answer: As a byword for Israel’s deep corruption
Gibeah, the Benjamite town of chapters 19-20 (not Gibeon, a different town), became a lasting byword. The prophet Hosea says that Israel in his day had sunk deep into corruption just as in the time of Gibeah, and that God would remember and punish their guilt (Hosea 9:9). He also says Israel had kept on sinning ever since that time, recalling the battle that overtook the wicked there (Hosea 10:9). The crime at Gibeah, and Benjamin’s refusal to give up the guilty men (20:13), stood in Israel’s memory as a picture of how deeply God’s people could fall.
- Judges 20:13 (BSB)“Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites.”Benjamin refuses to hand over the wicked men of Gibeah.
- Hosea 9:9 (BSB)“They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.”Hosea compares Israel’s later corruption to the days of Gibeah.
- Hosea 10:9 (BSB)“Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?”Hosea says Israel has sinned ever since the days of Gibeah.
Theological
How does Hosea employ the memory of Gibeah in his prophecy?
Answer: As a byword for Israel’s deep corruption
Gibeah of Benjamin (distinct from Gibeon) becomes a prophetic byword. Hosea likens the corruption of his generation to the time of Gibeah, with the warning that God will not forget their guilt but will bring punishment (Hosea 9:9), and traces Israel’s sin as continuing ever since that time, recalling the battle that overtook the wicked there (Hosea 10:9). The outrage of chapter 19 and Benjamin’s defense of the offenders (20:13) thus stand as a paradigm of Israel’s moral collapse.
- Judges 20:13 (BSB)“Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites.”Benjamin refuses to hand over the wicked men of Gibeah.
- Hosea 9:9 (BSB)“They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.”Hosea compares Israel’s later corruption to the days of Gibeah.
- Hosea 10:9 (BSB)“Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?”Hosea says Israel has sinned ever since the days of Gibeah.
General
Before any battle was fought, what did the other tribes ask of Benjamin?
Answer: To hand over the guilty men of Gibeah for execution
The tribes first sent men throughout Benjamin asking how such wickedness could have happened among them (20:12). Their demand was limited: give up the evildoers of Gibeah so they could be executed and the evil removed from Israel (20:13). This reflects God’s law, which called for evil to be cleared out of the community by punishing the guilty (Deuteronomy 17:7) and held each person responsible for his own wrongdoing (Deuteronomy 24:16). Israel had acted in a similar way in Joshua’s time, sending a delegation to the eastern tribes before going to war (Joshua 22:12-13). The request gave Benjamin a way to avoid war, but Benjamin refused (20:13).
- Judges 20:12-13 (BSB)“And the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you? Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites.”The tribes ask Benjamin to hand over the guilty men of Gibeah; Benjamin refuses.
- Deuteronomy 17:7 (BSB)“The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. So you must purge the evil from among you.”The law called for evil to be removed from Israel by putting the guilty to death.
- Deuteronomy 24:16 (BSB)“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”The law held each person accountable for his own sin.
- Joshua 22:12-13 (BSB)“And when they heard this, the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh to go to war against them. The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the land of Gilead, to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”In an earlier crisis Israel also sent a delegation before going to war against fellow tribes.
Theological
What did the tribes demand of Benjamin in 20:12-13 before taking up arms?
Answer: To hand over the guilty men of Gibeah for execution
Before any fighting, the tribes sent envoys through Benjamin, asking about the wickedness committed there (20:12) and demanding only the surrender of Gibeah’s guilty men, so that they could be executed and evil removed from Israel (20:13). The demand applies the law’s requirement to clear evil out of the community through judicial punishment (Deuteronomy 17:7), aimed at the guilty themselves (Deuteronomy 24:16), and resembles Israel’s earlier dispatch of envoys to the eastern tribes before war (Joshua 22:12-13). Benjamin’s refusal turned a judicial matter into civil war.
- Judges 20:12-13 (BSB)“And the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you? Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites.”The tribes ask Benjamin to hand over the guilty men of Gibeah; Benjamin refuses.
- Deuteronomy 17:7 (BSB)“The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. So you must purge the evil from among you.”The law called for evil to be removed from Israel by putting the guilty to death.
- Deuteronomy 24:16 (BSB)“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”The law held each person accountable for his own sin.
- Joshua 22:12-13 (BSB)“And when they heard this, the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh to go to war against them. The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the land of Gilead, to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”In an earlier crisis Israel also sent a delegation before going to war against fellow tribes.
General
What happened when Israel first attacked Benjamin at Gibeah?
Answer: Benjamin’s army killed 22,000 Israelites
The next morning Israel pitched camp close to Gibeah and took up battle positions, but the Benjamite army marched out of the town and killed 22,000 Israelites that day (20:19-21). Israel had sought God’s direction (20:18), and it outnumbered Benjamin many times over (20:17), yet it suffered a heavy defeat. The narrator does not explain the reason. What the chapter does show is that superior numbers did not decide the outcome; Scripture teaches that victory belongs to the LORD, not to the size of an army (Proverbs 21:31; Psalm 44:3).
- Judges 20:19-21 (BSB)“The next morning the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah. And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah. And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.”Israel camps near Gibeah and attacks, but Benjamin kills 22,000 Israelites.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Battle preparations do not secure the outcome; victory belongs to the LORD.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”Israel’s victories came not by its own sword but by God’s power.
Theological
What was the result of Israel’s first assault on Gibeah in 20:19-21?
Answer: Benjamin’s army killed 22,000 Israelites
Israel deployed before Gibeah, and Benjamin sallied out and killed 22,000 Israelites (20:19-21), despite Israel’s having inquired of God and enjoyed overwhelming numerical superiority (20:17-18). The narrator assigns no reason for the defeat. The episode illustrates that numbers do not determine the outcome of battle; victory is the LORD’s to give (Proverbs 21:31; Psalm 44:3).
- Judges 20:19-21 (BSB)“The next morning the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah. And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah. And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.”Israel camps near Gibeah and attacks, but Benjamin kills 22,000 Israelites.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Battle preparations do not secure the outcome; victory belongs to the LORD.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”Israel’s victories came not by its own sword but by God’s power.
General
At Bethel, the Israelites asked God which tribe should go up first against Benjamin. What did the LORD answer?
Answer: Judah would go first
At Bethel the Israelites asked God who should lead the attack on Benjamin, and the LORD replied that Judah would lead (20:18). The question echoes the very beginning of the book. After Joshua died, Israel asked who should go up first against the Canaanites, and the LORD named Judah, adding that He had handed the land over to them (1:1-2). Judah had also been appointed to lead the march in the wilderness (Numbers 2:9). Now the same question is asked, but the enemy is one of Israel’s own tribes, and this time the answer carries no promise of victory. The book that began with the tribes fighting the Canaanites together ends with them fighting each other.
- Judges 20:18 (BSB)“The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” “Judah will be first,” the LORD replied.”At Bethel Israel asks which tribe should go first against Benjamin, and the LORD names Judah.
- Judges 1:1-2 (BSB)“After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?” “Judah shall go up,” answered the LORD. “Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.””The book opens with the same question about the Canaanites, and the LORD names Judah with a promise of victory.
- Numbers 2:9 (BSB)“The total number of men in the divisions of the camp of Judah is 186,400; they shall set out first.”In the wilderness the camp of Judah was appointed to set out first.
Theological
How does the LORD answer Israel’s question at Bethel in 20:18 about which tribe should go up first?
Answer: Judah would go first
At Bethel the LORD designates Judah to lead (20:18), repeating His answer to the same question in 1:1-2, where Judah was sent first against the Canaanites with an explicit promise that the land had been given into their hands. Judah’s leading role also recalls its place at the head of the wilderness march (Numbers 2:9). The repetition is pointed: the opening campaign was against the Canaanites, while this one is against a brother tribe, and the answer of 20:18 contains no promise of success. The book closes with Israel’s tribes turned against one another.
- Judges 20:18 (BSB)“The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” “Judah will be first,” the LORD replied.”At Bethel Israel asks which tribe should go first against Benjamin, and the LORD names Judah.
- Judges 1:1-2 (BSB)“After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?” “Judah shall go up,” answered the LORD. “Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.””The book opens with the same question about the Canaanites, and the LORD names Judah with a promise of victory.
- Numbers 2:9 (BSB)“The total number of men in the divisions of the camp of Judah is 186,400; they shall set out first.”In the wilderness the camp of Judah was appointed to set out first.
General
In his account to the assembly (20:4-7), which detail recorded in chapter 19 does the Levite not mention?
Answer: That he himself sent his concubine out to the men
Chapter 19 records that when Gibeah’s men besieged the house, the Levite himself put his concubine (a secondary wife of lower standing) outside to them (19:25). In his account to the assembly, he says the men of the town surrounded the house intending to kill him and that his concubine died after their abuse (20:5), but he says nothing about his own part in sending her out. Other parts of his account do match chapter 19: the two of them had stopped for the night in Gibeah (19:15), a town of Benjamin. The narrator adds no comment on the difference. After hearing this account, the whole assembly at once declared that no one would go home (20:8).
- Judges 20:4 (BSB)“So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.”The Levite begins his account to the assembly.
- Judges 20:7 (BSB)“Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.””He ends by asking all Israel for its advice and verdict at once.
- Judges 19:15 (BSB)“They stopped to go in and lodge in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one would take them into his home for the night.”Chapter 19 records that they stopped in Gibeah to lodge, which matches this part of the Levite’s account.
- Judges 20:8 (BSB)“Then all the people stood as one man and said, “Not one of us will return to his tent or to his house.”The assembly’s immediate response shows it acted on the Levite’s account at once.
Theological
Comparing the Levite’s speech in 20:4-7 with the narrative of chapter 19, which detail does his account omit?
Answer: That he himself sent his concubine out to the men
The narrator of chapter 19 records that the Levite himself put his concubine outside to Gibeah’s men (19:25); in his speech to the assembly he reports the siege, says the men meant to kill him, and states that she died after their abuse (20:5), but he omits his own act of sending her out. Other details agree with the narrative, such as their stopping to lodge in Gibeah of Benjamin (19:15). The narrator offers no comment on the omission and assigns no motive. On hearing this account, the assembly at once resolves that no one will return home (20:8).
- Judges 20:4 (BSB)“So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.”The Levite begins his account to the assembly.
- Judges 20:7 (BSB)“Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.””He ends by asking all Israel for its advice and verdict at once.
- Judges 19:15 (BSB)“They stopped to go in and lodge in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one would take them into his home for the night.”Chapter 19 records that they stopped in Gibeah to lodge, which matches this part of the Levite’s account.
- Judges 20:8 (BSB)“Then all the people stood as one man and said, “Not one of us will return to his tent or to his house.”The assembly’s immediate response shows it acted on the Levite’s account at once.
General
Who does 20:28 say was ministering before the covenant ark when Israel sought the LORD’s answer?
Answer: Phinehas, Eleazar’s son
The narrator pauses to explain that the covenant ark of God (the sacred chest that represented the LORD’s presence among His people) was there in those days, and that Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, ministered there (20:27-28). This is the same Phinehas whose zeal for the LORD turned away His anger from Israel in the wilderness (Numbers 25:11), and whom Israel sent to the eastern tribes in Joshua’s time (Joshua 22:13). Seeking the LORD’s direction through the priest before battle was the way God Himself had appointed (Numbers 27:21). So Israel’s third inquiry was made before the ark through a priest of Aaron’s line.
- Judges 20:27-28 (BSB)“And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.””The ark is there, Phinehas serves before it, and Israel asks whether to fight again.
- Numbers 25:11 (BSB)““Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the Israelites; for he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My zeal.”Phinehas son of Eleazar is the priest whose zeal for the LORD turned away His wrath in the wilderness.
- Joshua 22:13 (BSB)“The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the land of Gilead, to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”Phinehas was sent by Israel to the eastern tribes in Joshua’s time.
- Numbers 27:21 (BSB)“He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.””The LORD appointed that Israel seek His counsel through the priest before going out to battle.
Theological
According to 20:27-28, which priest was ministering before the ark when Israel sought the LORD’s answer?
Answer: Phinehas, Eleazar’s son
The parenthesis of 20:27-28 locates the covenant ark of God there and names Phinehas, Eleazar’s son and Aaron’s grandson, as ministering before it. He is the priest whose zeal averted the LORD’s wrath at Peor (Numbers 25:11) and who led Israel’s delegation to the Transjordan tribes (Joshua 22:13). The inquiry thus takes place through the divinely appointed means of seeking counsel through the priest before the LORD (Numbers 27:21).
- Judges 20:27-28 (BSB)“And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.””The ark is there, Phinehas serves before it, and Israel asks whether to fight again.
- Numbers 25:11 (BSB)““Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the Israelites; for he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My zeal.”Phinehas son of Eleazar is the priest whose zeal for the LORD turned away His wrath in the wilderness.
- Joshua 22:13 (BSB)“The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the land of Gilead, to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”Phinehas was sent by Israel to the eastern tribes in Joshua’s time.
- Numbers 27:21 (BSB)“He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.””The LORD appointed that Israel seek His counsel through the priest before going out to battle.
General
After the first defeat, Israel wept and asked whether to fight its brothers again. What was the LORD’s answer?
Answer: He told them to attack Benjamin again
Israel’s army regained its courage and lined up again where it had fought the first day (20:22). The people wept in the LORD’s presence until nightfall and asked whether they should again go into battle against their own brothers of Benjamin. The LORD told them to go (20:23). Their question shows they knew they were fighting their own kin, a grief that runs through the end of the book (21:6). Yet the next day Benjamin came out and killed 18,000 more Israelites (20:25). The text does not say why the LORD allowed a second defeat after telling them to go. Scripture teaches that some things God keeps to Himself, while His people are responsible to follow what He has made known (Deuteronomy 29:29).
- Judges 20:22-23 (BSB)“But the Israelite army took courage and again took their battle positions in the same place where they had arrayed themselves on the first day. They went up and wept before the LORD until evening, inquiring of Him, “Should we again draw near for battle against our brothers the Benjamites?” And the LORD answered, “Go up against them.””Israel regroups, weeps before the LORD, and asks whether to fight its brothers again; the LORD says to go.
- Judges 20:25 (BSB)“That same day the Benjamites came out against them from Gibeah and cut down another 18,000 Israelites, all of them armed with swords.”On the second day Benjamin kills another 18,000 Israelites.
- Judges 21:6 (BSB)“And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.”After the war Israel still calls the Benjamites its brothers and grieves for them.
- Deuteronomy 29:29 (BSB)“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.”What God has not revealed belongs to Him; His people are to follow what He has revealed.
Theological
What did the LORD answer when Israel, weeping, asked in 20:23 whether to engage its brothers again?
Answer: He told them to attack Benjamin again
Israel regrouped in its former positions (20:22), wept in the LORD’s presence until nightfall, and asked whether to advance again against its Benjamite brothers; the LORD commanded them to go (20:23). The language of brotherhood anticipates Israel’s grief for Benjamin in 21:6. Nevertheless, the following day 18,000 more Israelites fell (20:25). The narrator gives no reason for the second defeat following a divine command; what the LORD has not revealed belongs to Him, while the revealed things belong to His people to obey (Deuteronomy 29:29).
- Judges 20:22-23 (BSB)“But the Israelite army took courage and again took their battle positions in the same place where they had arrayed themselves on the first day. They went up and wept before the LORD until evening, inquiring of Him, “Should we again draw near for battle against our brothers the Benjamites?” And the LORD answered, “Go up against them.””Israel regroups, weeps before the LORD, and asks whether to fight its brothers again; the LORD says to go.
- Judges 20:25 (BSB)“That same day the Benjamites came out against them from Gibeah and cut down another 18,000 Israelites, all of them armed with swords.”On the second day Benjamin kills another 18,000 Israelites.
- Judges 21:6 (BSB)“And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.”After the war Israel still calls the Benjamites its brothers and grieves for them.
- Deuteronomy 29:29 (BSB)“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.”What God has not revealed belongs to Him; His people are to follow what He has revealed.
General
How many Benjamites escaped into the wilderness, and how long did they remain on the rock of Rimmon?
Answer: Six hundred men, for four months
Six hundred Benjamite men escaped to the wilderness place called the rock of Rimmon; they remained there four months (20:47). Israel then turned back on the rest of Benjamin, striking its towns, with their livestock and all that was in them, and burning the towns in its path (20:48). The text records this with no word of approval. These 600 survivors set up chapter 21: the Israelites soon grieved that Israel had lost a whole tribe (21:6), and they sent word of peace to these survivors (21:13).
- Judges 20:47-48 (BSB)“But 600 men turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months. And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and put to the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.”Six hundred Benjamites escape into the wilderness and stay there four months while Israel strikes Benjamin’s towns.
- Judges 21:13 (BSB)“Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon.”The congregation later sends word of peace to these survivors.
- Judges 21:6 (BSB)“And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.”Israel later grieves that a whole tribe has been cut off.
Theological
According to 20:47, how many Benjamites survived by fleeing into the wilderness, and for how long did they remain on the rock of Rimmon?
Answer: Six hundred men, for four months
Six hundred men escaped to the wilderness place called the rock of Rimmon; they remained there for four months (20:47), while Israel turned on the remaining Benjamites and their towns, sparing neither people nor animals and burning the towns it reached (20:48). The text records the scale of the destruction with no word of approval. These 600 survivors set up chapter 21, where Israel laments that a tribe has been cut off (21:6) and offers peace to these survivors (21:13).
- Judges 20:47-48 (BSB)“But 600 men turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months. And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and put to the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.”Six hundred Benjamites escape into the wilderness and stay there four months while Israel strikes Benjamin’s towns.
- Judges 21:13 (BSB)“Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon.”The congregation later sends word of peace to these survivors.
- Judges 21:6 (BSB)“And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.”Israel later grieves that a whole tribe has been cut off.
General
How does 20:35 describe the cause of Benjamin’s defeat in the final battle?
Answer: It was the LORD who struck Benjamin down
The narrator says that it was the LORD who struck Benjamin down in Israel’s presence, and that Israel killed 25,100 Benjamites that day (20:35). The chapter also describes the human side of the battle in detail: the ambush, the retreat, the smoke signal, and the pursuit (20:29-45). Both are true together. The LORD was ruling over the battle while working through Israel’s own plans and actions. The tribe He struck down was the one that had refused to hand over Gibeah’s wicked men for judgment (20:13). Scripture teaches that victory belongs to the LORD (Proverbs 21:31), and the prophet Hosea later recalls the battle at Gibeah as judgment overtaking the wicked (Hosea 10:9).
- Judges 20:35 (BSB)“The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords.”The narrator states that the LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel.
- Judges 20:13 (BSB)“Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites.”Benjamin had refused to hand over the wicked men of Gibeah for judgment.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Armies prepare for battle, but victory comes from the LORD.
- Hosea 10:9 (BSB)“Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?”Hosea recalls the battle at Gibeah as overtaking the wicked.
Theological
To whom does the narrator attribute Benjamin’s defeat in 20:35?
Answer: It was the LORD who struck Benjamin down
The narrator ascribes the victory to the LORD, who struck Benjamin before Israel, with 25,100 Benjamites falling that day (20:35), even while recounting the human tactics of ambush, feigned retreat and pursuit (20:29-45). Divine agency and human means operate together, and the tribe the LORD struck is the one that had refused to surrender Gibeah’s wicked men for judgment (20:13). Victory is the LORD’s (Proverbs 21:31), and Hosea later remembers the battle at Gibeah as the overtaking of the wicked (Hosea 10:9).
- Judges 20:35 (BSB)“The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords.”The narrator states that the LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel.
- Judges 20:13 (BSB)“Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites.”Benjamin had refused to hand over the wicked men of Gibeah for judgment.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Armies prepare for battle, but victory comes from the LORD.
- Hosea 10:9 (BSB)“Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?”Hosea recalls the battle at Gibeah as overtaking the wicked.
General
What was new in the LORD’s third answer to Israel, given at Bethel in 20:28?
Answer: He promised them victory over Benjamin the next day
Israel asked whether to go out again against their brothers or to stop. The LORD told them to fight, because the next day He would give the Benjamites into their hand (20:28). His first two answers had named Judah to go first and told the people to go up (20:18, 23), but neither included a promise of success. This third answer did, and the LORD kept it: on the next day He defeated Benjamin before Israel (20:35). God does not lie or fail to do what He says (Numbers 23:19), and none of His good promises to Israel ever failed (Joshua 21:45).
- Judges 20:28 (BSB)“and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.””Israel asks whether to fight again or stop, and the LORD promises to deliver Benjamin into their hand.
- Judges 20:35 (BSB)“The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords.”The LORD defeats Benjamin before Israel, as He had promised.
- Numbers 23:19 (BSB)“God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”God does not lie; what He promises He fulfills.
- Joshua 21:45 (BSB)“Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.”Not one of the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed.
Theological
How does the LORD’s third answer in 20:28 differ from His answers in 20:18 and 20:23?
Answer: He promised them victory over Benjamin the next day
Asked whether to fight again or desist, the LORD commands Israel to fight and, for the first time, attaches a promise: the next day He will give Benjamin into their hand (20:28). The earlier answers merely designated Judah and authorized the advance (20:18, 23). The promise is fulfilled when the LORD defeats Benjamin before Israel (20:35), in keeping with His character as the God who speaks and acts (Numbers 23:19) and whose good promises never fail (Joshua 21:45).
- Judges 20:28 (BSB)“and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.””Israel asks whether to fight again or stop, and the LORD promises to deliver Benjamin into their hand.
- Judges 20:35 (BSB)“The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords.”The LORD defeats Benjamin before Israel, as He had promised.
- Numbers 23:19 (BSB)“God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”God does not lie; what He promises He fulfills.
- Joshua 21:45 (BSB)“Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.”Not one of the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed.
General
True or False: After the second defeat, the whole people went to Bethel, wept in the LORD’s presence, went without food until nightfall, and offered both burnt and peace offerings.
Answer: True
This is true. After losing 18,000 more men, the whole people this time came to Bethel and sat in tears in the LORD’s presence. They fasted that day until nightfall and offered burnt offerings (offerings wholly burned on the altar to the LORD) and peace offerings (fellowship offerings shared in His presence) (20:26). This response goes further than before: earlier they had wept and asked, but now the whole people also fasted and sacrificed. Israel had wept and sacrificed to the LORD at Bochim near the start of the book (2:4-5), and Scripture elsewhere calls God’s people to seek Him with fasting and weeping in times of distress (Joel 2:12; 2 Chronicles 20:3).
- Judges 20:26 (BSB)“Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, where they sat weeping before the LORD. That day they fasted until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.”After the second defeat all the people weep at Bethel, fast until evening, and present offerings.
- Judges 2:4-5 (BSB)“When the angel of the LORD had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept. So they called that place Bochim and offered sacrifices there to the LORD.”Earlier in the book Israel also wept and offered sacrifices before the LORD at Bochim.
- Joel 2:12 (BSB)““Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.””The LORD calls His people to return to Him with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
- 2 Chronicles 20:3 (BSB)“Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD. And he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.”In a later crisis King Jehoshaphat sought the LORD and proclaimed a fast.
Theological
True or False: Following the second defeat, the whole people went to Bethel, wept in the LORD’s presence, abstained from food until nightfall, and offered both whole burnt and peace offerings.
Answer: True
This is true. Following the second defeat, the entire people came to Bethel, sat in tears in the LORD’s presence, fasted until nightfall, and offered both whole burnt and peace offerings (20:26). The response intensifies the earlier inquiry: weeping is now joined by fasting and sacrifice by the whole assembly. The scene recalls Israel’s weeping and sacrifice at Bochim (2:4-5) and fits the biblical pattern of seeking the LORD with fasting and lament in crisis (Joel 2:12; 2 Chronicles 20:3).
- Judges 20:26 (BSB)“Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, where they sat weeping before the LORD. That day they fasted until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.”After the second defeat all the people weep at Bethel, fast until evening, and present offerings.
- Judges 2:4-5 (BSB)“When the angel of the LORD had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept. So they called that place Bochim and offered sacrifices there to the LORD.”Earlier in the book Israel also wept and offered sacrifices before the LORD at Bochim.
- Joel 2:12 (BSB)““Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.””The LORD calls His people to return to Him with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
- 2 Chronicles 20:3 (BSB)“Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD. And he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.”In a later crisis King Jehoshaphat sought the LORD and proclaimed a fast.