What does Judges 20:22 mean?
The armies of eleven of Israel's twelve tribes have suffered devastating losses. What began as a police action to hold Gibeah responsible for abominable sins has become a civil war (Judges 20:12–20). Rather than cooperate by punishing the guilty, the people of Benjamin decided to defend their city. The armies of Israel had a fifteen to one advantage in numbers over the fighting men of Benjamin (Judges 20:15–17). But at the end of the first day's battle, about one in twenty of Israel's men have been killed. Gibeah has not fallen.Israel's warriors refuse to give in to despair. They choose courage and form the same battle lines against Gibeah they had formed the day before. They are ready to attack again, determined to overpower the Benjaminites this time. Israel will again insist on making sure that God is with them in this fight (Judges 20:23).