JUDGES LESSON 22
We will begin this lesson in Judges 20:1 "Then all the children
of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one
man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the
LORD in Mizpeh."
This "Mizpeh" is in the tribe of Benjamin. The last lesson ended
with the Levite sending a portion of his concubine's body to each of
the 12 tribes. It seems in this, they have called a special meeting to
determine what to do about it?
Judges 20:2 "And the chief of all the people, [even] of all the
tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people
of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword."
This is nearly a half million people, who met at Mizpeh to
determine this situation. They were soldiers. The chief is speaking of
the leader that kept the people together.
Judges 20:3 "(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the
children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of
Israel, Tell [us], how was this wickedness?"
It seems, the Benjamites were not included in the 400,000 who
came to Mizpeh. The Benjamites heard about them gathering. The large
group of Israelites ask the Levite, "How was this wickedness?"
Judges 20:4 "And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was
slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that [belongeth] to
Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge."
Now, the Levite gives his statement to all of those assembled
about exactly what happened to him and his concubine. He specifically
names Gibeah as the place of this terrible crime.
Judges 20:5 "And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the
house round about upon me by night, [and] thought to have slain me:
and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead." Judges 20:6
" And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her
throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have
committed lewdness and folly in Israel."
This is saying they wanted to abuse the Levite, but instead they
abused his concubine all night long until they killed her. He sent the
portions of her body to them to get them to take action against this
evil city. He especially wanted the men who did this terrible crime to
be punished by death.
Judges 20:7 "Behold, ye [are] all children of Israel; give here
your advice and counsel." Judges 20:8 "And all the people arose as
one man, saying, We will not any [of us] go to his tent, neither will
we any [of us] turn into his house."
The Levite is asking them to judge their own for this terrible
thing. They were all in total agreement that this was a terrible sin.
They also will not go back to their homes until this is avenged.
Judges 20:9 "But now this [shall be] the thing which we will do
to Gibeah; [we will go up] by lot against it;"
This is saying, that not any of them will shirk their duty to go
against Gibeah. This is such a terrible thing these men have done to
the Levite and his concubine, that all of them are eager to avenge
this. The casting of lots is the fairest way of choosing a group out
of the whole.
Judges 20:10 "And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout
all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand
out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may
do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly
that they have wrought in Israel."
We see that 1 out of 10 will be chosen to furnish food for this
large group. There will be 40,000 who will round up the food for the
rest of them to eat. The lot will choose who will have charge of the
food.
Judges 20:11 "So all the men of Israel were gathered against the
city, knit together as one man."
This would mean that 360,000 men have gone against Gibeah.
Judges 20:12 "And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the
tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness [is] this that is done
among you?"
This is done to see, if they will deal with this themselves, or
will they side in with these evil men of Gibeah. If the tribe of
Benjamin would deal with this problem themselves, the entire family
would not be blamed.
Judges 20:13 "Now therefore deliver [us] the men, the children of
Belial, which [are] in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put
away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken
to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:"
This does not say why they did not turn these very evil men over
to the other twelve tribes. They are obviously guilty of a heinous
crime. They will not turn them over, so the other tribes must deal
with the tribe of Benjamin, as if they were all guilty.
Judges 20:14 "But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves
together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against
the children of Israel."
The fighting men of all 26 of the cities of the tribe of Benjamin
come against these fighting men of the other tribes of Israel.
Judges 20:15 "And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that
time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword,
beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred
chosen men."
We see that the total men of Benjamin that were fighting men,
including the 700 from Gibeah, were 26,700. This little group is ready
to fight the 360,000 fighting men of the other tribes.
Judges 20:16 "Among all this people [there were] seven hundred
chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair
[breadth], and not miss."
"Benjamin" means son of the right hand. It is strange that they
would have 700 lefthanded soldiers, who were skillful with the sling.
Judges 20:17 "And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were
numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these [were]
men of war."
After the 40,000 were sent to get food, there were 360,000
fighting men.
Judges 20:18 "And the children of Israel arose, and went up to
the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us
shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And
the LORD said, Judah [shall go up] first."
This appears to have happened at Bethel. Perhaps, the arc of God
was there at this time. This was about 7 or 8 miles out of Shiloh. The
Israelites did not want to decide this for themselves. They wanted God
to decide who should go up first against these Benjamites. Because of
the terrible crime, they were to be treated as a heathen nation.
Whether this is chosen by lot or not, we do not know. We do know that
Judah was the chosen tribe to represent Israel in the first battle.
Judges 20:19 "And the children of Israel rose up in the morning,
and encamped against Gibeah." Judges 20:20 "And the men of Israel
went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put
themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah."
Both of the Scriptures above are speaking of the troops of Judah
representing all of the troops of Israel. The battle is ready to
begin.
Judges 20:21 "And the children of Benjamin came forth out of
Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day
twenty and two thousand men."
22,000 men of Israel died in the battle against Benjamin. This
seems to be punishment against Israel, rather than against Benjamin.
Gibeah seemed to be on a hill, and they had the advantage with the
others in the valley below.
Judges 20:22 "And the people the men of Israel encouraged
themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where
they put themselves in array the first day."
They were terribly defeated the first day, but they have reasoned
why this happened. Now, they will try another time to defeat the army
of Benjamin.
Judges 20:23 "(And the children of Israel went up and wept before
the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go
up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And
the LORD said, Go up against him.)"
This shows an humbling of themselves. They have just suffered a
terrible loss in battle, and that in itself was humbling to them. They
are aware, that God must be with them, if they are to win this battle.
They have done all they know to do by going to the LORD, before they
go into battle. They are, now, going into battle with the permission
of the LORD.
Judges 20:24 "And the children of Israel came near against the
children of Benjamin the second day." Judges 20:25 "And Benjamin went
forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to
the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all
these drew the sword."
We can easily understand why the tribes of Israel were enraged by
the things the few men in Gibeah did. They certainly should have
suffered death for their actions of that terrible night. It is, also,
a fact that the entire tribe of Benjamin should have turned the
murderers over to the rest of the tribes for punishment. It is
difficult to understand, however, how the eleven tribes could go
against the entire tribe of Benjamin, to totally destroy them for this
crime of the few. Perhaps, that is why God let the Benjamites win
these first two battles. 18,000 Israelites were killed in this battle.
Judges 20:26 "Then all the children of Israel, and all the
people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat
there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered
burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD."
The entire congregation of Israel were disturbed by this second
large loss of life in going against Benjamin. They go to the their
place of worship, and offer burnt offerings, and peace offerings, and
then, they fast until the evening. They want an answer for what is
happening. The house of God was at Bethel at that time.
Judges 20:27 "And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD,
(for the ark of the covenant of God [was] there in those days,"
Shiloh and Bethel were just 9 miles apart, and the tabernacle was
out on the road to Bethel from Shiloh. Wherever the arc of the
covenant was, symbolized the presence of God, as well. This would be
the correct place to go and inquire of the LORD.
Judges 20:28 "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 Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?
And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine
hand."
Phinehas was the grandson of Aaron. He, also, was the son of
Eleazar. He was the high priest in the tabernacle, when all of this
was happening. The high priest is the only one who could go before the
arc, and inquire of the LORD. He asks if the Lord would be with them,
if they went again. The LORD promises to deliver them into the hands
of the Israelites in the next battle.
Judges 20:29 "And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah."
Judges 20:30 "And the children of Israel went up against the children
of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against
Gibeah, as at other times." Judges 20:31 "And the children of
Benjamin went out against the people, [and] were drawn away from the
city; and they began to smite of the people, [and] kill, as at other
times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and
the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel."
The liers in wait are a new addition to this battle from the
others. They drew the Benjamites away from the city to fight them in
the open field. The loss to the Israelites was 30 men.
Judges 20:32 "And the children of Benjamin said, They [are]
smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel
said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways."
When the Israelites began to retreat, the Benjamites followed
them further and further away from the city. The Benjamites did not
realize they were being drawn away from the city. They thought they
were winning the battle, as they had the two times before.
Judges 20:33 "And all the men of Israel rose up out of their
place, and put themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers in
wait of Israel came forth out of their places, [even] out of the
meadows of Gibeah."
Notice, also, that all of the tribes came against the Benjamites
this time, not just the men of one tribe as in the beginning. When the
Benjamites were far enough from the city, the liers in wait got up
behind them. Now, there were Israelites on both sides of the
Benjamites. One group was near the city.
Judges 20:34 "And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen
men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that
evil [was] near them."
These are the men who had been liers in wait. They were a select
group out of the larger army. They attacked Gibeah, while the
Benjamites were fighting the other Israelites. This is speaking of the
people of Gibeah being caught unaware.
Judges 20:35 "And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the
children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and
five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword."
It appears, that 25,100 of the fighters for the tribe of Benjamin
died this day in their battle against Israel. They started with
26,700 fighting men so this leaves just a remnant. Only 1,600 men
remain. Some of them could have died the first two days of battle.
Judges 20:36 "So the children of Benjamin saw that they were
smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because
they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah."
It seemed that, the great army of the Israelites allowed this
remnant to move away from the battle. They knew they could not safely
return to Gibeah, because of the liers in wait.
Judges 20:37 "And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon
Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew [themselves] along, and smote all
the city with the edge of the sword."
This tells of that 10,000 going through the city destroying those
who opposed them. It is not apparent whether this meant women and
children, or not. The word "all" would indicate that it did.
Judges 20:38 "Now there was an appointed sign between the men of
Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with
smoke rise up out of the city."
When the Israelites saw this smoke coming from the city, they
would know that the liers in wait had taken the city.
Judges 20:39 "And when the men of Israel retired in the battle,
Benjamin began to smite [and] kill of the men of Israel about thirty
persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as
[in] the first battle."
It appears, when the Israelites started to back up from the
Benjamites that remained, they thought they were winning and killed 30
Israelites.
Judges 20:40 "But when the flame began to arise up out of the
city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and,
behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven."
This handful of Benjamites suddenly realized they had lost the
battle, when they looked behind them and saw the city burning.
Judges 20:41 "And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of
Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them."
Judges 20:42 "Therefore they turned [their backs] before the men of
Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them;
and them which [came] out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of
them."
After the Benjamites killed the 30 Israelites, the Israelites
turned on them in attack. The Benjamites, knowing all was lost, turned
and ran to the woods. The Israelites followed them into the woods and
killed them.
Judges 20:43 "[Thus] they enclosed the Benjamites round about,
[and] chased them, [and] trode them down with ease over against Gibeah
toward the sunrising." Judges 20:44 "And there fell of Benjamin
eighteen thousand men; all these [were] men of valour." Judges 20:45
"And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of
Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men;
and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of
them." Judges 20:46 "So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were
twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these [were] men
of valour."
This is a description of where the different groups were killed
making up the 25,000 total that were killed. This is a slight
discrepancy from the 25,100 spoken of in verse 35.
Judges 20:47 "But six hundred men turned and fled to the
wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four
months."
This 600 added to the 25,100 would be 25,700. There were
originally 26,700. We do not know for sure what happened to this other
1,000. They could have been killed in the first two days of fighting,
or they could have been killed in Gebeah, or some of the other cities.
This could have been a hiding place for them. The 4 months passed to
give time for all of the soldiers to go home.
Judges 20:48 "And the men of Israel turned again upon the
children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as
well the men of [every] city, as the beast, and all that came to hand:
also they set on fire all the cities that they came to."
This is speaking of an almost annihilation of the tribe of
Benjamin. This is a ruthless act upon the part of the Israelites. The
Benjamites were there relatives. They burned their cities, and killed
their people.
Judges 22 Questions
1. Where was "Mizpeh" located?
2. All of the congregation called a special _________.
3. How many footmen, that drew sword, came for Israel?
4. Who relates what happened to the Israelite leaders?
5. What does the counsel try to get Benjamin to do, before they go to
war?
6. How many men were chosen to furnish food for the men of Israel?
7. Would the tribe of Benjamin turn over the killers to Israel?
8. What would have been the punishment for these men, that did this
terrible thing?
9. How many cities did Benjamin have?
10. How would the Israelites deal with the Benjamites?
11. How many men came to help Gibeah?
12. How many men did Gibeah have themselves?
13. How many lefthanded men, who could sling stones at a hair's
breadth, were there?
14. What does "Benjamin" mean?
15. How many men to fight did Israel have, after they sent part of
their men to furnish food for the rest?
16. Who was chosen to represent all Israel in this first battle?
17. How many men of Israel died in the first battle?
18. What did the children of Israel do, after they lost the battle the
first day?
19. What advice did the LORD give them?
20. What happened in the second battle?
21. Who went to the tabernacle, and fasted, and sacrificed, after the
second battle?
22. Who was the high priest at this time?
23. What answer did the LORD give them?
24. What did they do differently in this third battle?
25. How many Israelites were killed?
26. How many men lay in wait?
27. How many of Benjamin died that day?
28. How many had originally come to fight?
29. Who smote Gibeah?
30. What was the sign the Israelites had agreed upon?
31. When did the Benjamites realize they had lost the battle?
32. How many men fled to the rock Rimmon for safety?
33. This is speaking of an almost _____________ of the tribe of
Benjamin.
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