Judges 20:8-17

Israel's War with the Tribe of Benjamin

8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, "None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house. 9 But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot, 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 of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may repay Gibeah of Benjamin, for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel." 11 So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.

12 i And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What evil is this that has taken place among you? 13 Now therefore give up the men, j the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death k and purge evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel. 14 Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel. 15 And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day l 26,000 men m who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. 16 Among all these were 700 chosen men who were n left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. 17 And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered m 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war.

  1. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 13:14
    Then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you.
    Joshua 22:13
    Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest.
    Joshua 22:16
    Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, 'What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord ?
  2. Cross References
    Judges 19:22
    As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, worthless fellows, surrounded the house, beating on the door. And they said to the old man, the master of the house, "Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him.
    Deuteronomy 13:13
    That certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which you have not known.
  3. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 13:5
    But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
    Deuteronomy 17:2
    If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing his covenant.
  4. Cross References
    Numbers 1:37
    Those listed of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.
    Numbers 26:41
    These are the sons of Benjamin according to their clans, and those listed were 45,600.
  5. Cross References
    Judges 20:2
    And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot that drew the sword.
  6. Cross References
    Judges 3:15
    Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.
    1 Chronicles 12:2
    They were bowmen and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right or the left hand; they were Benjaminites, Saul's kinsmen.
  7. Cross References
    Judges 20:15
    And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.