The “congregation” is the technical term for the whole community of the Israelite people. Its occurrence here is an indication of the early date of these transactions. FROM DAN TO BEER-SHEBA - We cannot safely infer from this expression that the settlement of Dan, recorded in Judges 18 had taken pl... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHIEF - literally, “the corner stones.” (Compare 1 Samuel 14:38.)... [ Continue Reading ]
They bound themselves not to break up and disperse until they had punished the wickedness of Gibeah.... [ Continue Reading ]
BY LOT - To determine who should go up first Judges 20:18. The shape of the ground probably made it impossible for the whole force to operate at once; and the question of spoil would have something to do with the arrangement. (Compare 1 Samuel 30:22.)... [ Continue Reading ]
In order to make it possible for the force of Israel to keep the field, and do to the men of Gibeah what their wickedness deserved, every tenth man (40,000 in all) was appointed to find provisions for the whole army.... [ Continue Reading ]
Comparing the numbers here with those in Numbers 1; Numbers 26, it is seen that in the case both of the Benjamites and the Israelites the numbers are diminished by about one-third, i. e., they appear as about two-thirds only of what they were at the last numbering in the plains of Moab. This diminut... [ Continue Reading ]
WENT UP TO THE HOUSE OF GOD - It should be “to Bethel.” At this time the ark was at Bethel (compare 1 Samuel 10:3), and not at Shiloh. It is not unlikely that though Shiloh was the chief residence of the ark Jeremiah 7:12, yet the tabernacle, being moveable, was, either at stated times, or as occasi... [ Continue Reading ]
Gibeah, being on a hill, was difficult of access to an attacking army, and gave great advantage to the defenders, who fought from higher ground, and probably defended a narrow pass, while their companions on the walls could gall the assailants with their slingstones.... [ Continue Reading ]
FASTED UNTIL EVEN - The regular time for ending a fast among the Hebrews was sunset (compare 1 Samuel 14:24; 2 Samuel 1:12). Such national fasts are called by the rabbis “fasts of the congregation,” and were enjoined in times of great affliction. On the offerings, see Lev. i., 3.... [ Continue Reading ]
PHINEHAS, THE SON OF ELEAZAR ... - A most important chronological statement, which makes it probable that these events occurred within twenty years of the death of Joshua. TO-MORROW - The two former answers only bade them go up against Benjamin; now, for the first time, the promise is added, “Tomor... [ Continue Reading ]
The stratagem described is exactly that by which Joshua took Ai (marginal reference).... [ Continue Reading ]
TO THE HOUSE OF GOD - “To Bethel,” as in the margin. On “Gibeah in the field,” see Joshua 18:24 note.... [ Continue Reading ]
Baal-tamar is only mentioned here. It took its name from some palm-tree that grew there; perhaps the same as the “palm-tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel” Judges 4:5, the exact locality here indicated, since “the highway” Judges 20:31 along which the Israelites enticed the Benjamites to pursu... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WAY OF THE WILDERNESS - i. e., the wilderness which extended from Jericho to the hills of Bethel. THEM WHICH CAME OUT OF THE CITIES - These must be the Benjamites Judges 20:15. Hence, “in the midst of them” must mean “in their own cities”, where they severally fled for refuge, but failed to fin... [ Continue Reading ]
The language and construction of this verse is poetical; it seems to be an extract from a song, and to describe, in the language of poetry, the same event which the preceding verse described in that of prose. WITH EASE - Or “rest” Numbers 10:33; Psalms 95:11. The expression is very obscure. The mar... [ Continue Reading ]
RIMMON - A village named “Rummon”, situated on the summit of a conical chalky hill, still exists, and forms a remarkable object in the landscape, visible in all directions. It lies 15 miles north of Jerusalem. It is a different place from Rimmon in the south of Judah Joshua 15:32, and Remmon in Zebu... [ Continue Reading ]
In Judges 20:35 the number given is 25,100. Judges 20:44 give the details of the loss on that day: 18,000, 5,000, and 2,000; in all 25,000. But as the Benjamites numbered 26,700 men Judges 20:15, and 600 escaped to the rock of Rimmon, it is clear that 1,100 are unaccounted for, partly from no accoun... [ Continue Reading ]
They treated Benjamin as devoted to utter destruction, as Jericho had been Joshua 6:17, Joshua 6:21, and the whole tribe was all but actually extirpated. We see in the punishment inflicted the same ferocity which marked both the crime and the Levite’s mode of requiring vengeance.... [ Continue Reading ]