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THE WAR WITH BENJAMIN.

JUD. XX.

1. Then all the children of Israel | of Israel, and a hundred of a thouwent out, and the congregation was sand, and a thousand out of ten gathered together as one man, from thousand, to fetch victual for the Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the people, that they may do, when land of Gilead, unto the Lord in they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, Mizpeh. according to all the folly that they have wrougt in Israel.

2. And the chief of all the peo ple, even of all the tribes in Israel, 11. So all the men of Israel were presented themselves in the assem- gathered against the city, knit tobly of the people of God, four hun-gether as one man. dred thousand footmen that drew sword.

3. (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the childred of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?

4. 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:

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.

8. 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:

9. But now, this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah, we will go up by lot against it:

10. And we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes

12. And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?

13. 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;

14. But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

15. And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time, out of the cities, twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

16. Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed; every one could sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss.

17. And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of

war.

18. 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.

19. And the children of Israel rose up, in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.

20. And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin: and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them in Gibeah.

21. And the children of Benja min came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground, of the Israelites that day, twenty and two thousand men.

set their battle again in array, in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

23. (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.)

24. And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

25. And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground, of the children of Israel 22. And the people, the men of again, eighteen thousand men; all Israel encouraged themselves, and, these drew the sword.

The congregation -the National Assembly-came together as one man from Dan on the north, to Beersheba on the south; and from Gilead east of the Jordan. Gilead being the largest district east of the Jordan, is sometimes spoken of, as if it included the whole country that side of the river. The Mizpeh at which they assembled may have been the one in Judah, about twenty miles south of Jerusalem; or the one in Benjamin near Jerusalem.

The large number of the men may seem incredible; but it was far below the number that came out of Egypt. The occasion was one that would bring together a great multitude. Besides, the figures are properly proportioned. The number of men furnished by all the tribes but one, is about in proportion to the number furnished by that one. The single tribe has a little larger number in proportion, as it naturally would. The numbers of the slain are in proportion to the number of combatants on both sides; and this goes to confirm the accuracy of the figures.

The Levite is requested to tell the story of the outrage, which he does, according to the facts, only omitting the

circumstance, that he took the woman and gave her to the mob.

The proposition to set apart a portion of the army, to provide the necessaries for the remainder, was very ju dicious, as that would allow the rest to enter the battle field at once. This is the first Commissary Department we read of in history. It is the universal practice of modern times.

The demand made upon the Benjamites, to deliver up the guilty men, was reasonable; and if it had been complied with, the bloody scenes that followed would have been prevented. But having taken one false step, they follow it with another, and even with a much worse one. They are now as guilty as the first offenders, and are punished accordingly

They gathered at Gibeah, because that city was the principal offender. Both armies would be likely to meet at the same place—one to punish Gibeah, and the other to defend it.

The Benjamites had a small army, compared with the other tribes; but it was understood, then as now, that victory does not always go with the multitude.

They asked counsel of the Lord, as to who should go up first against the children of Benjamin. They should have preceded this question with one, asking whether they should go up against them at all. Judah was to head the expedition; both because that was the principal tribe; and because the offense was committed against a citizen of Judah.

The seven hundred chosen men, who could use the sling with the left hand, could sling stones at a hair and not miss. The word breadth, supplied by the translators, injures the sense. These men were not left-handed, as we use the expression; but they used both hands equally well.

The house of God. The tabernacle may have been at Shiloh, or it may have been brought nearer for this occasion. If it were at Shiloh, we need not suppose all

the people went there, to weep and ask counsel of God, but the congregation or assembly only. The Septuagint has the word Bethel, which means house of God. So has Josephus. But the connection shows that our version is correct. They went to seek counsel of Jehovah. And of course they went where such counsel could be obtained, namely, at the tabernacle in Shiloh.

The defeat of the army, the first two days, was a punishment for neglecting to consult the divine oracle, before they engaged in this fatal enterprise.

26. 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 peaceofferings before the Lord.

27. And the children of Israel inquired of the Lord, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days;

min 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.

33. And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-tamar; and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.

28. And Phinehas, the son of 34. And there came against GibEleazar, the son of Aaron, stood be-eah ten thousand chosen men out of fore it in those days,) saying, Shall all Israel, and the battle was sore: I yet again go out to battle against but they knew not that evil was the children of Benjamin my broth- near them. er, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.

29. And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

30. 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.

31. 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.

32. And the children of Benja.

35. And the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred men: all these drew the sword.

36. 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.

37. 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.

38. Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should

niake a great flame with smoke rise ease, over against Gibeah toward up out of the city. the sun rising.

39. 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.

40. 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.

41. And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.

42. 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.

43. Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with

44. And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men: and these were men of valor.

45. And they turned, and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men ; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, andslew two thousand men of them.

46. So that all which fell that

day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valor.

47. But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.

48. 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.

In the 26th verse we have house of God; and the Septuagint has Bethel. The same comment is required here as on verse 18th. Evidently the place was where the tabernacle was located.

The reference to Phinehas determines the time when this war took place.

Concerning Burnt Offerings and Peace Offerings, let the reader consult Vol. III.

Being informed that they should be successful did not lessen the exertions of the men of Israel, but increased them. The confidence of success may have secured the success. The want of this confidence may have been the cause of the previous disasters. Doubtless Jehovah did as much for them before as now; but they did not do as much for themselves. They must have felt that they

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