Judges 20:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the people of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

NIV: And the Israelites inquired of the Lord. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there,

NASB: And the sons of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

CSB: Then the Israelites inquired of the Lord. In those days, the ark of the covenant of God was there,

NLT: The Israelites went up seeking direction from the Lord. (In those days the Ark of the Covenant of God was in Bethel,

KJV: And the children of Israel enquired of the Lord, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

NKJV: So the children of Israel inquired of the Lord ( the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

Eleven of twelve tribes of Israel have amassed near Gibeah to purge evil from their land (Judges 20:12–19). Their efforts have not gone well, so far. In two battles, more attacking soldiers were killed than the defending tribe, Benjamin, had when the conflict began (Judges 20:20–25). In response, Israel has taken their entire contingent to Bethel, nearby, to fervently seek God's will. They have spent the day weeping and appealing to the Lord, fasting until nightfall, and making sacrifices to Him (Judges 20:26).

Here, the text explains why this supplication happens in Bethel, rather than Shiloh, which was previously described as Israel's center of worship (Judges 18:31). For reasons unknown, the ark of the covenant of God (Deuteronomy 10:8; Joshua 4:18) had been brought to Bethel. The ark of the covenant of God was a box covered inside and out with gold. The Lord told Moses to build the ark according to very precise specifications. God said He would meet with Moses at the ark to give Israel His covenant law. The ark was to be kept in the holiest part of the tabernacle and was said to contain God's presence and could only be moved in accordance with God's specific commands (Exodus 25:10–22).

Scholars speculate the ark was taken there to help gain God's favor and power in defeating the Benjaminites. That clearly has not worked. The people find themselves asking, again, if they should even be attacking their brothers in the tribe of Benjamin at all. If this is what God wants, why have so many of their soldiers been killed in failed attacks?

Judges 20:18–34 describes three battles between eleven tribes of Israel and the twelfth, Benjamin. Benjamin's forces are outnumbered about fifteen-to-one as they defend the city of Gibeah (Judges 19:14, 22; 20:13). The first two attacks fail, with almost a tenth of the Israelite fighters killed. After a day of fasting and sacrifices, God promises Israel victory. Israel's army uses a new strategy and succeeds. The following section begins with a summary of their eventual victory (Judges 20:35).

A massive army collected from eleven of the twelve tribes of Israel gather near the town of Gibeah. Their goal is to purge evil from the land (Judges 19:22–28). The tribe of Benjamin refuses to cooperate. Instead, they assemble an army about one-fifteenth the size of Israel's army. After two failed attempts and a promise of victory from the Lord, Israel uses a false retreat and ambush strategy to destroy Gibeah. This results in the loss of Benjamin's entire army. Israel's wrath spills over onto the territory, itself. All the people, animals, and towns in the tribe's territory are attacked, and it appears that only 600 Benjaminite men survive.

In the prior chapter, Benjaminite men of the town of Gibeah committed an act of heinous sin (Judges 19:22–25). In response, the murdered woman's husband rallies Israel with a gruesome message (Judges 19:29–30). Chapter 20 depicts how the tribe of Benjamin refuses to hand over the guilty men. Civil war ensues, resulting in near-total annihilation of their tribe. This creates a new crisis in Israel, as described in chapter 21; Israel doesn't want Benjamin to become extinct.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).