Notes on Judges 20, verses 24-28

by Jonathan Spurlock
(Holts Summit, MO)

Judges 20:24, KJV: And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

They “came near” on Day #2 against Benjamin. As before, there are no details provided in the text about any of the strategy, number of soldiers, directions or plan of attack, etc.

25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

Benjamin once again seems to be on the offense, attacking the other Israelites as they had done the day before. Their aggressive tactics resulted in 18,000 additional casualties for the other Israelites; there is no record of any casualties among Benjamin’s troops.

26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

This time, the Israelites offered sacrifices besides weeping and fasting before the LORD.

27 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God (was) there in those days,

The Levite had stated he was going to the House of the LORD (Judg. 19:18) but if the location of the House had moved from Shechem (Josh. 24:1) to anywhere else, it is not stated. Neither is it stated why the Ark of the Covenant was there and not in the Tabernacle.

28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.

Although nowhere expressed, Phinehas, the High Priest, asked God for guidance. The LORD gave them the assurance that He would deliver Benjamin “into (their) hand”.

Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV).