25 And Benjamin H1144 went forth H3318 against H7125 them out of Gibeah H1390 the second H8145 day, H3117 and destroyed down H7843 to the ground H776 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 again eighteen H8083 H6240 thousand H505 men; H376 all these drew H8025 the sword. H2719
And the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 came forth H3318 out of Gibeah, H1390 and destroyed down H7843 to the ground H776 of the Israelites H3478 that day H3117 twenty H6242 and two H8147 thousand H505 men. H376
That be far H2486 from thee to do H6213 after this manner, H1697 to slay H4191 the righteous H6662 with the wicked: H7563 and that the righteous H6662 should be as the wicked, H7563 that be far H2486 from thee: Shall not the Judge H8199 of all the earth H776 do H6213 right? H4941
Clouds H6051 and darkness H6205 are round about H5439 him: righteousness H6664 and judgment H4941 are the habitation H4349 of his throne. H3678
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Judges 20
Commentary on Judges 20 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 20
Into the book of the wars of the Lord the story of this chapter must be brought, but it looks as sad and uncomfortable as any article in all that history; for there is nothing in it that looks in the least bright or pleasant but the pious zeal of Israel against the wickedness of the men of Gibeah, which made it on their side a just and holy war; but otherwise the obstinacy of the Benjamites in protecting their criminals, which was the foundation of the war, the vast loss which the Israelites sustained in carrying on the war, and (though the righteous cause was victorious at last) the issuing of the war in the almost utter extirpation of the tribe of Benjamin, make it, from first to last, melancholy. And yet this happened soon after the glorious settlement of Israel in the land of promise, upon which one would have expected every thing to be prosperous and serene. In this chapter we have,
Jdg 20:1-11
Here is,
Jdg 20:12-17
Here is,
Jdg 20:18-25
We have here the defeat of the men of Israel in their first and second battle with the Benjamites.
Jdg 20:26-48
We have here a full account of the complete victory which the Israelites obtained over the Benjamites in the third engagement: the righteous cause was victorious at last, when the managers of it amended what had been amiss; for, when a good cause suffers, it is for want of good management. Observe then how the victory was obtained, and how it was pursued.