8 All the people were at once and as one person on their feet. "None of us will go home; not a single one of us will go to his own house. 9 Here's our plan for dealing with Gibeah: We'll march against it by drawing lots. 10 We'll take ten of every hundred men from all the tribes of Israel (a hundred of every thousand, and a thousand of every ten thousand) to carry food for the army. When the troops arrive at Gibeah they will settle accounts for this outrageous and vile evil that was done in Israel." 11 So all the men in Israel were gathered against the city, totally united.
12 The Israelite tribes sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin saying, "What's the meaning of this outrage that took place among you? 13 Surrender the men right here and now, these hell-raisers of Gibeah. We'll put them to death and burn the evil out of Israel." 14 Instead they raised an army from all their cities and rallied at Gibeah to go to war against the People of Israel. 15 In no time at all they had recruited from their cities twenty-six divisions of sword-wielding infantry. From Gibeah they got 700 hand-picked fighters, the best. 16 There were another 700 super marksmen who were ambidextrous - they could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. 17 The men of Israel, excluding Benjamin, mobilized 400 divisions of sword-wielding fighting men.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Judges 20:8-17
Chapter Contents
The tribe of Benjamin nearly extirpated.
The Israelites' abhorrence of the crime committed at Gibeah, and their resolution to punish the criminals, were right; but they formed their resolves with too much haste and self-confidence. The eternal ruin of souls will be worse, and more fearful, than these desolations of a tribe.