This chapter continues the story begun in chapter 19. The emphasis in chapter 19 was on moral degeneracy and that of chapter 20 is Israel's political disorganization. One man's sin in chapter 19 resulted in over 65,000 deaths in chapter 20 (cf. Josh. 7).
The phrase "from Dan to Beersheba"(v. 1) became a common expression during the united monarchy indicating the whole of Israel. Gilead refers to the part of Israel east of the Jordan River. The Mizpah referred to here (v. 1) was the one in Benjamin just five miles north of Gibeah, not Mizpah of Gilead. Three times in this pericope the writer used the phrase "as one man"(vv. 1, 8, 11). This is one of the rare instances of Israelite solidarity during the judges period. Here they unanimously chose a plan that lacked divine initiative. At other times they did not cooperate to fulfill the revealed will of God (cf. 5:15-17; 8:1-3; 12:1-6; 15:11).
By casting lots to see how they should proceed against Benjamin (v. 9), the tribes were dealing with Benjamin as they had dealt with the Canaanite towns they had attacked. God did not tell them to deal with their fellow Israelites this way (cf. Deut. 13:12-18). They were now battling their brethren as they had warred against their enemies (v. 18; cf. Lev. 19:18).
"Some comment must be made regarding the large numbers in this chapter. The discussion centers around the translation of the Hebrew word eleph. This word often is translated thousandbut can also mean a family, clan, or military unit of fighting men(such as a squad of ten to twenty soldiers). The twenty-six, twenty-two, eighteen, ten,should not be thought of as so many thousandmen but as so many unitsof men, each unit consisting of somewhere in the neighborhood of ten to twenty fighting men each. (A unit of ten is mentioned specifically in verse 10.) This interpretation does not detract from the authority of the Scriptures in any way. It simply attempts to understand what the Bible actually says. Certainly it places the other numbers in the chapter in a reasonable context."354
I see no reason to reject the traditional translation of elephas "thousand"in this context (cf. Num. 26:41).355
The 11 tribes wisely tried to settle this problem with the Benjamites peacefully (v. 12; cf. Josh. 22:13-20). Unfortunately the Benjamites decided to support the residents of Gibeah who were their kinsmen. They should have sided with "their brothers"(vv. 13, 23, 28) who were the other Israelites. The Benjamites decided to support their kinsmen because they were their relatives rather than standing with God for what was right.
"Though the sin of the guilty impairs the whole community, here of Benjamin, the assembly would have been content with the capital punishment of only the guilty individuals. It was only after identifying themselves with the guilty persons by their refusal to give them up that Benjamin came collectively under the ban. This is a case of corporate responsibility rather than corporate personality'."356
"The extent to which people will stand up to defend evil and evildoers is a measure of how deeply rooted is the Canaanizing rot in a culture."357
The Benjamites were outstanding warriors in Israel. Ehud and Saul, as well as other champions, came from the tribe of Benjamin (cf. Gen. 49:27; 1 Chron. 8:40; 12:2). The 700 left-handed soldiers (v. 16) were evidently an elite force all of whom were expert in the use of the sling.
"Alone a left-handed person was considered handicapped [e.g., Ehud] and in a contingent of right-handed troops an actual liability, but if enough left-handed men could be assembled to make up an entire contingent, a disadvantage could be transformed into a distinct advantage, physically and psychologically."358
"The sling, which was employed with a left-handed motion, must not be confused with the modern schoolboy's catapult; it was a formidable weapon of war used in the Assyrian, Egyptian, and Babylonian armies as well as in Israel. David's encounter with the Philistine, Goliath, is a telling example of the power and accuracy of this weapon (I Sa. 17:49). It has been estimated that stones weighing up to one pound could be projected with uncanny accuracy at speeds up to 90 m.p.h.!"359
The Israelites went to Bethel to inquire for God's strategy in their battle (v. 18).360Bethel was only about four miles north of Mizpah. The ark of the covenant was at Bethel then (v. 27).361They apparently had moved the ark and the tabernacle from Shiloh (cf. Josh. 21:2; 22:9, 12; Judg. 18:31; 21:12, 19, 21; 1 Sam. 1:3).362The Israelites viewed the ark as a good luck charm (cf. 1 Sam. 4:3-4). They had a low view of God's holiness, which explains their disregard for Him as their commander-in-chief in this chapter.
The Lord granted the Benjamites success to discipline the other Israelites for their independence, not because He approved of the Benjamites' actions. The Benjamites became God's temporary instrument to discipline the other tribes, as God also used Israel's foreign foes (the Canaanites, Midianites, Philistines, et al.).
"The congregation now discovered, from this repeated defeat, that the Lord had withdrawn His grace, and was punishing them. Their sin, however, did not consist in the fact that they had begun the war itself--for the law in Deut. xxii 22, to which they themselves had referred in ver. 13, really required this,--but rather in the state of mind with which they had entered upon the war, their strong self-consciousness, and great confidence in their own might and power. They had indeed inquired of God (Elohim) who should open the conflict; but they had neglected to humble themselves before Jehovah the covenant God, in the consciousness not only of their own weakness and sinfulness, but also of grief at the moral corruption of their brother tribe."363
With each successive defeat the Israelites became more concerned about getting God's guidance. They had previously just asked Him to bless their plans with success.
". . . by reducing the size of the army, God was showing them that numbers alone did not guarantee victory. They needed to trust God to accomplish the impossible, as he did for Gideon's three hundred (cf. 7:7)."364
"Just as the worship of Baal had brought about a near catastrophe in the plains of Moab (Num 25:1-9), so the Baal cult was probably responsible for subverting the Benjamites. This must have been comparatively soon after the earlier incident, for the same priest Phinehas intervened on both occasions (Num 25:7-8; Judg 20:28)."365
Verses 29-36a give an overview of the battle, and 36b-48 provide a more detailed explanation.
Israel's strategy was similar to what God had specified against Ai (Josh. 8:1-29) and what Abimelech used against Shechem (9:33-44).
The location of Baal-tamar is unknown (v. 33), but Marreh-geba was evidently Geba, which stood a few miles northeast of Gibeah. Rimmon ("Pomegranate,"v. 45) was farther to the north and east of Bethel. The site of Gidom is still unknown.
The writer carefully recorded that it was the Lord who struck Benjamin (v. 35).
"The word for whole' (kalil, v. 40) is often used of whole burnt offerings' (Deut 33:10) and is in fact used of burning a town whose people have become involved in idolatry (Deut 13:16). The entire town [of Gibeah] literally became a burnt offering!"366
The Israelites did to the Benjamites as they had done to the Canaanites who were under the ban (v. 48). This was excessively severe treatment contrary to God's will (Lev. 19:18).
This chapter illustrates the far-reaching consequences of a single sexual sin (19:1). It also reveals the inverted values of people who did not acknowledge God as their king. Unwarranted protection of a neighbor replaced love for God in the warring factions of the nation. Excessive loyalty to brothers replaced loyalty to God. Vengeance and overkill replaced adherence to God's gracious will. Furthermore we see here that God's guidance may involve discipline for the independent as well as punishment for the rebellious. However, we should not conclude that one person's problems always have their roots in his or her personal sins (cf. Job; John 9:2-3).
