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Commentary on Judges 20 verses 26–48
We have here a full account of the complete victory which the Israelites obtained over the Benjamites in the third engagement: the righteous cause was victorious at last, when the managers of it amended what had been amiss; for, when a good cause suffers, it is for want of good management. Observe then how the victory was obtained, and how it was pursued.
I. How the victory was obtained. Two things they had trusted too much to in the former engagements - the goodness of their cause and the superiority of their numbers. It was true that they had both right and strength on their side, which were great advantages; but they depended too much upon them, to the neglect of those duties to which now, this third time, when they see their error, they apply themselves.
1.They were previously so confident of the goodness of their cause that they thought it needless to address themselves to God for his presence and blessing. They took it for granted that God would bless them, nay, perhaps they concluded that he owed them his favour, and could not in justice withhold it, since it was in defence of virtue that they appeared and took up arms. But God having shown them that he was under no obligation to prosper their enterprise, that he neither needed them nor was tied to them, that they were more indebted to him for the honour of being ministers of his justice than he to them for the service, now they became humble petitioners for success. Before they only consulted God's oracle, Who shall go up first? And, Shall we go up? But now they implored his favour, fasted and prayed, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings (Jdg 20:26), to make an atonement for sin and an acknowledgment of their dependence upon God, and as an expression of their desire towards him. We cannot expect the presence of God with us, unless we thus seek it in the way he has appointed. And when they were in this frame, and thus sought the Lord, then he not only ordered them to go up against the Benjamites the third time, but gave them a promise of victory: Tomorrow I will deliver them into thy hand, Jdg 20:28.
2.They were previously so confident of the greatness of their strength that they thought it needless to use any art, to lay any ambush, or form a stratagem, not doubting but to conquer purely by a strong hand; but now they saw it was requisite to use some policy, as if they had an enemy to deal with them that had been superior in number; accordingly, they set liers in wait (Jdg 20:29), and gained their point, as their fathers did before Ai (Jos. 8), stratagems of that kind being most likely to take effect after a previous defeat, which has flushed the enemy, and made the pretended flight the less suspected. The management of this artifice is here very largely described. The assurance God had given them of success in this day's action, instead of making them remiss and presumptuous, set all heads and hands on work for the effecting of what God had promised.
(1.)Observe the method they took. The body of the army faced the city of Gibeah, as they had done before, advancing towards the gates, Jdg 20:30. The Benjamites, the body of whose army was now quartered at Gibeah, sallied out upon them, and charged them with great bravery. The besiegers gave back. retired with precipitation, as if their hearts failed them upon the sight of the Benjamites, which they were willing to believe, proudly imagining that by their former success they had made themselves very formidable. Some loss the Israelites sustained in this counterfeit flight, about thirty men being cut off in their rear, Jdg 20:31, Jdg 20:39. But, when the Benjamites were all drawn out of the city, the ambush seized the city (Jdg 20:37), gave a signal to the body of the army (Jdg 20:38, Jdg 20:40), which immediately turned upon them (Jdg 20:41), and, it should seem, another considerable party that was posted at Baal-tamar came upon them at the same time (Jdg 20:33); so that the Benjamites were quite surrounded, which put them into the greatest consternation that could be. A sense of guilt now disheartened them, and the higher their hopes had been raised the more grievous was this confusion. At first the battle was sore (Jdg 20:34), the Benjamites fought with fury; but, when they saw what a snare they were drawn into, they thought one pair of heels (as we say) was worth two pair of hands, and they made the best of their way towards the wilderness (Jdg 20:42); but in vain: the battle overtook them, and, to complete their distress, those who came out of the cities of Israel, that waited to see the event of the battle, joined with their pursuers, and helped to cut them off. Every man's hand was against them.
(2.)Observe in this story, [1.] That the Benjamites, in the beginning of the battle, were confident that the day was their own: They are smitten down before us, Jdg 20:32, Jdg 20:39. Sometimes God suffers wicked men to be lifted up in successes and hopes, that their fall may be the sorer. See how short their joy is, and their triumphing but for a moment. Let not him that girdeth on the harness boast, except he has reason to boast in God. [2.] Evil was near them and they did not know it, Jdg 20:34. But (Jdg 20:41) they saw, when it was too late to prevent it, that evil had come upon them. What evils may at any time be near us we cannot tell, but the less they are feared the heavier they fall. Sinners will not be persuaded to see evil near them, but how dreadful will it be when it comes and there is no escaping! Th1 5:3. [3.] Though the men of Israel played their parts so well in this engagement, yet the victory is ascribed to God (Jdg 20:35): The Lord smote Benjamin before Israel. The battle was his, and so was the success. [4.] They trode down the men of Benjamin with ease when God fought against them, Jdg 20:43. It is an easy thing to trample upon those who have made God their enemy. See Mal 4:3.
II. How the victory was prosecuted and improved in a military execution done upon these sinners against their own souls. 1. Gibeah itself, that nest of lewdness, was destroyed in the first place. The ambush that entered the city by surprise drew themselves along, that is, dispersed themselves into the several parts of it, which they might easily do, now that all the men of war had sallied out and very presumptuously left it defenceless; and they smote all they found, even women and children, with the sword (Jdg 20:37), and set fire to the city, Jdg 20:40. Sin brings ruin upon cities. 2. The army in the field was quite routed and cut off: 18,000 men of valour lay dead upon the spot, Jdg 20:44. 3. Those that escaped from the field were pursued, and cut off in their flight, to the number of 7000, Jdg 20:45. It is to no purpose to think of out-running divine vengeance. Evil pursues sinners, and it will overtake them. 4. Even those that tarried at home were involved in the ruin. They let their sword devour for ever, not considering that it would be bitterness in the latter end, as Abner pleads long after, when he was at the head of an army of Benjamites, probably with an eye to this very story, Sa2 2:25, Sa2 2:26. They put to the sword all that breathed, and set fire to all the cities, Jdg 20:48. So that of all the tribe of Benjamin, for aught that appears, there remained none alive but 600 men that took shelter in the rock Rimmon, and lay close there four months, Jdg 20:47. Now, (1.) It is difficult to justify this severity as it was Israel's act. The whole tribe of Benjamin was culpable; but must they therefore be treated as devoted Canaanites? That it was done in the heat of war, that this was the way of prosecuting victories which the sword of Israel had been accustomed to, that the Israelites were extremely exasperated against the Benjamites for the slaughter they had made among them in the two former engagements, will go but a little way to excuse the cruelty of this execution. It is true they had sworn that whosoever did not come up to Mizpeh should be put to death, Jdg 21:5. But that, if it was a justifiable oath, yet extended only to the men of war; the rest were not expected to come. Yet, (2.) It is easy to justify the hand of God in it. Benjamin had sinner against him, and God had threatened that, if they forgot him, they should perish as the nations that were before them perished (Deu 8:20), who were all in this manner cut off. (3.) It is easy likewise to improve it for warning against the beginnings of sin: they are like the letting forth of water, therefore leave it off before it be meddled with, for we know not what will be in the end thereof. The eternal ruin of souls will be worse, and more fearful, than all these desolations of a tribe. This affair of Gibeah is twice spoken of by the prophet Hosea as the beginning of the corruption of Israel and a pattern to all that followed (Hos 9:9): They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; and (Hos 10:9), Thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah; and it is added that the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not (that is, did not at first) overtake them.
When this [what had happened to the concubine] became known, (to be brief) almost all the people of Israel broke out into war. The war remained doubtful with an uncertain issue, but in the third engagement the people of Benjamin were delivered to the people of Israel, and being condemned by the divine judgment [they] paid the penalty for their widely immoral behavior.…And when at first the people of Israel were defeated, yet unmoved by fear at the reverses of the war, they disregarded the sorrow the avenging of chastity cost them. They rushed into the battle ready to wash out with their own blood the stains of the crime that had been committed.
A proud retort was made, and plans for peace were changed to war. In the first and second encounters, when many were harmed by a few, the Israelites considered yielding, since the battles were so unfavorable. There were four hundred thousand men warring against twenty-five thousand of the tribe of Benjamin, and they strove with seven hundred Gabanites [Gibeonites] experienced in war. When two battles were unfavorable, Israel with eager spirit did not lose hope of victory nor of vengeance for the hope they had fostered.Superior in cause and number they yet fell back defeated in the battle’s outcome, and, feeling that God was offended, they tried with fasting and much weeping to gain a reconciliation of heaven’s favor. Begging the Lord’s peace, they returned more boldly to war, and they to whom prayer had given courage and who had entertained much hope were now able to do what they planned. On a pretext of withdrawing their front lines, setting ambushes at night in the rear of the city, where a segment of the enemy was located, they followed as some retired and thus were provided with an opportunity for invading the unprotected city. Fires were quickly set and flared up while raging flames and waves of heat revealed the sight of the taken city. Their spirits broken, they faced the enemy. The men of Benjamin who thought they were shut in and surrounded, even before they were invaded from the rear, began scattering and fleeing to the desert, while Israel pressed after with doubled force and pursued them as they wandered in rout.
About twenty-five thousand were slain, therefore, that is, almost all the men of Benjamin except six hundred who seized a fortification on a rough cliff and by virtue of its situation and with the help of nature and partly through fear were a terror to their victors. Success advises caution; in adversity, revenge is esteemed rather than victory. Not even a minority of the women stayed clear of that struggle, but all the women of the tribe of Benjamin, along with boys and girls of every age, were wiped out by sword or fire, and an oath was taken that no one would give his daughter to a man of that tribe in marriage, so that all chance of repairing the name was abolished.
After you found out what transpired in our court, you kept to yourself; therefore, I now summon, as it were, part of my own soul, for I have a friendly yet sorrowful complaint against you for the outrage done to chastity. Was it necessary for an unsurpassed, unheard-of case of virginity to be subjected to a sentence? Could it not have been dismissed? In other words, unless with injury to herself she had been handed over from honored modesty to an indecent surrender of her body, though she offered strong proof regarding herself, she would be exposed to ridicule and marked out as a wanton individual! You have tendered this privilege to virginity, honor of a sort, to which they are pleased to be summoned and invited who plan to recover this boon! Thus, they lose the liberty of a common reputation, nor do they protect themselves by the statutes of sacred or public law; they may not ask their accuser or oppose an informer but may only put on shamelessness and expose themselves to harm.Our ancestors did not think chastity so to be despised; rather, they showed it such reverence that they would wage war on violators of modesty. In fact, so great was their desire for revenge that all the tribe of Benjamin would have been destroyed unless the six hundred who remained out of the war had been protected by a natural hill. This is the expression found in the account of the sacred lesson whose meaning it is profitable to consider.
At Gibeah also, now a complete ruin, she stopped for a little while remembering its sin, and the cutting of the concubine into pieces, and how in spite of all this three hundred men of the tribe of Benjamin were saved that in after days Paul might be called a Benjamite.
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SUMMARY
Judges 20:46 delivers the grim and devastating casualty report from the third and decisive day of the civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and the united tribes of Israel, recording the catastrophic loss of twenty-five thousand Benjamite warriors. This verse starkly highlights the immense and tragic cost of unaddressed corporate sin, moral decay, and internal strife within the covenant community, demonstrating the severe consequences of defying divine justice and refusing accountability among God's people.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse serves as the somber climax of the narrative found in Judges chapters 19-21, often considered an appendix to the book of Judges. This section vividly portrays the moral and social chaos prevalent in Israel "when there was no king in Israel" and "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). The preceding events detail the horrific atrocity committed against the Levite's concubine in Gibeah (Judges 19:22-30), which provoked outrage among the other tribes. Their subsequent demand for justice was met with Benjamin's stubborn refusal to surrender the perpetrators, escalating into a full-scale civil war. Despite Israel's initial defeats on the first two days (Judges 20:21, Judges 20:25), their persistent seeking of God's counsel led to a decisive victory on the third day, culminating in the casualty count recorded in Judges 20:46. This verse provides the tragic resolution of the battle, setting the stage for the subsequent lament and desperate measures taken to preserve the tribe of Benjamin in Judges chapter 21.
Historical & Cultural Context: The events of Judges 19-21 are situated in the turbulent period after the conquest of Canaan but before the establishment of the monarchy. This era was characterized by a decentralized tribal system, significant tribal independence, and a discernible decline in moral and spiritual adherence to the Mosaic covenant. The "men of valour" mentioned in this verse were not professional soldiers but citizen-soldiers, tribal levies who were expected to defend their territory and participate in inter-tribal warfare. Their military training would have been practical, focusing on the use of common weaponry of the era, such as swords, spears, and slings. Ancient Israelite society operated under a strong principle of corporate responsibility; the sin of a few could bring judgment upon the entire community or tribe, as exemplified by the account of Achan in Joshua 7:1-26. Benjamin's defiant refusal to surrender the wicked men of Gibeah constituted a profound violation of inter-tribal solidarity and covenantal law, which demanded justice and purity within the community. The geographical setting, primarily around Gibeah and the Rock of Rimmon, highlights the localized nature of many early Israelite conflicts, yet this particular war carried national implications due to its inter-tribal nature and the severe moral breach it represented.
Key Themes: Judges 20:46 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Judges and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it underscores the devastating cost of sin and internal conflict. The profound moral decay illustrated by the atrocity in Gibeah, coupled with Benjamin's stubborn complicity and defiance, led to an unprecedented civil war that nearly annihilated an entire tribe. This vividly demonstrates the destructive power of unaddressed evil and unrepentance within God's people, a recurring theme throughout the book of Judges. Secondly, the verse highlights divine judgment and justice. Despite Israel's initial defeats, their persistent seeking of God's counsel (Judges 20:23, Judges 20:26-28) ultimately led to a divinely sanctioned victory. This outcome indicates God's severe displeasure with Benjamin's sin and their defiance of covenantal standards, manifesting not merely as a military defeat but as a profound act of divine wrath against profound wickedness. Finally, the detail that these were "men of valour" introduces the theme of tragedy and pathos, emphasizing that even strong, capable warriors could not withstand the consequences of corporate sin and divine judgment, making the loss even more poignant and emphasizing the overwhelming nature of the calamity.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Judges 20:46 masterfully employs several powerful literary devices to convey the profound tragedy and theological significance of the event. The most prominent is Pathos, as the verse evokes deep pity and sorrow for the near annihilation of an entire tribe, especially by emphasizing that those who fell were "men of valour." This detail humanizes the immense casualty count, transforming a mere statistic into a lament for courageous individuals whose lives were tragically cut short. There is also a strong element of Irony present; the "men of valour" who were militarily capable and courageous were defeated not by a lack of skill or bravery, but by their moral complicity and defiance of divine justice. Their inherent strength in battle was ultimately rendered futile by their spiritual weakness and corporate sin, highlighting a profound disconnect between human prowess and divine judgment. Furthermore, the Numerical Precision ("twenty and five thousand") serves to underscore the devastating scale of the loss, providing a stark and undeniable testament to the catastrophic outcome of the conflict. This exact figure lends a sense of historical accuracy while simultaneously amplifying the horror and finality of the event, leaving no doubt about the magnitude of Benjamin's destruction.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Judges 20:46 serves as a stark theological commentary on the profound and destructive consequences of unaddressed sin and internal division within God's covenant community. The near annihilation of Benjamin underscores that divine judgment is not merely reserved for foreign nations but can fall severely upon Israel itself when it deviates from God's righteous standards. This tragic event highlights the critical importance of corporate accountability and the pursuit of justice, demonstrating that complicity with evil and a refusal to repent can lead to catastrophic outcomes, threatening the very existence and identity of God's people. It is a grim reminder that true strength and valor are ultimately rooted in righteousness and obedience to God, not merely in military prowess or numerical superiority.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The grim tally of Judges 20:46 compels us to reflect deeply on the devastating impact of unrepentant sin and internal strife, not only within a nation but also within any community, including the church and individual lives. This verse serves as a sober warning that ignoring or defending moral corruption, rather than confronting it with justice and repentance, can lead to widespread suffering and near-destruction. It challenges us to examine our own complicity in systemic sin, our willingness to uphold righteousness, and our commitment to reconciliation rather than division. The tragedy of Benjamin reminds us that true strength is found in moral integrity and humble submission to God's standards, not in self-reliance or stubborn defiance. It calls us to actively pursue justice, foster unity, and prioritize spiritual health within our communities, lest we fall prey to similar destructive cycles that erode trust, invite judgment, and hinder our collective witness to God's holiness and grace.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did the other tribes suffer initial defeats despite being in the right?
Answer: The initial defeats of the Israelite tribes, despite their righteous cause against Benjamin's wickedness, highlight a crucial theological point: even when acting with God's apparent approval, the Israelites needed to humble themselves and seek God's will thoroughly. Judges 20:18 shows them asking "Who shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin?" and God answers "Judah shall go up first." However, they did not fully seek guidance on how to fight or if they would win. After two devastating losses (Judges 20:21 and Judges 20:25), they finally wept before the Lord, fasted, offered sacrifices, and inquired of the Lord with Phinehas, the priest (Judges 20:26-28). This deeper seeking of God's face, coupled with repentance and sacrifice, indicates that God was teaching them humility and dependence, even in a just war. It also underscores that God's ways are higher than human understanding, and victory is ultimately from Him, not solely from human strategy or numerical superiority.
What happened to the tribe of Benjamin after this devastating loss?
Answer: The near annihilation of Benjamin led to profound lament and regret among the other Israelite tribes. Realizing that a tribe was on the verge of extinction, they took desperate and ethically complex measures to preserve Benjamin's lineage, fearing that "there shall be a tribe cut off from Israel this day" (Judges 21:6). Since they had sworn an oath not to give their daughters to Benjamin in marriage (Judges 21:1), they sought wives for the surviving 600 Benjamite men. This involved a punitive attack on Jabesh-Gilead for not participating in the war (Judges 21:8-12), taking 400 virgins from there. When this was still not enough, they devised a plan for the remaining 200 men to abduct women from the annual festival at Shiloh (Judges 21:16-23). This desperate and morally ambiguous solution highlights the chaos and moral decay of the period "when there was no king in Israel" and "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25), even as they sought to uphold the covenantal promise of twelve tribes, demonstrating the deep moral confusion that permeated Israel in this era.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Judges 20:46, with its grim depiction of "men of valour" falling due to corporate sin and divine judgment, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in stark contrast and profound redemption. While the Benjamite warriors, despite their strength and courage, succumbed to the devastating consequences of unrighteousness and defiance, Jesus Christ is the true "Man of Valor" who faced the ultimate battle against sin and death, not for His own transgression, but for ours. Unlike Benjamin's stubborn refusal to address evil, Christ willingly offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice, becoming sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). His "fall" on the cross was not a defeat but a strategic victory, disarming the powers and authorities of darkness and triumphing over them (Colossians 2:15). Where the civil war in Judges brought near annihilation and desperate, ethically compromised measures to preserve a tribe, Christ's death and resurrection brought reconciliation, eternal life, and the formation of a new, unified people of God, transcending all tribal, ethnic, and social divisions (Ephesians 2:14-16). The tragedy of Judges 20:46 underscores humanity's inherent inability to overcome sin's destructive power by its own strength or valor, pointing us to the one true Hero who, through His perfect obedience and sacrificial love, conquered sin, death, and division, offering genuine peace and restoration to all who believe and are reconciled to God through Him (Romans 5:10-11).