Commentary - Judges 20:1-48

Bird's-eye view

The book of Judges ends with two stories that serve as appendices, illustrating the depths of Israel's apostasy. This chapter is the climax of that second story. The refrain of the book, "in those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes," has now borne its rotten fruit. This is not just a civil war; it is a necessary, albeit tragically executed, act of national purification. A cancerous evil has erupted in the tribe of Benjamin, and the rest of the nation, in a moment of rare and righteous unity, rises up to excise it. But their righteous cause is tainted with self righteousness, and God must first humble His own people through two staggering defeats before He grants them victory. This chapter is a grim portrait of corporate sin, corporate guilt, and the terrible, swift judgment of God that is necessary to preserve a covenant people.

Outline

Context In Judges

This chapter, along with the preceding one, forms the final section of Judges. It is the bloody exclamation point on the book's central theme. The nation has spiraled downward from the heights of deliverance under men like Othniel and Gideon into a state of moral and spiritual anarchy. The Levite's story is a microcosm of the nation's state: a corrupt priesthood, sexual depravity, a breakdown of hospitality, and shocking violence. The civil war that follows is the inevitable result. When a people forsakes God's law as their standard, the only thing left is for the strong to prey on the weak, and for tribe to turn against tribe. This is the end of the line for a nation without a king, and without God as their King.

Commentary

vv. 1-2 The nation gathers "as one man." This is the language of covenant solidarity. From Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, all Israel is here. This is a holy convocation at Mizpah, a place of covenant renewal. They are rightly horrified by the atrocity in Gibeah. The sheer number, 400,000 swordsmen, shows the gravity of the situation. This is not a small matter. The entire body politic has been violated.

vv. 3-7 The Levite gives his testimony. And we must note, it is a carefully edited testimony. He presents himself as the innocent victim, and his concubine as the one who was violated and murdered. This is true, as far as it goes. But he conveniently leaves out the part where he shoved her out the door to save his own skin. He is a compromised man calling for a pure judgment. He is stoking the fires of their outrage, and he succeeds. This is a warning for us. Righteous causes can be, and often are, championed by unrighteous men. The truth of the accusation does not sanctify the accuser.

vv. 8-11 The people's response is swift and decisive. They resolve "as one man" not to return home until justice is done. They set up a logistical system to supply the army. Their zeal is commendable. When a vile and disgraceful act is committed in the midst of God's people, the proper response is not to look the other way, but to deal with it. This is the principle of church discipline, and it is the principle of civil justice. Evil must be purged.

vv. 12-13 Before they unsheathe the sword, they give Benjamin a chance to repent. This is crucial. They send messengers throughout the tribe and make a just demand: "Give up the men, the vile fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge this evil from Israel." They are not calling for the destruction of Benjamin, but for the execution of the guilty parties. This is in accordance with God's law. But the sons of Benjamin refused. They chose tribal loyalty over covenant faithfulness. They decided to protect their own wicked men rather than stand for righteousness with their brothers. At this moment, the guilt of the men of Gibeah became the guilt of the entire tribe of Benjamin. This is federal guilt. By shielding the evil, they became partakers in it.

vv. 14-17 Benjamin doubles down. They gather their own army. They are going to war to defend rapists and murderers. Notice the mention of their elite warriors, the 700 left handed slingers who could hit a hair and not miss. This is the pride of the flesh. They are confident in their military prowess. They think their sharpshooters can overcome the moral calculus of the universe. They are tragically mistaken.

v. 18 Israel goes to Bethel, the house of God, to inquire of the Lord. So far, so good. But their question is telling: "Who shall go up for us to begin the battle?" They are assuming victory. They believe their righteous cause and superior numbers guarantee success. They are asking God to rubber stamp their plans. God's answer is simple: "Judah shall begin it." He gives them the order of march, but He does not give them the promise of victory. Not yet.

vv. 19-25 The result is two days of catastrophic defeat for Israel. Forty thousand of their men are cut down by the Benjamites. Why would God allow this? Their cause was just. Benjamin was in the wrong. The reason is that God is not just interested in punishing the sin of Benjamin; He is also interested in purifying the hearts of Israel. They were proud. They were self righteous. They were relying on their own strength. So God used the wicked tribe of Benjamin as a rod of discipline to humble the rest of the nation. Before you can be God's instrument of judgment, you must first be humbled under His judgment. You must remove the log from your own eye before you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's.

vv. 26-28 This is the turning point. After 40,000 casualties, Israel is finally broken. They go back to Bethel, and this time their approach is entirely different. They weep. They fast. They offer burnt offerings for their sin and peace offerings to restore fellowship with God. They are no longer a proud army, but a contrite people. And now, with Phinehas the high priest ministering before the Ark, they ask the right question. "Shall I yet again go out to battle...or shall I cease?" They are finally surrendering the outcome to God. And only then does God give the promise they had been seeking: "Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand."

vv. 29-48 The third day is a complete reversal. Israel, now humbled and fighting with God's blessing, uses wisdom and strategy. The proud Benjamites, puffed up by their previous victories, are drawn into a trap and utterly destroyed. The judgment is devastating. The tribe is nearly annihilated. The men, the cities, the livestock, all are put to the sword. This is the terrible fulfillment of the demand to "purge the evil from Israel." The cancer has been cut out, but the surgery has left the patient bleeding and near death. This is the tragic fruit of sin. It does not just destroy the sinner; it brings devastation on all those connected to him.

Application

This is a hard chapter, but it is filled with crucial lessons. First, we see the horror of corporate sin. Benjamin's refusal to hand over the guilty made the entire tribe guilty. We live in an age of radical individualism, but the Bible teaches that we are bound together. A church that tolerates public, unrepentant sin becomes a guilty church. A nation that celebrates wickedness becomes a guilty nation. Second, we see the danger of self righteousness. Israel's cause was just, but their hearts were proud, and God had to break them before He could use them. We must always be wary of our own motives, even when we are fighting for the right things. Third, we see the necessity of true repentance. It was only when Israel wept, fasted, and laid themselves bare before God that He granted them victory. True revival and true reformation begin with brokenness. Finally, this whole bloody affair screams out our need for a true King. The problem in Judges was the lack of a king who would enforce God's law. This civil war was a desperate, chaotic attempt to do what a godly king should have done. This points us to the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings. He is the one who truly purges evil, not by the sword, but by His own blood. He is the one who unites a people to Himself, not as a fractious confederation of tribes, but as one body, the Church. The unity Israel sought with the sword is a gift to us by the Spirit.