Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.
Then all
Judges 20:2,8,11 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, …
Judges 21:5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes …
Deuteronomy 13:12 If you shall hear say in one of your cities, which the LORD your …
Joshua 22:12 And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation …
as one man
1 Samuel 11:7,8 And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them …
2 Samuel 19:14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart …
Ezra 3:1 And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were …
Nehemiah 8:1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the …
from Dan
Judges 18:29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their …
1 Samuel 3:20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established …
2 Samuel 3:10 To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the …
2 Samuel 24:2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with …
1 Chronicles 21:2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number …
2 Chronicles 30:5 So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all …
with the
Numbers 32:1,40 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great …
Joshua 17:1 There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn …
2 Samuel 2:9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, …
unto the
Judges 20:18,26 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, …
Judges 11:11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made …
in Mizpeh
Judges 10:17 Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in …
Judges 11:11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made …
Joshua 15:38 And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel,
Joshua 18:26 And Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,
1 Samuel 7:5,6 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for …
1 Samuel 10:17 And Samuel called the people together to the LORD to Mizpeh;
2 Kings 25:23 And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard …
It does not appear that the Israelites on this occasion, were summoned by the authority of any one common head, but they came together by the consent and agreement, as it were, of one common heart, fired with a holy zeal for the honour of God and Israel. The place of their meeting was Mizpeh; they gathered together unto the Lord there; for Mizpeh was so very near to Shiloh. Shiloh was a small town, and therefore, when there was a general meeting of the people to present themselves before God, they chose Mizpeh for their head quarters, which was the next adjoining city of note; perhaps, because they were not willing to give that trouble to Shiloh, which so great an assembly would occasion; it being the residence of the priest that attended the tabernacles.
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.
(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?
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.
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.
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.
cut her
Judges 19:29 And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold …
folly in Israel
Judges 20:10 And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes …
Judges 19:23 And the man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said …
Genesis 34:7 And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and …
Joshua 7:15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall …
2 Samuel 13:12,13 And she answered him, No, my brother, do not force me; for no such …
Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.
ye are all
Exodus 19:5,6 Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, …
Deuteronomy 4:6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding …
Deuteronomy 14:1,2 You are the children of the LORD your God: you shall not cut yourselves, …
1 Corinthians 5:1,6,10-12 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and …
give here
Judges 19:30 And it was so, that all that saw it said…
Joshua 9:14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the …
Proverbs 20:18 Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
Proverbs 24:6 For by wise counsel you shall make your war: and in multitude of …
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all …
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.
But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;
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.
So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
knot together as one man [heb] fellows
And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?
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:
deliver
2 Samuel 20:21,22 The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of …
children of Belial
Judges 19:22 Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the …
Deuteronomy 13:13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, …
1 Samuel 30:22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that …
2 Samuel 20:1 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, …
2 Samuel 23:6 But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, …
1 Kings 21:13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: …
2 Chronicles 13:7 And there are gathered to him vain men, the children of Belial, and …
put away
Deuteronomy 17:7,12 The hands of the witnesses shall be first on him to put him to death, …
Deuteronomy 19:19 Then shall you do to him, as he had thought to have done to his brother: …
Deuteronomy 21:21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he …
Deuteronomy 22:21,24 Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's …
Deuteronomy 24:7 If a man be found stealing any of his brothers of the children of …
Ecclesiastes 11:10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your …
would not
1 Samuel 2:25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if …
2 Chronicles 25:16,20 And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said to …
Proverbs 29:1 He, that being often reproved hardens his neck, shall suddenly be …
Hosea 9:9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: …
Hosea 10:9 O Israel, you have sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood…
Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things …
Revelation 18:4,5 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my …
The conduct of the Israelites was very equitable in this demand; but perhaps the rulers or elders of Gibeah ought previously to have been applied to, to deliver up the criminals to justice. However, the refusal of the Benjamites, and their protection of those who had committed this horrible wickedness, because they were of their own tribe, prove them to have been deeply corrupted, and (all their advantages considered) as ripe for divine vengeance as the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah had been. Confiding in their own valour and military skill, they seen to have {first} prepared for battle in this unequal contest with such superior numbers.
But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
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.
Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.
left-handed `obstructed in his right hand;' so the Chaldee Targum, {gemid beedaih deyammeena;} `contracted or impeded in his right hand.' Le Clerc observes, that the
Judges 3:15 But when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised …
1 Chronicles 12:2 They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and …
sling stones
The sling was a very ancient warlike instrument; and, in the hands of those who were skilled in the use of it, produced astonishing effects. The inhabitants of the islands of Baleares, now Majorca and Minorca, were the most celebrated slingers of antiquity. They did not permit their children to break their fast, till they had struck down the bread they had to eat from the top of a pole, on some distant eminence. Vegetius tells us, that slingers could in general hit the mark at
1 Samuel 17:40,49,50 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones …
1 Samuel 25:29 Yet a man is risen to pursue you, and to seek your soul…
2 Chronicles 26:14 And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and …
And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
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.
house of
Judges 18:31 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the …
Judges 19:18 And he said to him, We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the …
Joshua 18:1 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together …
Joel 1:14 Sanctify you a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and …
asked
Judges 20:7,23,26,27 Behold, you are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel…
Judges 1:1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children …
Numbers 27:5,21 And Moses brought their cause before the LORD…
Joshua 9:14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the …
Judah
Judges 1:1,2 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children …
Genesis 49:8-10 Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise: your hand shall …
And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.
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.
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.
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.
(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.)
wept
Judges 20:26,27 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and …
Psalm 78:34-36 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired …
Hosea 5:15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offense, …
And the It seems most evident that the Israelites did not seek the protection of God. When they `went to the house of God,' ver
Judges 20:18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, …
And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.
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.
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.
all the children
Judges 20:18,23 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, …
sept
1 Samuel 7:6 And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured …
2 Chronicles 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed …
Ezra 8:21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might …
Ezra 9:4,5 Then were assembled to me every one that trembled at the words of …
Joel 1:14 Sanctify you a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and …
Joel 2:12-18 Therefore also now, said the LORD, turn you even to me with all your …
Jonah 3:5-10 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and …
And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
enquired
Judges 20:18,23 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, …
Numbers 27:21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel …
the ark
Joshua 18:1 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together …
1 Samuel 4:3,4 And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel …
Psalm 78:60,61 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed …
Jeremiah 7:12 But go you now to my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name …
The loss of two battles at length brought this stiff-necked people to enquire of the Lord; for all the company at this time met at Shiloh, and kept a day of fasting and prayer with great earnestness and solemnity. `Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.'
Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither …
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 It is evident, from this mention of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, that these transactions must have taken place not long after the death of Joshua.
Numbers 25:7-13 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, …
Joshua 22:13,30-32 And the children of Israel sent to the children of Reuben, and to …
Joshua 24:33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill …
stood
Deuteronomy 10:8 At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark …
Deuteronomy 18:5 For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand …
Shall I yet
Joshua 7:7 And Joshua said, Alas, O LORD God, why have you at all brought this …
1 Samuel 14:37 And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? …
1 Samuel 23:4-12 Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered …
1 Samuel 30:8 And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this …
2 Samuel 5:19-24 And David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? …
2 Samuel 6:3,7-12 And they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of …
Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding…
Jeremiah 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in …
Go up
Judges 1:2 And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the …
Judges 7:9 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said to him, Arise, …
2 Chronicles 20:17 You shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand …
And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.
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.
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.
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.
Let us flee This was done, not only because they had placed an ambuscade behind Gibeah, which was to enter and burn the city as soon as the Benjamites left it; but it would seem, that the slingers, by being within the city and its fortifications, had great advantage over the Israelite by their slings, when they could not come among them with their swords, unless they got them in the plain of the country.
Joshua 8:15,16 And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, …
And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.
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.
ten thousand
Judges 20:29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.
knew not
Joshua 8:14 And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hurried …
Job 21:13 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.
Proverbs 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
Proverbs 29:6 In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous …
Ecclesiastes 8:11,12 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore …
Ecclesiastes 9:12 For man also knows not his time: as the fishes that are taken in …
Isaiah 3:10,11 Say you to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they …
Isaiah 47:11 Therefore shall evil come on you; you shall not know from where it …
Matthew 24:44 Therefore be you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not …
Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged …
Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged …
1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction …
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.
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.
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.
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.
Now there From this verse to the end of the chapter, we have the details of the same operations which are mentioned, in a general way, in the preceding verses of this chapter.
sign. or, time.
and [heb] with
flame [heb] elevation
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.
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.
And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.
were amazed
Exodus 15:9,10 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the …
Isaiah 3:8,9 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue …
Isaiah 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness has surprised the hypocrites. …
Luke 17:27,28 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in …
Luke 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things …
1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction …
2 Peter 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, …
Revelation 6:15-17 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, …
Revelation 18:8-10 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, …
was come upon them [heb] touched them
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.
Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.
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.
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.
But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.
six hundred
Judges 21:13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of …
Psalm 103:9,10 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever…
Isaiah 1:9 Except the LORD of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we …
Jeremiah 14:7 O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do you it for your …
Lamentations 3:32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according …
Habakkuk 3:2 O LORD, I have heard your speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive …
rock of Rimmon The rock Rimmon was doubtless a strong place; but it is uncertain where situated. it is probable however, that it was near, and took its name from, the village of Remmon, mentioned by Eusebius, fifteen miles north from Jerusalem. It appears that rocks are still resorted to in the East, as places of security; and some of them are even capable of sustaining a siege. De La Roque says, that `The Grand Seignior, wishing to seize the person of the emir (Fakr-eddin, prince of the Druses,) gave orders to the pacha to take him prisoner: he accordingly came in search of him, with a new army, in the district of Chouf, which is part of mount Lebanon, wherein is the village of Gesin, and close to it, the rock which served for a retreat to the emir. It is name in Arabic, Magara Gesin, ie.e, the cavern of Gessin, by which name it is famous. The pacha pressed the emir so closely, that this unfortunate prince was obliged to shut himself up in the cleft of a great rock, with a small number of his officers. The pacha besieged him there several months; and was going to blow up the rock with a mine, when the emir capitulated.
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.
