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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge -
JUDGES 20
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1 The Levite in a general assembly declares his wrong.
8 The decree of the assembly.
12 The Benjamites, being cited, make head against the
Israelites.
18 The Israelites in two battles lose forty thousand.
26 They destroy by a stratagem all the Benjamites, except
six hundred.
VERSE 1
- Then all.
* :2,8,11; 21:5 De 13:12-18 Jos 22:12
- as one man.
* 1Sa 11:7,8 2Sa 19:14 Ezr 3:1 Ne 8:1
- from Dan.
* Jud 18:29 1Sa 3:20 2Sa 3:10; 24:2 1Ch 21:2 2Ch 30:5
- with the.
* Nu 32:1,40 Jos 17:1 2Sa 2:9
- unto the.
* :18,26; 11:11
- in Mizpeh.
* Jud 10:17; 11:11 Jos 15:38; 18:26 1Sa 7:5,6; 10:17 2Ki 25:23
It does not appear that the Israelites on this occasion, were
summoned by the authority of any one common head, but they
came together by the consent and agreement, as it were, of one
common heart, fired with a holy zeal for the honor of God and
Israel. The place of their meeting was Mizpeh; they gathered
together unto the Lord there; for Mizpeh was so very near to
Shiloh, that their encampment might very well be supposed to
reach from Mizpeh to Shiloh. Shiloh was a small town, and
therefore, when there was a general meeting of the people to
present themselves before God, they chose Mizpeh for their
head quarters, which was the next adjoining city of note;
perhaps, because they were not willing to give that trouble to
Shiloh, which so great an assembly would occasion; it being
the residence of the priests that attended the tabernacle.
VERSE 2
- drew sword.
* :15,17; 8:10 2Sa 24:9 2Ki 3:26
VERSE 3
- the children of Benjamin.
* Pr 22:3 Mt 5:25 Lu 12:58,59; 14:31,32
- how was.
* Jud 19:22-27
VERSE 4
- the Levite. Heb. the man the Levite. I came.
* Jud 19:15-28
VERSE 5
- And the men.
* Jud 19:22
- beset.
* Ge 19:4-8
- and my concubine.
* Jud 19:25,26
- forced. Heb. humbled.
* De 22:24 Eze 22:10,11
VERSE 6
- cut her.
* Jud 19:29
- folly in Israel.
* :10; 19:23 Ge 34:7 Jos 7:15 2Sa 13:12,13
VERSE 7
- ye are all.
* Ex 19:5,6 De 4:6; 14:1,2 1Co 5:1,6,10-12
- give here.
* Jud 19:30 Jos 9:14 Pr 20:18; 24:6 Jas 5 1:5
VERSE 8
- as one man. See on ver.
* :1,11
- We will not.
* Jud 21:1,5 Pr 21:3 Ec 9:10
VERSE 9
- by lot against it.
* Jos 14:2 1Sa 14:41,42 1Ch 24:5 Ne 11:1 Pr 16:33 Jon 1:7
* Ac 1:26
VERSE 10
- ten thousand. or, myriad.
* Ge 24:60
VERSE 11
- knit.
* 1Sa 18:1 1Ch 12:17 2Ch 5:13
- together as one man. Heb. fellows. or, companions.
* Ps 45:7; 119:63 Pr 28:24 Ec 4:10 So 1:7; 8:13 Isa 1:23; 44:11
* Eze 37:16,19
VERSE 12
- sent men.
* De 13:14; 20:10 Jos 22:13-16 Mt 18:15-18 Ro 12:18
VERSE 13
- deliver.
* 2Sa 20:21,22
- children of Belial.
* Jud 19:22 De 13:13 1Sa 30:22 2Sa 20:1; 23:6 1Ki 21:13 2Ch 13:7
- put away.
* De 17:7,12; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21,24; 24:7 Ec 11:10
- would not.
* 1Sa 2:25 2Ch 25:16,20 Pr 29:1 Ho 9:9; 10:9 Ro 1:32 Re 18:4,5
The conduct of the Israelites was very equitable in this
demand; but perhaps the rulers or elders of Gibeah ought
previously to have been applied to, to deliver up the
criminals to justice. However, the refusal of the Benjamites,
and their protection of those who had committed this horrible
wickedness, because they were of their own tribe, prove them
to have been deeply corrupted, and (all their advantages
considered) as ripe for divine vengeance as the inhabitants of
Sodom and Gomorrah had been. Confiding in their own valour
and military skill, they seen to have first prepared for
battle in this unequal contest with such superior numbers.
VERSE 14
* Nu 20:20; 21:23 2Ch 13:13 Job 15:25,26
VERSE 15
- twenty.
* :25,35,46,47 Nu 26:41
VERSE 16
- left-handed.
{Itter yad yemeeno,} "obstructed in his right hand;" so the
Chaldee Targum, {gemid beedaih deyammeena,} contracted or
impeded in his right hand." Le Clerc observes, that the 700
men left-handed seem therefore to have been made slingers,
because they could not use the right hand, which is employed
in managing heavier arms; and they could discharge the stones
from the sling in a direction against which their opponents
were not upon their guard, and thus do the greater execution.
* Jud 3:15 1Ch 12:2
- sling stones.
The sling was a very ancient warlike instrument; and, in the
hands of those who were skilled in the use of it, produced
astonishing effects. The inhabitants of the islands of
Baleares, now Majorca and Minorca, were the most celebrated
slingers of antiquity. They did not permit their children to
break their fast, till they had struck down the bread they had
to eat from the top of a pole, or some distant eminence.
Vegetius tells us, that slingers could in general hit the mark
at 600 feet distance.
* 1Sa 17:40,49,50; 25:29 2Ch 26:14
VERSE 17
- four hundred.
* :2 Nu 1:46; 26:51 1Sa 11:8; 15:4 1Ch 21:5 2Ch 17:14-18
VERSE 18
- house of.
* Jud 18:31; 19:18 Jos 18:1 Joe 1:14
- asked.
* :7,23,26,27; 1:1 Nu 27:5,21 Jos 9:14
- Judah.
* Jud 1:1,2 Ge 49:8-10
VERSE 19
- rose up.
* Jos 3:1; 6:12; 7:16
VERSE 20
VERSE 21
- the children.
* Ge 49:27 Ho 10:9
- destroyed.
* De 23:9 2Ch 28:10 Ps 33:16; 73:18,19; 77:19 Ec 9:1-3 Jer 12:1
VERSE 22
- encouraged.
* :15,17 1Sa 30:6 2Sa 11:25 Ps 64:5
VERSE 23
- wept.
* :26,27 Ps 78:34-36 Ho 5:15
- And the.
It seems most evident that the Israelites did not seek the
protection of God. When they "went to the house of God,"
(ver. 18,) it was not to enquire concerning the expediency of
the war, nor of its success, but which of the tribes should
begin the attack: and here the question is, "Shall I go up
again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?"
Having so much right on their side, they had no doubt of the
justice of their cause, and the propriety of their conduct;
and having such a superiority of numbers, they had no doubt of
success. But God humbled them, and delivered them into the
hands of their enemies; and shewed them that the race was not
to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.
VERSE 24
VERSE 25
- destroyed.
* :21 Ge 18:25 Job 9:12,13 Ps 97:2 Ro 2:5; 3:5; 11:33
VERSE 26
- all the children.
* :18,23
- wept.
* 1Sa 7:6 2Ch 20:3 Ezr 8:21; 9:4,5 Joe 1:14; 2:12-18 Jon 3:5-10
VERSE 27
- enquired.
* :18,23 Nu 27:21
- the ark.
* Jos 18:1 1Sa 4:3,4 Ps 78:60,61 Jer 7:12
The loss of two battles at length brought this stiff-necked
people to enquire of the Lord; for all the company at this
time met at Shiloh, and kept a day of fasting and prayer with
great earnestness and solemnity. "Behold, the Lord's hand is
not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy,
that it cannot hear."
* Isa 59:1
VERSE 28
- Phinehas.
It is evident, from this mention of Phinehas, the son of
Eleazar, that these transactions must have taken place not
long after the death of Joshua.
* Nu 25:7-13 Jos 22:13,30-32; 24:33
- stood.
* De 10:8; 18:5
- Shall I yet.
* Jos 7:7 1Sa 14:37; 23:4-12; 30:8 2Sa 5:19-24; 6:3,7-12 Pr 3:5,6
* Jer 10:23
- Go up.
* Jud 1:2; 7:9 2Ch 20:17
VERSE 29
- Israel.
Though God had promised them success, they knew they could
expect it only by the use of proper means. Hence they used
all prudent precaution, and employed all their military skill.
- liers.
* :34 Jos 8:4 2Sa 5:23
VERSE 30
VERSE 31
- drawn.
* Jos 8:14-16
- smite of the people, and kill, as at. Heb. smite of the
people wounded as at, etc. the house of God. or, Beth-el.
Gibeah.
* Jud 19:13,14 Isa 10:29
- thirty.
* Jos 7:5
VERSE 32
- Let us flee.
This was done, not only because they had placed an ambuscade
behind Gibeah, which was to enter and burn the city as soon as
the Benjamites left it; but it would seem, that the slingers,
by being within the city and its fortifications, had great
advantage over the Israelites by their slings, when they could
not come among them with their swords, unless they got them in
the plain country.
* Jos 8:15,16
VERSE 33
- rose up.
* Jos 8:18-22
- put themselves.
There appear to have been three divisions of the Israelitish
army: one at Baal-tamar, (which was situated, says Eusebius,
near Gibeah;) a second behind the city in ambush; and a third,
who skirmished with the Benjamites before Gibeah.
VERSE 34
- ten thousand.
* :29
- knew not.
* Jos 8:14 Job 21:13 Pr 4:19; 29:6 Ec 8:11,12; 9:12 Isa 3:10,11
* Isa 47:11 Mt 24:44 Lu 21:34; 21:34 1Th 5:3
VERSE 35
- twenty.
* :15,44-46 Job 20:5
Though the numbers of the Israelites were immensely superior
to those of Benjamin, though the stratagem was well laid and
ingeniously executed, and the battle bravely fought, yet the
inspired historian ascribes the victory to the hand of the
Lord, as entirely as if he had smitten the Benjamites by a
miracle.
VERSE 36
- for the man.
* Jos 8:15-29
VERSE 37
- the liers in wait hasted.
* Jos 8:19
- drew themselves along. or, made a long sound with the
trumpets.
* Ex 19:13 Jos 6:5
VERSE 38
- Now there.
From this verse to the end of the chapter, we have the details
of the same operations which are mentioned, in a general way,
in the preceding verses of this chapter.
- sign. or, time.
* Ge 17:21 2Ki 4:16 *marg:
- and. Heb. with. flame. Heb. elevation.
VERSE 39
- And when.
* :31
- smite and kill. Heb. smite the wounded.
VERSE 40
- a pillar.
* Ge 19:28 So 3:6 Joe 2:30 Re 19:3
- looked.
* Jos 8:20
- flame. Heb. whole consumption.
VERSE 41
- were amazed.
* Ex 15:9,10 Isa 13:8,9; 33:14 Lu 17:27,28; 21:26 1Th 5:3
* 2Pe 2:12 Re 6:15-17; 18:8-10
- was come upon them. Heb. touched them.
VERSE 42
- the battle.
* La 1:3 Ho 9:9; 10:9
VERSE 43
- inclosed.
* Jos 8:20-22
- with ease. or, from Menuchah, etc. over against. Heb. unto
over against.
VERSE 44
VERSE 45
- Rimmon.
* Jos 15:32 1Ch 6:77 Zec 14:10
VERSE 46
- twenty.
* :15,35
VERSE 47
- six hundred.
* Jud 21:13 Ps 103:9,10 Isa 1:9 Jer 14:7 La 3:32 Hab 3:2
- rock of Rimmon.
The rock Rimmon was doubtless a strong place; but it is
uncertain where situated. It is probable however, that it was
near, and took its name from, the village of Remmon, mentioned
by Eusebius, fifteen miles north from Jerusalem. It appears
that rocks are still resorted to in the East, as places of
security; and some of them are even capable of sustaining a
siege. De La Roque says, that "The Grand Seignior, wishing to
seize the person of the emir (Fakr-eddin, prince of the
Druses,) gave orders to the pacha to take him prisoner: he
accordingly came in search of him, with a new army, in the
district of Chouf, which is part of mount Lebanon, wherein is
the village of Gesin, and close to it, the rock which served
for a retreat to the emir. It is named in Arabic, Magara
Gesin, i.e., the cavern of Gessin, by which name it is famous.
The pacha pressed the emir so closely, that this unfortunate
prince was obliged to shut himself up in the cleft of a great
rock, with a small number of his officers. The pacha besieged
him there several months; and was going to blow up the rock by
a mine, when the emir capitulated."
VERSE 48
- smote them.
* De 13:15-17 2Ch 25:13; 28:6-9 Pr 18:19
- came to hand. Heb. was found. they came to. Heb. were
found.
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