J
U D G E S
CHAP. XX.
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, I. The Levite's cause heard in a general convention of the
tribes, ver. 1-7. II. A unanimous resolve to avenge his quarrel upon the men
of Gibeah, ver. 8-11. III. The Benjamites appearing in defence of the
criminals, ver. 12-17. IV. The defeat of Israel in the first and second day's
battle, ver. 18-25. V. Their humbling themselves before God upon that
occasion, ver. 26-28. VI. The total rout they gave the Benjamites in the third
engagement, by a stratagem, by which they were all cut off, except 600 men,
ver. 29-48. And all this the effect of the indignities done to one poor Levite
and his wife; so little do those that do iniquity consider what will be the
end thereof.
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The
Combination Against Gibeah.
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B.
C. 1410.
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1 Then all the children
of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man,
from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD
in Mizpeh. 2 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. 3 (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? 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 of Israel, and a 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. 11 So all the men of Israel were gathered
against the city, knit together as one man.
Here is, I. A general meeting of all the congregation of Israel to examine the
matter concerning the Levite's concubine, and to consider what was to be done
upon it, v. 1, 2. It does not appear that they 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. 1. The place of their meeting was Mizpeh;
they gathered together unto the Lord there, for Mizpeh was so very near to
Shiloh that their encampment might very well be supposed to reach from Mizpeh
to Shiloh. Shiloh was a small town, and therefore, when there was a general
meeting of the people to represent 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 resident of the priests that attended
the tabernacle. 2. The persons that met were all Israel, from Dan (the city
very lately so called, ch. xviii. 29) in the north to Beersheba in the
south, with the land of Gilead (that is, the tribes on the other side Jordan),
all as one man, so unanimous were they in their concern for the public
good. Here was an assembly of the people of God, not a convocation of the
Levites and priests, though a Levite was the person principally concerned in
the cause, but an assembly of the people, to whom the Levite referred himself
with an Appello populum--I appeal to the people. The people of God
were 400,000 footmen that drew the sword, that is, were armed and
disciplined, and fit for service, and some of them perhaps such as had known
the wars of Canaan, ch. iii. 1. In this assembly of all Israel, the
chief (or corners) of the people (for rulers are the corner-stones of the
people, that keep all together) presented themselves as the representatives of
the rest. They rendered themselves at their respective posts, at the head of
the thousands and hundreds, the fifties and tens, over which they presided;
for so much order and government, we may suppose, at least, they had among
them, though they had no general or commander-in-chief. So that here was, (1.)
A general congress of the states for counsel. The chief of the people
presented themselves, to lead and direct in this affair. (2.) A general
rendezvous of the militia for action, all that drew sword and were men of war
(v. 17), not hirelings nor pressed men, but the best freeholders, that
went at their own charge. Israel were above 600,000 when they came into
Canaan, and we have reason to think they were at this time much increased,
rather than diminished; but then all between twenty and sixty were military
men, now we may suppose more than the one half exempted from bearing arms to
cultivate the land; so that these were as the trained bands. The militia of
the two tribes and a half were 40,000 (Josh. iv. 13), but the tribes were many
more.
II. Notice given to the tribe of Benjamin of this meeting (v. 3): They
heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpeh. Probably they had
a legal summons sent them to appear with their brethren, that the cause might
be fairly debated, before any resolutions were taken up upon it, and so the
mischiefs that followed would have been happily prevented; but the notice they
had of this meeting rather hardened and exasperated them than awakened them to
think of the things that belonged to their peace and honour.
III. A solemn examination of the crime charged upon the men of Gibeah. A very
horrid representation of it had been made by the report of the messengers that
were sent to call them together, but it was fit it should be more closely
enquired into, because such things are often made worse than really they were;
a committee therefore was appointed to examine the witnesses (upon oath, no
doubt) and to report the matter. It is only the testimony of the Levite
himself that is here recorded, but it is probable his servant, and the old
man, were examined, and gave in their testimony, for that more than one were
examined appears by the original (v. 3), which is, Tell you us;
and the law was that none should be put to death, much less so many, upon the
testimony of one witness only. The Levite gives a particular account of the
matter: that he came into Gibeah only as a traveller to lodge there, not
giving the least shadow of suspicion that he designed them any ill turn (v.
4), and that the men of Gibeah, even those that were of substance among them,
that should have been a protection to the stranger within their gates,
riotously set upon the house where he lodged, and thought to slay him;
he could not, for shame relate the demand which they, without shame, made, ch.
xix. 22. They declared their sin as Sodom, even the sin of Sodom, but his
modesty would not suffer him to repeat it; it was sufficient to say they would
have slain him, for he would rather have been slain than have submitted to
their villany; and, if they had got him into their hands, they would have
abused him to death, witness what they had done to his concubine: They have forced
her that she is dead, v. 5. And, to excite in his countrymen an
indignation at this wickedness, he had sent pieces of the mangled body to all
the tribes, which had fetched them together to bear their testimony against
the lewdness and folly committed in Israel, v. 6. All lewdness
is folly, but especially lewdness in Israel. For those to defile their own
bodies who have the honourable seal of the covenant in their flesh, for those
to defy the divine vengeance to whom it is so clearly revealed from heaven--Nabal
is their name, and folly is with them. He concludes his declaration with an
appeal to the judgment of the court (v. 7): You are all children of
Israel, and therefore you know law and judgment, Esth. i. 13.
"You are a holy people to God, and have a dread of every thing which will
dishonour God and defile the land; you are of the same community, members of
the same body, and therefore likely to feel from the distempers of it; you are
children of Israel, that ought to take particular care of the Levites, God's
tribe, among you, and therefore give your advice and counsel what is to be
done."
IV. The resolution they came to hereupon, which was that, being now together,
they would not disperse till they had seen vengeance taken upon this wicked
city, which was the reproach and scandal of their nation. Observe, 1. Their
zeal against the lewdness that was committed. They would not return to their
houses, how much soever their families and their affairs at home wanted them,
till they had vindicated the honour of God and Israel, and recovered with
their swords, if it could not be had otherwise, that satisfaction for the
crime which the justice of the nation called for, v. 8. By this they
showed themselves children of Israel indeed, that they preferred the public
interest before their private concerns. 2. Their prudence in sending out a
considerable body of their forces to fetch provisions for the rest, v.
9, 10. One of ten, and he chosen by lot, 40,000 in all, must go to their
respective countries, whence they came, to fetch bread and other necessaries
for the subsistence of this great army; for when they came from home they took
with them provisions only for a journey to Mizpeh, not for an encampment
(which might prove long) before Gibeah. This was to prevent their scattering
to forage for themselves, for, if they had done this, it would have been hard
to get them all together again, especially all in so good a mind. Note, When
there appears in people a pious zeal for any good work it is best to strike
while the iron is hot, for such zeal is apt to cool quickly if the prosecution
of the work be delayed. Let it never be said that we left that good work to be
done to-morrow which we could as well have done to-day. 3. Their unanimity in
these counsels, and the execution of them. The resolution was voted, Nemine
contradicente--Without a dissenting voice (v. 8); it was one and
all; and, when it was put in execution, they were knit together as one man,
v. 11. This was their glory and strength, that the several tribes had
no separate interests when the common good was concerned.
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The
War with the Benjamites.
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B.
C. 1410.
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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, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah,
which were numbered seven hundred chosen men. 16 Among all this
people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could
sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss. 17 And the
men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that
drew sword: all these were men of war.
Here is, I. The fair and just demand which the tribes of Israel, now encamped,
sent to the tribe of Benjamin, to deliver up the malefactors of Gibeah to
justice, v. 12, 13. If the tribe of Benjamin had come up, as they ought
to have done, to the assembly, and agreed with them in their resolution, there
would have been none to deal with but the men of Gibeah only, but they, by
their absence, taking part with the criminals, application must be made to
them all. The Israelites were zealous against the wickedness that was
committed, yet they were discreet in their zeal, and did not think it would
justify them in falling upon the whole tribe of Benjamin unless they, by
refusing to give up the criminals, and protecting them against justice, should
make themselves guilty, ex post facto--as accessaries after the
fact. They desire them to consider how great the wickedness was that was
committed (v. 12), and that it was done among them: and how necessary
it was therefore that they should either punish the malefactors with death
themselves, according to the law of Moses, or deliver them up to the general
assembly, to be so much the more publicly and solemnly punished, that evil
might be put away from Israel, the national guilt removed, the infection
stopped by cutting off the gangrened part, and national judgments prevented;
for the sin was so very like that of the Sodomites that they might justly
fear, if they did not punish it, God would rain hail from heaven upon them, as
he did, not only upon Sodom, but the neighbouring cities. If the Israelites
had not made this reasonable demand, they would have had much more reason to
lament the following desolations of Benjamin. All methods of accommodation
must be used before we go to war or go to law. The demand was like that of
Joab's to Abel, 2 Sam. xx. 20, 21. "Only deliver up the traitor, and we
will lay down our arms." On these terms, and no other, God will be at
peace with us, that we part with our sins, that we mortify and crucify our
lusts, and then all shall be well; his anger will be turned away.
II. The wretched obstinacy and perverseness of the men of Benjamin, who seem
to have been as unanimous and zealous in their resolutions to stand by the
criminals as the rest of the tribes were to punish them, so little sense had
they of their honour, duty, and interest. 1. They were so prodigiously vile as
to patronise the wickedness that was committed: They would not hearken to
the voice of their brethren (v. 13), either because those of that
tribe were generally more vicious and debauched at this time than the rest of
the tribes, and therefore would not bear to have that punished in others of
which they knew themselves guilty (some of the most fruitful and pleasant
parts of Canaan fell to the lot of this tribe; their land, like that of Sodom,
was as the garden of the Lord, which perhaps helped to make the
inhabitants, like the men of Sodom, wicked, and sinners before the Lord
exceedingly, Gen. xiii. 10, 13), or because (as bishop Patrick suggests)
they took it ill that the other tribes should meddle with their concerns; they
would not do that which they knew was their duty because they were reminded of
it by their brethren, by whom they scorned to be taught and controlled. If
there were any wise men among them that would have complied with the demand
made, yet they were overpowered by the majority, who thus made the crime of
the men of Gibeah their own. Thus we have fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness if we say A confederacy with those that have, and
make ourselves guilty of other men's sins by countenancing and defending them.
It seems there is no cause so bad but it will find some patrons, some
advocates, to appear for it; but woe be to those by whom such offences
come. Those will have a great deal to answer for that obstruct the course
of necessary justice, and strengthen the hands of the wicked, by saying, O
wicked man! thou shalt not die.
2. They were so prodigiously vain and presumptuous as to make head against the
united force of all Israel. Never, surely, were men so wretchedly infatuated
as they were when they took up arms in opposition, (1.) To so good a cause as
Israel had. How could they expect to prosper when they fought against justice,
and consequently against the just God himself, against those that had the high
priest and the divine oracle on their side, and so acted in downright
rebellion against the sacred and supreme authority of the nation. (2.) To so
great a force as Israel had. The disproportion of their numbers was much
greater than that, Luke xiv. 31, 32, where he that had but 10,000 durst not
meet him that came against him with 20,000, and therefore desired conditions
of peace. There the enemy was but two to one, here above fifteen to one; yet
they despised conditions of peace. All the forces they could bring into the
field were but 26,000 men, besides 700 men of Gibeah (v. 15); yet with
these they will dare to face 400,000 men of Israel, v. 17. Thus sinners
are infatuated to their own ruin, and provoke him to jealousy who is
infinitely stronger than they, 1 Cor. x. 22. But it should seem they depended
upon the skill of their men to make up what was wanting in numbers, especially
a regiment of slingers, 700 men, who, though left-handed, were so dexterous at
slinging stones that they would not be a hair's breadth beside their mark, v.
16. But these good marksmen were very much out in their aim when they espoused
this bad cause. Benjamin signifies the son of the right hand,
yet we find his posterity left-handed.
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 at Gibeah. 21 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. 22
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. 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 again eighteen thousand men; all these
drew the sword.
We have here the defeat of the men of Israel in their first and second battle
with the Benjamites.
I. Before their first engagement they asked counsel of God concerning the
order of their battle and were directed, and yet they were sorely beaten. They
did not think it was proper to ask of God whether they should go up at all
against Benjamin (the case was plain enough, the men of Gibeah must be
punished for their wickedness, and Israel must inflict the punishment or it
will not be done), but "Who shall go first?" (v. 18), that
is, "Who shall be general of our army?" for, which soever tribe was
appointed to go first, the prince of that tribe must be looked upon as
commander-in-chief of the whole body. For, if they had meant it of the order
of their march only, it would have been proper to ask, "Who shall go
next?" and then, "Who next?" But, if they know that Judah must
go first, they know they must all observe the orders of the prince of that
tribe. This honour was done to Judah because our Lord Jesus was to spring from
that tribe, who was in all things to have the pre-eminence. The tribe that
went up first had the most honourable post, but withal the most dangerous, and
probably lost most in the engagement. Who would strive for precedency that
sees the peril of it? Yet though Judah, that strong and valiant tribe, goes up
first, and all the tribes of Israel attend them, little Benjamin (so he
is called, Ps. lxviii. 27), is too hard for them all. The whole army lays
siege to Gibeah, v. 19. The Benjamites advance to raise the siege, and
the army prepares to give them a warm reception, v. 20. But between the
Benjamites that attacked them in the front with incredible fury, and the men
of Gibeah that sallied out upon their rear, they were put into confusion and
lost 22,000 men, v. 21. Here were no prisoners taken, for there was no
quarter given, but all put to the sword.
II. Before their second engagement they again asked counsel of God, and
more solemnly than before; for they wept before the Lord until evening
(v. 23), lamenting the loss of so many brave men, especially as it was
a token of God's displeasure and would give occasion to the Benjamites to
triumph in the success of their wickedness. Also at this time they did not ask
who should go up first, but whether they should go up at all. The intimate a
reason why they should scruple to do it, especially now that Providence had
frowned upon them, because Benjamin was their brother, and a readiness to lay
down their arms if God should so order them. God bade them go up; he allowed
the attempt, for, though Benjamin was their brother, he was a gangrened member
of their body and must be cut off. Upon this they encouraged themselves,
perhaps more in their own strength than in the divine commission, and made a
second attempt upon the forces of the rebels, in the same place where the
former battle was fought (v. 22), with the hope of retrieving their
credit upon the same spot of ground where they had lost it, which they would
not superstitiously change, as if there were any thing unlucky in the place.
But they were this second time repulsed, with the loss of 18,000 men, v.
25. The former day's loss and this amounted to 40,000, which was just a tenth
part of the whole army, and the same number that they had drawn out by lot to
fetch victuals, v. 10. They decimated themselves for that service, and
now God again decimated them for the slaughter. But what shall we say to these
things, that so just and honourable a cause should thus be put to the worst
once and again? Were they not fighting God's battle against sin? Had they not
his commission? What, and yet miscarry thus! 1. God's judgments are a great
deep, and his way is in the sea. Clouds and darkness are often round
about him, but judgment and justice are always the habitation of
his throne. We may be sure of the righteousness, when we cannot see the
reasons, of God's proceedings. 2. God would hereby show them, and us in them,
that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong, that we
are not to confide in numbers, which perhaps the Israelites did with too much
assurance. We must never lay the weight on an arm of flesh, which only the
Rock of ages will bear. 3. God designed hereby to correct Israel for their
sins. They did well to show such a zeal against the wickedness of Gibeah: but were
there not with them, even with them, sins against the Lord their God?
Those must be made to know their own iniquity that are forward in condemning
the iniquity of others. Some think it was a rebuke to them for not witnessing
against the idolatry of Micah and the Danites, by which their religion was
corrupted, as they now did against the lewdness of Gibeah and the Benjamites,
by which the public peace was disturbed, though God had particularly ordered
them to levy war upon idolaters, Deut. xiii. 12, &c. 4. God would hereby
teach us not to think it strange if a good cause should suffer defeat fore a
while, nor to judge of the merits of it by the success of it. The interest of
grace in the heart, and of religion in the world, may be foiled, and suffer
great loss, and seem to be quite run down, but judgment will be brought forth
to victory at last. Vincimur in prælio, sed non in bello--We are foiled in
a battle, but not in the whole campaign. Right may fall, but it shall
arise.
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The
Defeat of the Benjamites.
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B.
C. 1410.
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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 peace
offerings before the LORD.
27 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD,
(for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
28 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. 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 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. 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. 34 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. 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 make a great flame with smoke
rise up out of the city. 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 ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising. 44 And there
fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of
valour. 45 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. 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
valour. 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.
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.
I. How the victory was obtained. Two things they had trusted too much to in
the former engagements--the goodness of their cause and the superiority of
their numbers. It was true that they had both right and strength on their
side, which were great advantages; but they depended too much upon them, to
the neglect of those duties to which now, this third time, when they see their
error, they apply themselves.
1. They were previously so confident of the goodness of their cause that they
thought it needless to address themselves to God for his presence and
blessing. They took it for granted that God would bless them, nay, perhaps
they concluded that he owed them his favour, and could not in justice withhold
it, since it was in defence of virtue that they appeared and took up arms. But
God having shown them that he was under no obligation to prosper their
enterprise, that he neither needed them nor was tied to them, that they were
more indebted to him for the honour of being ministers of his justice than he
to them for the service, now they became humble petitioners for success.
Before they only consulted God's oracle, Who shall go up first? And, Shall
we go up? But now they implored his favour, fasted and prayed, and offered
burnt-offerings and peace-offerings (v. 26), to make an atonement
for sin and an acknowledgment of their dependence upon God, and as an
expression of their desire towards him. We cannot expect the presence of God
with us, unless we thus seek it in the way he has appointed. And when they
were in this frame, and thus sought the Lord, then he not only ordered them to
go up against the Benjamites the third time, but gave them a promise of
victory: Tomorrow I will deliver them into thy hand, v. 28.
2. They were previously so confident of the greatness of their strength that
they thought it needless to use any art, to lay any ambush, or form a
stratagem, not doubting but to conquer purely by a strong hand; but now they
saw it was requisite to use some policy, as if they had an enemy to deal with
them that had been superior in number; accordingly, they set liers in wait
(v. 29), and gained their point, as their fathers did before Ai (Josh.
viii.), stratagems of that kind being most likely to take effect after a
previous defeat, which has flushed the enemy, and made the pretended flight
the less suspected. The management of this artifice is here very largely
described. The assurance God had given them of success in this day's action,
instead of making them remiss and presumptuous, set all heads and hands on
work for the effecting of what God had promised.
(1.) Observe the method they took. The body of the army faced the city of
Gibeah, as they had done before, advancing towards the gates, v. 30.
The Benjamites, the body of whose army was now quartered at Gibeah, sallied
out upon them, and charged them with great bravery. The besiegers gave back,
retired with precipitation, as if their hearts failed them upon the sight of
the Benjamites, which they were willing to believe, proudly imagining that by
their former success they had made themselves very formidable. Some loss the
Israelites sustained in this counterfeit flight, about thirty men being cut
off in their rear, v. 31, 39. But, when the Benjamites were all drawn
out of the city, the ambush seized the city (v. 37), gave a signal to
the body of the army (v. 38, 40), which immediately turned upon them (v.
41), and, it should seem, another considerable party that was posted at Baal-tamar
came upon them at the same time (v. 33); so that the Benjamites were
quite surrounded, which put them into the greatest consternation that could
be. A sense of guilt now disheartened them, and the higher their hopes had
been raised the more grievous was this confusion. At first the battle was
sore (v. 34), the Benjamites fought with fury; but, when they saw
what a snare they were drawn into, they thought one pair of heels (as we say)
was worth two pair of hands, and they made the best of their way towards
the wilderness (v. 42); but in vain: the battle overtook them,
and, to complete their distress, those who came out of the cities of
Israel, that waited to see the event of the battle, joined with their
pursuers, and helped to cut them off. Every man's hand was against them.
(2.) Observe in this story, [1.] That the Benjamites, in the beginning of the
battle, were confident that the day was their own: They are smitten down
before us, v. 32, 39. Sometimes God suffers wicked men to be lifted
up in successes and hopes, that their fall may be the sorer. See how short
their joy is, and their triumphing but for a moment. Let not him that
girdeth on the harness boast, except he has reason to boast in God. [2.]
Evil was near them and they did not know it, v. 34. But (v. 41)
they saw, when it was too late to prevent it, that evil had come upon them.
What evils may at any time be near us we cannot tell, but the less they are
feared the heavier they fall. Sinners will not be persuaded to see evil near
them, but how dreadful will it be when it comes and there is no escaping! 1
Thess. v. 3. [3.] Though the men of Israel played their parts so well in this
engagement, yet the victory is ascribed to God (v. 35): The Lord
smote Benjamin before Israel. The battle was his, and so was the success.
[4.] They trode down the men of Benjamin with ease when God fought
against them, v. 43. It is an easy thing to trample upon those who have
made God their enemy. See Mal. iv. 3.
II. How the victory was prosecuted and improved in a military execution done
upon these sinners against their own souls. 1. Gibeah itself, that nest of
lewdness, was destroyed in the first place. The ambush that entered the city
by surprise drew themselves along, that is, dispersed themselves into
the several parts of it, which they might easily do, now that all the men of
war had sallied out and very presumptuously left it defenceless; and they
smote all they found, even women and children, with the sword (v.
37), and set fire to the city, v. 40. Sin brings ruin upon cities. 2.
The army in the field was quite routed and cut off: 18,000 men of valour lay
dead upon the spot, v. 44. 3. Those that escaped from the field were
pursued, and cut off in their flight, to the number of 7000, v. 45. It
is to no purpose to think of out-running divine vengeance. Evil pursues
sinners, and it will overtake them. 4. Even those that tarried at home
were involved in the ruin. They let their sword devour for ever, not
considering that it would be bitterness in the latter end, as Abner
pleads long after, when he was at the head of an army of Benjamites, probably
with an eye to this very story, 2 Sam. ii. 25, 26. They put to the sword all
that breathed, and set fire to all the cities, v. 48. So that of
all the tribe of Benjamin, for aught that appears, there remained none alive
but 600 men that took shelter in the rock Rimmon, and lay close there four
months, v. 47. Now, (1.) It is difficult to justify this severity as it
was Israel's act. The whole tribe of Benjamin was culpable; but must they
therefore be treated as devoted Canaanites? That it was done in the heat of
war, that this was the way of prosecuting victories which the sword of Israel
had been accustomed to, that the Israelites were extremely exasperated against
the Benjamites for the slaughter they had made among them in the two former
engagements, will go but a little way to excuse the cruelty of this execution.
It is true they had sworn that whosoever did not come up to Mizpeh should be put
to death, ch. xxi. 5. But that, if it was a justifiable oath, yet
extended only to the men of war; the rest were not expected to come. Yet, (2.)
It is easy to justify the hand of God in it. Benjamin had sinner against him,
and God had threatened that, if they forgot him, they should perish as the
nations that were before them perished (Deut. viii. 20), who were all in
this manner cut off. (3.) It is easy likewise to improve it for warning
against the beginnings of sin: they are like the letting forth of water,
therefore leave it off before it be meddled with, for we know not what
will be in the end thereof. The eternal ruin of souls will be worse, and
more fearful, than all these desolations of a tribe. This affair of Gibeah is
twice spoken of by the prophet Hosea as the beginning of the corruption of
Israel and a pattern to all that followed (Hos. ix. 9): They have deeply
corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; and (Hos. x. 9), Thou
hast sinned from the days of Gibeah; and it is added that the battle in
Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not (that is, did not at
first) overtake them.
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