Israel’s War with the Benjamites
1 So aall the children of Israel came out, from bDan to cBeersheba, as well as from the land of Gilead, and the congregation gathered together as one man before the Lord dat Mizpah.
2 And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot soldiers awho drew the sword.
3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the children of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this wicked deed happen?”
4 So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “My concubine and aI went into Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, to spend the night.
5 aAnd the men of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me, bbut instead they ravished my concubine so that she died.
6 So aI took hold of my concubine, cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel, because they bcommitted lewdness and outrage in Israel.
7 Look! All of you are children of Israel; agive your advice and counsel here and now!”
8 So all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, nor will any turn back to his house;
9 but now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: We will go up aagainst it by lot.
10 We will take ten men out of every hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to make provisions for the people, that when they come to Gibeah in Benjamin, they may repay all the vileness that they have done in Israel.”
11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united together as one man.
12 aThen the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has occurred among you?
13 Now therefore, deliver up the men, athe perverted men who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and bremove the evil from Israel!” But the children of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brethren, the children of Israel.
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Book Notes:
Robertson's Book Notes (NT)
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