Judges 20:1

Then all the children of Israel went out,.... Of their tribes, cities, habitations, not every individual of them, but some of the chief of them, with a select company with them: and the congregation

Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one

JUDGES CHAPTER 20 The Israelites assemble at Mizpeh: the Levite declares his wrong, . Their decree, , They require the delinquents of the Benjamites to do justice on them; they are denied, . Whereupon, having consulted God, they march to fight against them; are twice foiled; and lose forty thousand men, . Being humbled, and receiving clearer revelation from God, they, by a stratagem, destroy the whole tribe, six hundred men excepted, (who fled away,) and burnt their cities, . All the children of Israel, i.e. a great number, and especially the rulers of all the tribes, except Benjamin, ,12. Went out, from their several habitations. As one man, i.e. with one consent. From Dan even to Beer-sheba; Dan was the northern border of the land, near Lebanon; and Beer-sheba the southern border, . Compare . The land of Gilead, beyond Jordan, where Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh were. Unto the Lord; as to the Lord’ s tribunal; for God was not only present in the place where the ark and tabernacle was, but also in the assemblies of the gods, or judges, , and in all the places where God’ s name is recorded, , and where two or three are met together in his name, , for his service, and to seek for counsel and mercy from him: compare . In Mizpeh; a place in the borders of Judah and Benjamin, and therefore ascribed to both of them, 18:26. This they chose, as a place most fit and proper in many respects. First, As a place they used to meet in upon solemn occasions: see 11:11 ,16 10:17. Secondly, For its convenient situation for all the tribes within and without Jordan. Thirdly, As being near the place where the fact was done, that it might be more thoroughly examined; and not far from Shiloh, where the tabernacle was, whither they might go or send, if need were.

Judges 20:1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.Ver. 1. Unto the Lord in Mizpeh.] Where was, they say, an oratory or synagogue; and that here was the first beginning of synagogues, which were as chapels of ease to the tabernacle or temple. That meet at Mizpeh, is very famous. Hither they resorted, as being in the heart of the country, when any great business concerning the public was to be transacted. See 1 Samuel 10:17 Jeremiah 40:7-8.

(1) The congregation was gathered together.—This phrase is one which was familiar to the Israelites in the desert. It disappears after the days of Solomon (1 Kings 12:20). From Dan even to Beer-sheba.—This expression would be like “from John o’ Groat’s house to Land’s End “for England and Scotland (1 Samuel 3:18; 1 Samuel 17:11, &c.). Unless it be added by an anachronism, because it had become familiar when the Book of Judges was written, we should certainly infer from it that, early as were these events, they were subsequent to the migratory raid of the tribe of Dan to Laish. With the land of Gilead.—The Trans-Jordanic tribes obeyed the summons, with the exception of the town of Jabesh-Gilead. Unto the Lord.—See Note on Judges 11:11. There is not, however, the same difficulty in supposing that the ark and Urim was taken to this Mizpeh, for we see in Judges 20:27 that it was taken to Bethel. In Mizpeh.—See Note on Judges 11:11. This Mizpeh is not the same as the one there mentioned, but is probably the bold hill and watch-tower now known as Neby Samwil, and called Mountjoie by the Crusaders, from which the traveller gains his first glimpse of Jerusalem. In the Hebrew the name has the article, “the watch-tower.” It was the scene of great gatherings of the tribes in the days of Samuel (1 Samuel 7:2; 1 Samuel 10:17) and of Solomon (2 Chronicles 1:3, probably), and even after the captivity (2 Kings 25:23).

CHAPTER XX The heads of the eleven tribes come before the Lord in Mizpeh, and examine the Levite relative to the murder of his wife, who gives a simple narrative of the whole affair, 1-7. They unanimously resolve to avenge the wrong, and make provision for a campaign against the Benjamites, 8-11. They desire the Benjamites to deliver up the murderers; they refuse, and prepare for battle, having assembled an army of twenty-six thousand seven hundred men, 12-16. The rest of the Israelites amount to four hundred thousand, who, taking counsel of God, agree to send the tribe of Judah against the Benjamites, 17, 18. They attack the Benjamites, and are routed with the loss of twenty-two thousand men, 19-21. They renew the battle next day, and are discomfited with the loss of eighteen thousand men, 22-25. They weep, fast, and pray, and offer sacrifices; and again inquire of the Lord, who promises to deliver Benjamin into their hands, 26-28. They concert plans, attack the Benjamites, and rout them, killing twenty-five thousand one hundred men, and destroy the city of Gibeah, 29-37. A recapitulation of the different actions in which they were killed, 38-46. Six hundred men escape to the rock Rimmon, 47. The Israelites destroy all the cities of the Benjamites, 48. NOTES ON CHAP. XX Verse 1. Unto the Lord in Mizpeh.] This city was situated on the confines of Judah and Benjamin, and is sometimes attributed to the one, sometimes to the other. It seems that there was a place here in which the Lord was consulted, as well as at Shiloh; in 1Mac 3:46, we read, In Maspha was the place where they prayed aforetime in Israel. These two passages cast light on each other. Some think that Shiloh is meant, because the ark was there; but the phrase before the Lord may signify no more than meeting in the name of God to consult him, and make prayer and supplication. Wherever God's people are, there is God himself; and it ever was true, that wherever two or three were assembled in his name, he was in the midst of them.

1. the congregation was assembled] The two words at once stamp the character of source B; cf. in the Priestly Code Leviticus 8:4, Numbers 16:42; Numbers 20:2, Joshua 18:1; Joshua 22:12. The congregation Judges 21:10; Judges 21:13; Judges 21:16 (Hebr. ‘ηdhah, LXX synagτgη) is regularly used by P, and by writers under the influence of P, to describe Israel as a religious community (e.g. Exodus 12:3, Numbers 1:2, Joshua 22:16 etc., 1 Kings 8:5; 1 Kings 12:20). Less characteristic, but frequently found in the Priestly narrative, is the assembly Judges 20:2, Judges 21:5; Judges 21:8 (Hebr. ḳ ?βhβl, LXX usually ecclesia, sometimes synagτgη), to denote the people as an organized whole (e.g. Deuteronomy 31:30, Leviticus 16:17, Numbers 16:3, Ezra 10:12; Ezra 10:14 etc.), or as assembled for some special purpose, an invasion, or instruction, or worship. as one man] Cf. Judges 20:8; Judges 20:11; 1 Samuel 11:7, Ezra 3:1. The ancient stories in Judges give a different picture; a corporate national life was not attained till a later age. from Dan even to Beer-sheba] i.e. from North to South of Israel’s territory; cf. Judges 18:7 n. and 2 Samuel 3:10; 2 Samuel 24:2, contrast 1 Chronicles 21:2 etc. To include Israel on the E. of Jordan, with the land of Gilead is added (cf. Judges 21:8). Mizpah] may be identified with the hill Nebξ Samwξl, 4½ m. N.W. of Jerusalem, 2935 ft. above the sea, and about 3 m. from Tell el-Fϋl (Gibeah), in the centre of the Benjamite district. A holy place occupied the summit (1 Samuel 7:5 ff; 1 Samuel 10:17-24), probably from very early times. See further Jeremiah 40:6 ff.; 1Ma 3:46. While the narrative A speaks of Mizpah as the meeting-place of the Israelites (Judges 20:3, Judges 21:1), B refers to Beth-el (Judges 20:18; Judges 20:26, Judges 21:2).

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.

THE COUNCIL AT MIZPEH, Judges 20:1-11. 1. From Dan even to Beer-sheba — The common formula to designate the entire country, from its northern to its southern boundary.