Judges 20:12-19

20:12 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe ¹  of Benjamin, saying, “How could such a wicked thing take place? ²  20:13 Now, hand over the good-for-nothings ³  in Gibeah so we can execute them and purge Israel of wickedness.” ⁴  But the Benjaminites refused to listen to their Israelite brothers. 20:14 The Benjaminites came from their cities and assembled at Gibeah ⁵  to make war against the Israelites. 20:15 That day the Benjaminites mustered from their cities twenty-six thousand sword-wielding soldiers, besides seven hundred well-trained soldiers from Gibeah. ⁶  20:16 Among this army ⁷  were seven hundred specially-trained left-handed soldiers. ⁸  Each one could sling a stone and hit even the smallest target. ⁹  20:17 The men of Israel (not counting Benjamin) had mustered four hundred thousand sword-wielding soldiers, every one an experienced warrior. ¹⁰ 

20:18 The Israelites went up to Bethel ¹¹  and asked God, ¹²  “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?” ¹³  The Lord said, “Judah should lead.” 20:19 The Israelites got up the next morning and moved ¹⁴  against Gibeah.

[20:12]  ¹ tc The MT reads the plural, but surely the singular (which is supported by the LXX and Vulgate) is preferable here.

[20:12]  ² tn Heb “What is this wicked thing which happened among you?”

[20:13]  ³ tn Heb “the men, sons of wickedness.”

[20:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “and burn away wickedness from Israel.”

[20:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “assembled from the cities at Gibeah.”

[20:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “besides from the ones living in Gibeah they mustered seven hundred choice men.”

[20:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “And from all this people.”

[20:16]  ¹⁰ tn 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.

[20:16]  ¹¹ tn “at a single hair and not miss.”

[20:17]  ¹¹ tn Heb “a man of war.”

[20:18]  ¹³ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[20:18]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “They arose and went up to Bethel and asked God, and the Israelites said.”

[20:18]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Who should go up for us first for battle against the sons of Benjamin?”

[20:19]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “encamped.”