201 And all the sons of Israel go out, and the company is assembled as one man, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, and the land of Gilead, unto Jehovah, at Mizpeh. 2 And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, station themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen drawing sword. 3 And the sons of Benjamin hear that the sons of Israel have gone up to Mizpeh. And the sons of Israel say, 'Speak ye, how hath this evil been?' 4 And the man, the Levite, husband of the woman who hath been murdered, answereth and saith, 'Into Gibeah (which 'is' to Benjamin) I have come, I and my concubine, to lodge; 5 and rise against me do the masters of Gibeah—and they go round the house against me by night—me they thought to slay, and my concubine they have humbled, and she dieth; 6 and I lay hold on my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and send her into all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have done wickedness and folly in Israel; 7 lo, ye 'are' all sons of Israel; give for you a word and counsel here.' 8 And all the people rise as one man, saying, 'None of us doth go to his tent, and none of us doth turn aside to his house; 9 and now, this 'is' the thing which we do to Gibeah—against it by lot! 10 and we have taken ten men of a hundred, of all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of a myriad, to receive provision for the people, to do, at their coming to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly which it hath done in Israel.' 11 And every man of Israel is gathered unto the city, as one man—companions.
12 And the tribes of Israel send men among all the tribes of Benjamin, saying, 'What 'is' this evil which hath been among you? 13 And now, give up the men—sons of worthlessness—which 'are' in Gibeah, and we put them to death, and we put away evil from Israel.' And 'the sons of' Benjamin have not been willing to hearken to the voice of their brethren, the sons of Israel; 14 and the sons of Benjamin are gathered out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle with the sons of Israel. 15 And the sons of Benjamin number themselves on that day; out of the cities 'are' twenty and six thousand men drawing sword, apart from the inhabitants of Gibeah, 'who' numbered themselves, seven hundred chosen men; 16 among all this people 'are' seven hundred chosen men, bound of their right hand, each of these slinging with a stone at the hair, and he doth not err. 17 And the men of Israel numbered themselves, apart from Benjamin, four hundred thousand men, drawing sword, each of these a man of war.
18 And they rise and go up to Beth-El, and ask of God, and the sons of Israel say, 'Who doth go up for us at the commencement to battle with the sons of Benjamin?' and Jehovah saith, 'Judah—at the commencement.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Judges 20:1-18
Chapter Contents
The tribe of Benjamin nearly extirpated.
The Israelites' abhorrence of the crime committed at Gibeah, and their resolution to punish the criminals, were right; but they formed their resolves with too much haste and self-confidence. The eternal ruin of souls will be worse, and more fearful, than these desolations of a tribe.