What does Judges 20:21 mean?
The outcome of the first day of battle between Benjamin and the rest of the tribes of Israel (Judges 20:15–17) is shocking. Israel's cause was just. They had come to restore righteousness to Israel by destroying guilty rapists and murderers in the city of Gibeah (Judges 19:22–28; 20:12–14). Israel had also taken the then-unusual step of asking the Lord for specific direction before they attacked. Their total army numbers fifteen times the size of Benjamin's forces, but the tribe of Judah is called on to attack first (Judges 20:18–21).Despite massive numbers, more than one in twenty of Israel's forces are killed and Benjamin is still in control of their home territory. As is typical of ancient accounts, the casualties of the winning side are not listed. In almost all cases where people defend native territory from invaders, knowledge of the local terrain would have been an enormous advantage. It's possible the landscape around Gibeah provided especially useful natural defenses, a strategic advantage which mere numbers could not overcome. And yet, it's unlikely anyone expected the day to end with so many of Israel's own army killed in the battle.