Judges 20
20
Civil War Breaks Out
1 All the Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba#sn Dan was located in the far north of the country, while Beer Sheba was located in the far south. This encompassed all the territory of the land of Canaan occupied by the Israelites. and from the land of Gilead#sn The land of Gilead was on the eastern side of the Jordan River. left their homes#tn Heb “went out.” and assembled together#tn Heb “and the assembly was convened as one man.” before the Lord at Mizpah. 2 The leaders#tn Heb “the cornerstones”; or “the supports.” The word is used of leaders in only three other texts – 1 Sam 14:38; Isa 19:13; Zech 10:4. of all the people from all the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, which numbered#tn The words “which numbered” are supplied in the translation for clarification. four hundred thousand sword-wielding foot soldiers. 3 The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. Then the Israelites said, “Explain how this wicked thing happened!” 4 The Levite,#tn Heb “The man, the Levite.” the husband of the murdered woman, spoke up, “I and my concubine stopped in#tn Heb “came to.” Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin#tn Heb “which belongs to Benjamin.” to spend the night. 5 The leaders of Gibeah attacked me and at night surrounded the house where I was staying.#tn Heb “arose against me and surrounded against me the house at night.” They wanted to kill me; instead they abused my concubine so badly that she died. 6 I grabbed hold of my concubine and carved her up and sent the pieces#tn Heb “her”; the referent is more naturally stated in English as “the pieces.” throughout the territory occupied by Israel,#tn Heb “throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel.” because they committed such an unthinkable atrocity#tn Heb “a wicked and disgraceful [thing].” in Israel. 7 All you Israelites,#tn Heb “Look, all of you sons of Israel.” make a decision here!”#tn Heb “give for yourselves a word and advice here.”
8 All Israel rose up in unison#tn Heb “as one man.” and said, “Not one of us will go home!#tn Heb “to his tent.” Not one of us will return#tn Or “turn aside.” to his house! 9 Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will attack the city as the lot dictates.#tn Heb “against her by lot.” The verb “we will go up” (נַעֲלֶה, na’aleh) has probably been accidentally omitted before “against her” (עָלֶיהָ, ’aleha).sn As the lot dictates. The Israelite soldiers intended to cast lots to determine which tribe would lead the battle charge (see v. 18). 10 We will take ten of every group of a hundred men from all the tribes of Israel (and a hundred of every group of a thousand, and a thousand of every group of ten thousand) to get supplies for the army.#tn Or “people.” When they arrive in Gibeah of Benjamin they will punish them for the atrocity which they committed in Israel.”#tn Heb “to do at their arrival in Geba of Benjamin according to all the disgraceful [thing] which he [collective = “Benjamin”] did in Israel.” Here “Geba” must be an error for “Gibeah.” 11 So all the men of Israel gathered together at the city as allies.#tn Heb “gathered at the city as one man, united.”
12 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe#tc The MT reads the plural, but surely the singular (which is supported by the LXX and Vulgate) is preferable here. of Benjamin, saying, “How could such a wicked thing take place?#tn Heb “What is this wicked thing which happened among you?” 13 Now, hand over the good-for-nothings#tn Heb “the men, sons of wickedness.” in Gibeah so we can execute them and purge Israel of wickedness.”#tn Heb “and burn away wickedness from Israel.” But the Benjaminites refused to listen to their Israelite brothers. 14 The Benjaminites came from their cities and assembled at Gibeah#tn Heb “assembled from the cities at Gibeah.” to make war against the Israelites. 15 That day the Benjaminites mustered from their cities twenty-six thousand sword-wielding soldiers, besides seven hundred well-trained soldiers from Gibeah.#tn Heb “besides from the ones living in Gibeah they mustered seven hundred choice men.” 16 Among this army#tn Heb “And from all this people.” were seven hundred specially-trained left-handed soldiers.#tn Heb “seven hundred choice men, bound/restricted in the right hand.” On the significance of the idiom, “bound/restricted in the right hand,” see the translator’s note on 3:15. Each one could sling a stone and hit even the smallest target.#tn “at a single hair and not miss.” 17 The men of Israel (not counting Benjamin) had mustered four hundred thousand sword-wielding soldiers, every one an experienced warrior.#tn Heb “a man of war.”
18 The Israelites went up to Bethel#map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3. and asked God,#tn Heb “They arose and went up to Bethel and asked God, and the Israelites said.” “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?”#tn Heb “Who should go up for us first for battle against the sons of Benjamin?” The Lord said, “Judah should lead.” 19 The Israelites got up the next morning and moved#tn Heb “encamped.” against Gibeah. 20 The men of Israel marched out to fight Benjamin; they#tn Heb “the men of Israel.” The noun phrase has been replaced by the pronoun (“they”) in the translation for stylistic reasons. arranged their battle lines against Gibeah. 21 The Benjaminites attacked from Gibeah and struck down twenty-two thousand Israelites that day.#tn Heb “The sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and they struck down in Israel that day twenty-two thousand men to the ground.”
22 The Israelite army#tn Heb “The people, the men of Israel.” took heart#tn Or “encouraged one another.” and once more arranged their battle lines, in the same place where they had taken their positions the day before. 23 The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we#tn Heb “I” (collective singular). again march out to fight#tn Heb “approach for battle.” the Benjaminites, our brothers?”#tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular). The Lord said, “Attack them!”#tn Heb “Go up against him” (collective singular). 24 So the Israelites marched toward#tn Heb “drew near to.” the Benjaminites the next day. 25 The Benjaminites again attacked them from Gibeah and struck down eighteen thousand sword-wielding Israelite soldiers.#tn Heb “And Benjamin went out to meet them from Gibeah the second day, and they struck down among the sons of Israel eighteen thousand men to the ground, all of these were wielding the sword.”
26 So all the Israelites, the whole army,#tn Heb “and all the people.” went up to#tn Heb “went up and came [to].” Bethel.#map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3. They wept and sat there before the Lord; they did not eat anything#tn Traditionally, “fasted.” that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace#tn Or “peace offerings.” to the Lord. 27 The Israelites asked the Lord (for the ark of God’s covenant was there in those days; 28 Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving the Lord#tn Heb “standing before him.” in those days), “Should we#tn Heb “I” (collective singular). once more march out to fight the Benjaminites our brothers,#tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular). or should we#tn Heb “I” (collective singular). quit?” The Lord said, “Attack, for tomorrow I will hand them#tn Heb “him” (collective singular). over to you.”
29 So Israel hid men in ambush outside Gibeah. 30 The Israelites attacked the Benjaminites the next day;#tn Heb “the third day.” they took their positions against Gibeah just as they had done before. 31 The Benjaminites attacked#tn Heb “went out to meet.” the army, leaving the city unguarded.#tn Heb “and they were drawn away from the city.” They began to strike down their enemy#tn Heb “from the army wounded ones.” just as they had done before. On the main roads (one leads to Bethel,#map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3. the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down#tn The words “they struck down” are supplied in the translation for clarification. about thirty Israelites. 32 Then the Benjaminites said, “They are defeated just as before.” But the Israelites said, “Let’s retreat#tn Or “run away.” and lure them#tn Heb “him” (collective singular). away from the city into the main roads.” 33#sn Verses 33-36a give a condensed account of the battle from this point on, while vv. 36b-48 offer a more detailed version of how the ambush contributed to Gibeah’s defeat. All the men of Israel got up from their places and took their positions at Baal Tamar, while the Israelites hiding in ambush jumped out of their places west of Gibeah. 34 Ten thousand men, well-trained soldiers from all Israel, then made a frontal assault against Gibeah – the battle was fierce.#tn Heb “heavy”; or “severe.” But the Benjaminites did not realize that disaster was at their doorstep.#tn Heb “And they did not know that touching against them was disaster.” 35 The Lord annihilated Benjamin before Israel; the Israelites struck down that day 25,100 sword-wielding Benjaminites.#tn Heb “And the sons of Israel struck down in Benjamin that day 25,100 men, all of these wielding the sword.” 36 Then the Benjaminites saw they were defeated.
The Israelites retreated before#tn Heb “gave place to.” Benjamin, because they had confidence in the men they had hid in ambush outside Gibeah. 37 The men hiding in ambush made a mad dash#tn Heb “hurried and put off [their hiding place].” to Gibeah. They#tn Heb “the men hiding in ambush.” attacked#tn Or “deployed.” The verb normally means “to lead” or “to draw.” and put the sword to the entire city. 38 The Israelites and the men hiding in ambush had arranged a signal. When the men hiding in ambush#tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men hiding in ambush) has been specified in the translation for clarity. sent up a smoke signal from the city, 39 the Israelites counterattacked.#tn Heb “turned in the battle.” Benjamin had begun to strike down the Israelites;#tn Heb “And Benjamin began to strike down wounded ones among the men of Israel.” they struck down#tn The words “they struck down” are supplied in the translation for clarification. about thirty men. They said, “There’s no doubt about it! They are totally defeated as in the earlier battle.” 40 But when the signal, a pillar of smoke, began to rise up from the city, the Benjaminites turned around and saw the whole city going up in a cloud of smoke that rose high into the sky.#tn Heb “Benjamin turned after him and, look, the whole city went up toward the sky.” 41 When the Israelites turned around, the Benjaminites panicked#tn Or “were terrified.” because they could see that disaster was on their doorstep.#tn Heb “disaster touched against them.” 42 They retreated before the Israelites, taking the road to the wilderness. But the battle overtook#tn Heb “clung to”; or “stuck close.” them as men from the surrounding cities struck them down.#tn Heb “and those from the cities were striking them down in their midst.” 43 They surrounded the Benjaminites, chased them from Nohah,#tc The translation assumes the reading מִנּוֹחָה (minnokhah, “from Nohah”; cf. 1 Chr 8:2) rather than the MT’s מְנוּחָה (mÿnukhah, “resting place”). and annihilated#tn Heb “tread down, walk on.” them all the way to a spot east of Geba.#tn Heb “unto the opposite of Gibeah toward the east.” Gibeah cannot be correct here, since the Benjaminites retreated from there toward the desert and Rimmon (see v. 45). A slight emendation yields the reading “Geba.” 44 Eighteen thousand Benjaminites, all of them capable warriors, fell dead. 45 The rest#tn Heb “they”; the referent (the rest [of the Benjaminites]) has been specified in the translation for clarity. turned and ran toward the wilderness, heading toward the cliff of Rimmon. But the Israelites#tn Heb “and they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity. caught#tn Heb “gleaned.” The word is an agricultural term which pictures Israelites picking off the Benjaminites as easily as one picks grapes from the vine. five thousand of them on the main roads. They stayed right on their heels#tn Heb “stuck close after them.” all the way to Gidom and struck down two thousand more. 46 That day twenty-five thousand#sn The number given here (twenty-five thousand sword-wielding Benjaminites) is an approximate figure; v. 35 gives the more exact number (25,100). According to v. 15, the Benjaminite army numbered 26,700 (26,000 + 700). The figures in vv. 35 (rounded in vv. 44-46) and 47 add up to 25,700. What happened to the other 1,000 men? The most reasonable explanation is that they were killed during the first two days of fighting. G. F. Moore (Judges [ICC], 429) and C. F. Burney (Judges, 475) reject this proposal, arguing that the narrator is too precise and concerned about details to omit such a fact. However, the account of the first two days’ fighting emphasizes Israel’s humiliating defeat. To speak of Benjaminite casualties would diminish the literary effect. In vv. 35, 44-47 the narrator’s emphasis is the devastating defeat that Benjamin experienced on this final day of battle. To mention the earlier days’ casualties at this point is irrelevant to his literary purpose. He allows readers who happen to be concerned with such details to draw conclusions for themselves. sword-wielding Benjaminites fell in battle, all of them capable warriors.#tn Heb “So all the ones who fell from Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men, wielding the sword, in that day, all of these men of strength. 47 Six hundred survivors turned and ran away to the wilderness, to the cliff of Rimmon. They stayed there four months. 48 The Israelites returned to the Benjaminite towns#tn Heb “to the sons of Benjamin.” and put the sword to them. They wiped out the cities,#tc The translation is based on the reading מֵעִיר מְתִים (me’ir mÿtim, “from a city of men,” i.e., “an inhabited city”), rather than the reading מֵעִיר מְתֹם (me’ir mÿtom, “from a city of soundness”) found in the Leningrad Codex (L). the animals, and everything they could find. They set fire to every city in their path.#tn Heb “Also all the cities that were found they set on fire.”
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Judges 20
20
The Punishment of Benjamin
1All the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” went out, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and they gathered as one body#Hebrew “man” to Yahweh at Mizpah. 2And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand sword-bearing infantry. 3(The descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin heard that the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” had gone up to Mizpah.) And the Israelites#Literally “sons of Israel” or “children of “Israel” said, “Tell us, how did this evil act occur?” 4The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered and said, “I came to Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. 5The lords of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night. They intended to kill me, and they raped my concubine, and she died. 6Then I grabbed my concubine and cut her into pieces, and I sent her throughout all the territory of Israel’s inheritance; for they committed a shameful and disgraceful thing in Israel. 7Look, all you Israelites!#Literally “sons/children of Israel” Make your decision#Literally “give your word” and advice here.”
8All the people got up as one body,#Hebrew “man” saying, “Not one of us will go to his tent, or will any of us return to his house. 9So then, this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against her by lot. 10We will take ten men of one hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred of one thousand, and one thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions to the troops, to repay them when they come to Gibeah#Hebrew “Geba” of Benjamin for all the disgraceful things#Hebrew “thing” they did in Israel.” 11And all the men of Israel were gathered to the city as one body#Hebrew “man” united.
12Then the tribes of Israel sent men throughout all the tribes of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that happened among you? 13So then, hand over the men, the perverse lot,#Literally “sons of uselessness” who are in Gibeah, so that we may kill them and purge this wickedness from Israel.” But the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin were not willing to listen to the voice of their relatives,#Or “brothers” the Israelites.#Literally “sons/children of Israel” 14And the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin were gathered from the cities to Gibeah to go out for battle against the Israelites.#Literally “sons/children of Israel” 15From the cities the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin were counted on that day twenty-six thousand sword-wielding men,#Literally “men drawing sword” besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were counted seven hundred well-trained#Or “chosen” men. 16From all these troops were seven hundred well-trained#Or “choice/chosen” men who were left-handed;#Literally “bound by his right hand” each one could sling with a stone at a hair and not miss. 17And the men of Israel besides Benjamin were counted four hundred thousand sword-wielding men;#Literally “men drawing sword” all were warriors.#Literally “all were men of war”
18Then the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” got up and went up to Bethel, and they inquired of God, saying, “Who will go up first for the battle against the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin?” And Yahweh said, “Judah will go first.” 19And the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” got up in the morning, and they encamped against Gibeah. 20Then the men of Israel marched out for the battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel took up positions against them for battle at Gibeah. 21The descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin went out from Gibeah, and they struck down on that day twenty-two thousand men of Israel to the ground. 22But the troops, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves,#Literally “took heart” and again they arranged their battle lines in the place where they had arranged themselves the first day. 23The Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” went up and wept before Yahweh until evening and inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Should we again draw near from the battle against the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin, our relatives?”#Hebrew “my brother” And Yahweh said, “Go up against them.”#Hebrew “him”
24And the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” drew near to the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin on the second day. 25And Benjamin went out from Gibeah to meet them on the second day, and they struck down the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” again, eighteen thousand men to the ground; all of these were sword-wielding.#Literally “drawers of sword” 26And all the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” and all the troops went up and came to Bethel and wept; and they sat there before Yahweh and fasted on that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before Yahweh. 27And the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” inquired of Yahweh (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, 28and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was standing before it#Literally “before presence of it/him” to minister in those days), saying, “Should we go out once more to battle against the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin our relatives,#Hebrew “my brother” or should we stop?” And Yahweh said, “Go up tomorrow; I will give them#Hebrew “him” into your hand.”
29So Israel stationed an ambush all around Gibeah. 30And the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” went up against the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin on the third day, and they took up positions against Gibeah as before. 31The descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin went out to meet the troops, and they lured them away from the city and began to inflict casualties on the troops as before, on the main road, one of which goes up to Bethel, the other to Gibeah; and in the field there were about thirty men of Israel. 32And the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin thought,#Or “said” “They are being defeated before us as previously,”#Literally “on the first” and the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” said, “Let us flee and lure them#Hebrew “him” away from the city to the main roads.” 33And all the men of Israel got up from their places#Hebrew “place” and took up positions in Baal Tamar; and the ambush of Israel charged from their places,#Hebrew “place” from the vicinity of Gibeah.#Hebrew “Geba” 34Then ten thousand well-trained#Or “choice/chosen” men from all Israel came out against Gibeah, and the battle became fierce;#Or “the battle became heavy” they did not know that disaster was about to close in#Literally “touching” on them. 35And Yahweh defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” destroyed on that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men of Benjamin, all of them sword-wielding.#Literally “drawing sword”
36The descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin saw that they were defeated, and the men of Israel gave ground#Or “a place” or “space” to Benjamin because they trusted the ambush that they had set against Gibeah. 37And the ambush came quickly and advanced against Gibeah, and it put the whole city to the sword.#Literally “struck the whole city with the mouth of the sword” 38Now the appointed time for the men of Israel with the ambush was that they sent up for them a great amount of smoke from the city. 39And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to inflict casualties on about thirty men of Israel because they thought,#Or “said” “They will be completely defeated before us as in the first battle.” 40And the cloud of smoke began to go up from the city in a column of smoke, and Benjamin turned backward, and behold, the whole city was going up in smoke!#Literally “to heaven” 41And the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed because they saw that disaster was closing in#Literally “touching” on them. 42And they retreated from before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness, but the battle caught up to them, and those who came from the cities#Other ancient translations “city” destroyed them in the midst of them. 43They surrounded Benjamin; they pursued them#Hebrew “him” without rest#Or “at Nohah,” a location and trod them#Hebrew “him” down opposite Gibeah to the east. 44And eighteen thousand men from Benjamin fell, all of them able men.#Literally “men of strength” 45And they turned and fled toward the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, but they cut down on the main roads five thousand men; and they pursued after them up to Gidom, and they struck down two thousand men. 46So all of Benjamin who fell on that day were twenty-five thousand sword-wielding men;#Literally “men drawing sword” all of these were able men.#Literally “men of strength” 47But six hundred turned and fled toward the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon for four months. 48And the men of Israel returned to the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin, and they put them to the edge of the sword,#Literally the mouth of the sword” both the inhabitants of city and the animals that were found; they also set on fire all the cities that they found.
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