Judges 20:11

_SO ALL THE MEN OF ISRAEL WERE GATHERED AGAINST THE CITY, KNIT TOGETHER AS ONE MAN._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

EXPOSITION JUDGES 20:1 WENT OUT, _i.e._ from their several homes to the place of meeting. THE CONGREGATION. The technical term (not, however, found in Samuel and Kings, except in 1 Kings 12:20) for the whole Israelitish people (Exodus 12:3; Exodus 16:1, Exodus 16:2, Exodus 16:9; Le Exodus 4:15;...

SO ALL THE MEN OF ISRAEL WERE GATHERED AGAINST THE CITY,.... Of Gibeah, even 360,000 men: KNIT TOGETHER AS ONE MAN; went heart and hand together, united in their sentiments and resolutions, determining to have justice done, or lose their lives in this cause: according to the Jews e, this was on the twenty third of Shebet, which answers to part of January and part of February, on which day a fast was kept on this account. e Schulchan Aruch, par. 1. c. 580. sect. 2....

CHAPTER 20 THE HORRIBLE WAR _ 1. The Levite's story (Judges 20:1)_ 2. The uprising (Judges 20:8) 3. The slaying of the Israelites (Judges 20:12) 4. Benjamin exterminated except six hundred men (Judges 20:26) This and the concluding chapter bring before us the awful harvest of what had been sown. “For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). They had sown the wind and now reaped the whirlwind. Violence and lawlessness result in the slaying of 40,000 Israelites and 23,000 of the tribe of Benj

JUDGES 20. THE OUTRAGE AVENGED.The congregation (LXX Synagô gç) is a post-exilic term. The words as one man suggest a unity of action such as was not secured till long after the time of the Judges. The assembly of the people of God was a phrase often heard in the second Temple, but not in the days of the Judges. Judges 20:2. Contrast the army mustered against Sisera, 40,000 men strong (Judges 5:8). Judges 20:10. Each of the three clauses means precisely the same thing. Judges 20:15. The figures are in some confusion, the size of the Benjamite force being indicated three times, and each time differently (15, 35, 4

_the city_ must be Gibeah. _knit together_ lit. _united, associated_, emphasizing the common action. The word is used in Ezekiel 37:16; Ezekiel 37:19 for the association of the tribes, and another form of it on Maccabaean coins to denote (prob.) _the community_of the Jews; _NSI_., p. 354....

_The War Against the Benjamites Judges 20:1-14_ 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

THE SLAUGHTER OF THE BENJAMITES The Levite recounts his wrongs to a full assemblage of the tribes, who decree punishment upon Benjamin. Their first two attacks are unsuccessful, but the third results in the almost total extermination of the Benjamites. 1-11. The Israelites assemble at Gibeah....

LIFE WITHOUT LAW JUDGES _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 20 V1 Then all the *Israelites from Dan to Beersheba came to meet together. They also came from the area called Gilead. They all met at Mizpah, where the *Lord was. V2 This meeting of God’s people included the leaders of all *Israel’s *tribes. There were 400 000 people with swords. V3 (The people in Benjamin’s *tribe heard that *Israel’s people had gathered at Mizpah.) The *Israelites said, ‘Tell us how this awful crime happened.’ V4 The husband of the woman that the wicked men had murdered spoke. (He was the man from Levi’s *tribe.) He said, ‘I and my *concubine came to spend the night in Gibeah. It is in the area where Benjamin’s *tribe lives. V5 During the night, the men that lived in Gibeah came. And they surrounded the hou

KNIT TOGETHER AS ONE MAN. — The Hebrew word for “knit together” (marg., _fellows_) is _chabeerim._ It means that they were all as united as if they belonged to one _cheber,_ or club. It is the spirit of _clubbism_ (Greek, Tcupcfa), displayed in this instance in a good cause....