The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 131
SECT. CXXXI.
THen all the Children of Iſrael, that is, the chief of them, viz, the Elders, Officers and Captains, from Dan to Beerſheba, together with thoſe without Jordan, met together as one man at Mizpeh, (d)In the Tribe of Benjamin, or in the Confines of Judah and Benjamin, and ſo reckoned among the Cities of both Tribes, Joſh. 15, 38. & Ch. 18.26.(which was a place they uſually held their publick Aſſemblies in, 1 Sam. 7.5. Judg. 10.15. as being in the heart of the Land,) excepting only the Benjamites, who (it ſeems) refuſed to come to this meeting, or to ſend any Meſſengers to them, reſolving to defend the men of Gibeah againſt them. The Iſraelites came together to act this weighty buſineſs as in Gods preſence, and to ask Counſel of Him, and to hear what He would give them in charge about it. No leſs then four hundred thouſand men now met, who expreſſed their Zeal to puniſh this abominable Fact of the men of Gibeah. But though they were ſenſible of the injury done to the Levite and his Concubine, yet it ſeems they took no notice of the great and provoking Injury done to God, by tolerating the Idolatry of the Danites, for which we ſhall ſee that God now intends to reckon with them. This great Aſſembly being thus met, the Levite came and declared his Caſe to them; He ſhews them how barbarouſly the men of Gibeah had uſed his Concubine, and how they had abuſed her, even till they had killed her; and they thought to have done the like to him alſo, which rather than he would have endured, he would have loſt his life. And therefore ſeeing they were all Iſraelites they ought to take to heart that ſuch and ſo foul an Abominaiion was committed in Iſrael, and ought to revenge it accordingly. The people were ſo inflamed hereat, that they vowed they would not ſo much as go home to their own houſes, till they had executed Judgment upon thoſe that were guilty of ſo abominable a Villany. Then they ſent Meſſengers to the Tribe of Benjamin, to deſire them to deliver up theſe Sons of Belial in Gibeah to deſerved puniſhment, who were guilty of this Crime, that ſo wrath might not be poured forth upon the whole Land for it; and herehy they would prevent a Civil War, and great blood-ſhed, which elſe was like to enſue. The Benjamites (it ſeems) thinking it a diſhonour to them that the other Tribes ſhould intermeddle with puniſhing any within their Territories, and being highly conceited of their own ſtrength and ability for Martial Affairs, and preſuming poſſibly that they were able to make good their part againſt all the other Tribes of Iſrael, they would not hearken to their Brethren, but prepared to fight it out. The Iſraelites perceiving that the Benjamites would not deliver the Malefactors into their hands, but were reſolved rather to defend them, they vowed that if they vanquiſhed the Benjamites [as they doubted not but they ſhould] they would not give any of their Daughters in marriage to any of them that were left alive, [ſee Ch. 21.1.] and likewiſe that they would deſtroy every Town throughout the whole Land of Iſrael, that would not ſend ſome of their people to this Aſſembly, nor help them in this War, Ch. 21.5. Then they determined to caſt lots who among them ſhould go up to fight againſt Gibeah, and who ſhould go forth to fetch in Proviſions for the Camp; For they thought that one in ten had need be ſet apart for this Service, and who they ſhould be, the lot ſhould decide. Then they went to Shiloh to inquire of the Lord by the High Prieſt (having on the Ephod, Numb. 27.21.) which of them ſhould go up firſt to the battel againſt the Children of Benjamin. They did not inquire of the Lord, Whither they ſhould go up againſt the Benjamites, or whither they ſhould prevail; They did not pray to God for his help, nor by Faſting and Humiliation, and true Repentance humble themſelves for their manifold Sins, nor by offering up Sacrifices of atonement ſeek to make their peace with God; but relying on the juſtneſs of their Cauſe, and their great Numbers, and ſtrength like men, preſuming of the Victory, to prevent variance among themſelves, and ſtriving for the honour of the day. They deſire only to know which of the Tribes ſhould go up firſt againſt Benjamin. They concluded that having eleven Tribes againſt one, and four hundred thouſand fighting men on their ſide they muſt needs prevail. The Lord tells them, Judah ſhall go up firſt. The Children of Benjamin alſo on the other hand prepared themſelves for the Encounter, and numbring their Forces, they found they were twenty ſix thouſand fighting men, beſides the Inhabitants of Gibeah, which were ſeven hundred choſen men; and in this their Army they had ſeven hundred choice men, left-handed, every one of them could ſling a ſtone at an hairs breadth, (e)An hyperbolical expreſſion, ſignifying they were exceeding skilful in ſlinging ſtones, and could commonly hit a ſmall mark.and not miſs. Matters being thus ordered on both ſides, the men of Iſrael went out to battel againſt Benjamin, and the Benjamites drew out their Forces out of Gibeah againſt them; and they joyning battel, the Benjamites prevailed, and cut down to the ground, and deſtroyed twenty two thouſand of the Iſraelites that day. The Iſraelites upon this ill ſucceſs retired to Shiloh, and wept before the Lord, but it ſeems it was more for the ſhame of the defeat, and their loſs of men, than for their ſins. They inquire of the Lord again whither they ſhall go up a ſecond time againſt Benjamin their Brother; but neither crave his Aſſiſtance, nor inquire of the Succeſs; whereby they intimate that they ſuppoſed the cauſe of their ill Succeſs before was becauſe God was not pleaſed with their warring againſt their Brethren; but they think not of their ſins, the true cauſe, and therefore God anſwers them accordingly. Go up (ſays He) againſt Him; as if He ſhould have ſaid, though Benjamin be your Brother, yet you may fight againſt him. So the Children of Iſrael encouraged themſelves, and went up againſt the Children of Benjamin the next day. The Benjamites drew out again out of Gibeah, and defeated the Iſraelites a ſecond time, and ſlew eighteen thouſand more of them. Upon this ſecond overthrow, the Iſraelites run to Shiloh again, and there faſt, and mourn, and repent of their ſins in good earneſt. Now they perceived that though God liked their Cauſe, yet he was diſpleaſed with their perſons. They ſaw that God did avenge his Own Cauſe upon them, becauſe they would not avenge his Cauſe againſt Idolaters. Therefore they now afflict their Souls in a moſt ſolemn manner, and offer Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings to make atonement for their Sins, that ſo they might obtain Gods favour. They now inquire again of the Lord by Phineas the High Prieſt, and by Ʋrim and Thummim, whither they ſhould go up any more againſt the Benjamites. The Lord bids them go up, for to morrow he would deliver the Benjamites into their hands. The Iſraelites having this Promiſe from God, undoubtedly were much encouraged thereby; however they reſolved not to neglect any good means to obtain the Victory, but by Policy and Military Stratagems to get all advantage they could of their Enemies. Accordingly they divided their Army into three parts, the one was laid in Ambuſh in the Medows of Gibeah, verſ. 33. the ſecond was ſent againſt Gibeah with Orders that they ſhould preſently fly before the Benjamites, that ſo they might draw them far off from the City, verſ. 30, 31. and the third (which was the main body) was to ſtay at Baal-tamar, and to renew the battel when the Benjamites came thither, in purſuit of the Iſraelites that fled before them. Things being thus ordered, that part of the Army that was to make the firſt On-ſet upon the Benjamites (and then preſently to fly and give back)*See a like Stratagem in the taking of Ai, Joſh. 8. marched up againſt the City, and accordingly flying when the Benjamites came out againſt them, the Benjamites eagerly purſued them, and killed about thirty men, and thought they ſhould have cut them down as they did before. But being drawn a good way off from the City, the Ambuſh aroſe (being ten thouſand men) and ſuddenly took the City, and ſet it on fire, which when they had done, they put themſelves between the City and the Army of the Benjamites to hinder their retreat. The Benjamites that purſued the Iſraelites little thought of this, or that evil was ſo near them. For on a ſuddain the flying Iſraelites turned head, and with the main body of the Army that ſtayed at Baal-tamar renewed the battel with great Courage and Violence. The Benjamites looking back, ſaw the ſmoke of the City aſcending, at which being much terrified, they fled before the Iſraelites, who deſtroyed eighteen thouſand †V. 15. The Children of Benjamin were twenty ſix thouſand and ſeven hundred. Of theſe the Iſraelites ſlew when they prevailed againſt them twenty five thouſand and one hundred, v. 35. ſix hundred of them only ſaved themſelves in Rimmon. It ſeems therefore that the other thouſand was ſlain in the two firſt battels wherein the Benjamit…s overcame the Iſraelites, for 'tis not like they could conquer them in two battels without ſome loſs.of them in the chaſe, thoſe that came out of the Cities to aſſiſt the Iſraelites hemming them in on every ſide, verſ. 42. and verſ. 44. and five thouſand more of them they killed in the High-ways as they found them in the purſuit ſcattered here and there, verſ. 45. and two thouſand more they ſlew at Gidom, verſ. 45. and the odd hundred, *Verſ. 46. Here the greater or round number is only expreſſed, and not the odd 100.which is not expreſſed in particulars, was ſlain [as it ſeems] ſome in one place and ſome in another; ſo that of the Benjamites there fell that day twenty five thouſand and one hundred, ſix hundred of them only eſcaping, who fled to Rimmon, a City built on a Rock betwixt Gibeah and Bethel, and abode there four months. The Iſraelites not ſatisfied with the ſlaughter of the men of Gibeah, and the Benjamites that came to fight in their Defence, they fell upon all other Cities in that Tribe, becauſe they had ſent Aids, and had aſſiſted their Brethren in this War, and in their Rage ſlew Man, Woman, and Child, and even the very Beaſts, and ſetting fire on their Cities, ſpared no living thing that came in their way, being tranſported with Fury that the Benjamites had undertaken the Defence of ſo horrible a Villany, and that they had ſlain no leſs then forty thouſand of the Iſraelites in this War. Thus when the Lord had made uſe of Benjamin to execute his Juſtice upon Iſrael for not puniſhing Idolatry, and for their other ſins; He then uſes Iſrael to puniſh Benjamin for not delivering the men of Gibeah up to juſtice.
Judg. 20. whole Chapter.