Judges 20 (NET)

Civil War Breaks Out

1 All the Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba1 and from the land of Gilead2 left their homes3 and assembled together4 before the Lord at Mizpah. 2 The leaders5 of all the people from all the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, which numbered6 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,7 the husband of the murdered woman, spoke up, “I and my concubine stopped in8 Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin9 to spend the night. 5 The leaders of Gibeah attacked me and at night surrounded the house where I was staying.10 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 pieces11 throughout the territory occupied by Israel,12 because they committed such an unthinkable atrocity13 in Israel. 7 All you Israelites,14 make a decision here!”15

8 All Israel rose up in unison16 and said, “Not one of us will go home!17 Not one of us will return18 to his house! 9 Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will attack the city as the lot dictates.19 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.20 When they arrive in Gibeah of Benjamin they will punish them for the atrocity which they committed in Israel.”21 11 So all the men of Israel gathered together at the city as allies.22

12 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe23 of Benjamin, saying, “How could such a wicked thing take place?24 13 Now, hand over the good-for-nothings25 in Gibeah so we can execute them and purge Israel of wickedness.”26 But the Benjaminites refused to listen to their Israelite brothers. 14 The Benjaminites came from their cities and assembled at Gibeah27 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.28 16 Among this army29 were seven hundred specially-trained left-handed soldiers.30 Each one could sling a stone and hit even the smallest target.31 17 The men of Israel (not counting Benjamin) had mustered four hundred thousand sword-wielding soldiers, every one an experienced warrior.32

18 The Israelites went up to Bethel33 and asked God,34 “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?”35 The Lord said, “Judah should lead.” 19 The Israelites got up the next morning and moved36 against Gibeah. 20 The men of Israel marched out to fight Benjamin; they37 arranged their battle lines against Gibeah. 21 The Benjaminites attacked from Gibeah and struck down twenty-two thousand Israelites that day.38

22 The Israelite army39 took heart40 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 we41 again march out to fight42 the Benjaminites, our brothers?”43 The Lord said, “Attack them!”44 24 So the Israelites marched toward45 the Benjaminites the next day. 25 The Benjaminites again attacked them from Gibeah and struck down eighteen thousand sword-wielding Israelite soldiers.46

26 So all the Israelites, the whole army,47 went up to48 Bethel.49 They wept and sat there before the Lord; they did not eat anything50 that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace51 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 Lord52 in those days), “Should we53 once more march out to fight the Benjaminites our brothers,54 or should we55 quit?” The Lord said, “Attack, for tomorrow I will hand them56 over to you.”

29 So Israel hid men in ambush outside Gibeah. 30 The Israelites attacked the Benjaminites the next day;57 they took their positions against Gibeah just as they had done before. 31 The Benjaminites attacked58 the army, leaving the city unguarded.59 They began to strike down their enemy60 just as they had done before. On the main roads (one leads to Bethel,61 the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down62 about thirty Israelites. 32 Then the Benjaminites said, “They are defeated just as before.” But the Israelites said, “Let’s retreat63 and lure them64 away from the city into the main roads.” 33 65 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.66 But the Benjaminites did not realize that disaster was at their doorstep.67 35 The Lord annihilated Benjamin before Israel; the Israelites struck down that day 25,100 sword-wielding Benjaminites.68 36 Then the Benjaminites saw they were defeated.

The Israelites retreated before69 Benjamin, because they had confidence in the men they had hid in ambush outside Gibeah. 37 The men hiding in ambush made a mad dash70 to Gibeah. They71 attacked72 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 ambush73 sent up a smoke signal from the city, 39 the Israelites counterattacked.74 Benjamin had begun to strike down the Israelites;75 they struck down76 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.77 41 When the Israelites turned around, the Benjaminites panicked78 because they could see that disaster was on their doorstep.79 42 They retreated before the Israelites, taking the road to the wilderness. But the battle overtook80 them as men from the surrounding cities struck them down.81 43 They surrounded the Benjaminites, chased them from Nohah,82 and annihilated83 them all the way to a spot east of Geba.84 44 Eighteen thousand Benjaminites, all of them capable warriors, fell dead. 45 The rest85 turned and ran toward the wilderness, heading toward the cliff of Rimmon. But the Israelites86 caught87 five thousand of them on the main roads. They stayed right on their heels88 all the way to Gidom and struck down two thousand more. 46 That day twenty-five thousand89 sword-wielding Benjaminites fell in battle, all of them capable warriors.90 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 towns91 and put the sword to them. They wiped out the cities,92 the animals, and everything they could find. They set fire to every city in their path.93

120:1sn 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. 220:1sn The land of Gilead was on the eastern side of the Jordan River. 320:1tn Heb “went out.” 420:1tn Heb “and the assembly was convened as one man.” 520:2tn 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. 620:2tn The words “which numbered” are supplied in the translation for clarification. 720:4tn Heb “The man, the Levite.” 820:4tn Heb “came to.” 920:4tn Heb “which belongs to Benjamin.” 1020:5tn Heb “arose against me and surrounded against me the house at night.” 1120:6tn Heb “her”; the referent is more naturally stated in English as “the pieces.” 1220:6tn Heb “throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel.” 1320:6tn Heb “a wicked and disgraceful [thing].” 1420:7tn Heb “Look, all of you sons of Israel.” 1520:7tn Heb “give for yourselves a word and advice here.” 1620:8tn Heb “as one man.” 1720:8tn Heb “to his tent.” 1820:8tn Or “turn aside.” 1920:9tn 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). 2020:10tn Or “people.” 2120:10tn 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.” 2220:11tn Heb “gathered at the city as one man, united.” 2320:12tc The MT reads the plural, but surely the singular (which is supported by the LXX and Vulgate) is preferable here. 2420:12tn Heb “What is this wicked thing which happened among you?” 2520:13tn Heb “the men, sons of wickedness.” 2620:13tn Heb “and burn away wickedness from Israel.” 2720:14tn Heb “assembled from the cities at Gibeah.” 2820:15tn Heb “besides from the ones living in Gibeah they mustered seven hundred choice men.” 2920:16tn Heb “And from all this people.” 3020:16tn 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. 3120:16tn “at a single hair and not miss.” 3220:17tn Heb “a man of war.” 3320:18map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3. 3420:18tn Heb “They arose and went up to Bethel and asked God, and the Israelites said.” 3520:18tn Heb “Who should go up for us first for battle against the sons of Benjamin?” 3620:19tn Heb “encamped.” 3720:20tn Heb “the men of Israel.” The noun phrase has been replaced by the pronoun (“they”) in the translation for stylistic reasons. 3820:21tn Heb “The sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and they struck down in Israel that day twenty-two thousand men to the ground.” 3920:22tn Heb “The people, the men of Israel.” 4020:22tn Or “encouraged one another.” 4120:23tn Heb “I” (collective singular). 4220:23tn Heb “approach for battle.” 4320:23tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular). 4420:23tn Heb “Go up against him” (collective singular). 4520:24tn Heb “drew near to.” 4620:25tn 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.” 4720:26tn Heb “and all the people.” 4820:26tn Heb “went up and came [to].” 4920:26map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3. 5020:26tn Traditionally, “fasted.” 5120:26tn Or “peace offerings.” 5220:28tn Heb “standing before him.” 5320:28tn Heb “I” (collective singular). 5420:28tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular). 5520:28tn Heb “I” (collective singular). 5620:28tn Heb “him” (collective singular). 5720:30tn Heb “the third day.” 5820:31tn Heb “went out to meet.” 5920:31tn Heb “and they were drawn away from the city.” 6020:31tn Heb “from the army wounded ones.” 6120:31map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3. 6220:31tn The words “they struck down” are supplied in the translation for clarification. 6320:32tn Or “run away.” 6420:32tn Heb “him” (collective singular). 6520:33sn 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. 6620:34tn Heb “heavy”; or “severe.” 6720:34tn Heb “And they did not know that touching against them was disaster.” 6820:35tn Heb “And the sons of Israel struck down in Benjamin that day 25,100 men, all of these wielding the sword.” 6920:36tn Heb “gave place to.” 7020:37tn Heb “hurried and put off [their hiding place].” 7120:37tn Heb “the men hiding in ambush.” 7220:37tn Or “deployed.” The verb normally means “to lead” or “to draw.” 7320:38tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men hiding in ambush) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 7420:39tn Heb “turned in the battle.” 7520:39tn Heb “And Benjamin began to strike down wounded ones among the men of Israel.” 7620:39tn The words “they struck down” are supplied in the translation for clarification. 7720:40tn Heb “Benjamin turned after him and, look, the whole city went up toward the sky.” 7820:41tn Or “were terrified.” 7920:41tn Heb “disaster touched against them.” 8020:42tn Heb “clung to”; or “stuck close.” 8120:42tn Heb “and those from the cities were striking them down in their midst.” 8220:43tc The translation assumes the reading מִנּוֹחָה (minnokhah, “from Nohah”; cf. 1 Chr 8:2) rather than the MT’s מְנוּחָה (mÿnukhah, “resting place”). 8320:43tn Heb “tread down, walk on.” 8420:43tn 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.” 8520:45tn Heb “they”; the referent (the rest [of the Benjaminites]) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 8620:45tn Heb “and they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 8720:45tn Heb “gleaned.” The word is an agricultural term which pictures Israelites picking off the Benjaminites as easily as one picks grapes from the vine. 8820:45tn Heb “stuck close after them.” 8920:46sn 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. 9020:46tn 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. 9120:48tn Heb “to the sons of Benjamin.” 9220:48tc 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). 9320:48tn Heb “Also all the cities that were found they set on fire.”