Judges 20:1-48, Acts 20:13-38

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 20:25

‘ And Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen eleph men, all these drew the sword.’ How many units went forward we are not told, but eighteen of them were again thoroughly defeated. It is very probable that again it was largely due to the slingers. The children of Israel were swordsmen and could not cope with this weapon that knocked them down to the ground before they had even reached the enemy. The... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 20:26

‘ Then all the children of Israel and all the people went up, and came to the house of God, and wept and sat there before Yahweh, and fasted that day until evening.’ The second defeat brought them to their senses. The whole army of Israel, together with others who were concerned (the people), went to the central sanctuary at Bethel. And there they wept, and waited before God, and fasted. There would be great searching of heart and it may be that on this day the people repented for their... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 20:27

‘ And the children of Israel enquired of Yahweh, for the Ark of the Covenant was there in those days.’ This confirms that at this time for some reason the Ark was at Bethel, and probably the Tabernacle, although it was mostly at this time at Shiloh (Joshua 18:1; Joshua 18:8-10; Joshua 19:51; Jdg 18:31 ; 1 Samuel 1:3; 1 Samuel 1:24; 1Sa 2:14 ; 1 Samuel 3:21; 1 Samuel 4:3-4; 1 Samuel 14:3). (Although ‘Beth-el’ can translate as ‘the house of God (or El)’ it was not the usual expression for ‘the... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 20:28

Judges 20:28 a ‘(And Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days).’ Assuming this to be the Phinehas, son of Eleazar mentioned in Numbers 25:7; Joshua 24:33, who was known as a young man to Moses, and whose father died not long after Joshua (Joshua 24:33) this incident took place within forty or fifty years of the death of Moses and therefore very early in the Judges period before most of the incidents in Judges. But it may have been a later Phinehas, ‘son of’... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 20:29

‘ And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.’ There was now a change of tactics. Their previous tactics had not worked, probably because of the slingers. Now they decided that they must draw the children of Benjamin out of the city allowing the liers in wait to come in from behind and capture the city. These may well have been put in place at night. The tactics followed those of Joshua at Ai (Joshua 8:0). They had probably been reminded of them on recognising that their behaviour had... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 20:30

‘ And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.’ This was the third day of battle not the third day in succession. (Alternatively it might be seen as the third day following the previous battle). There were three memorable days of battle. This was the third of them. The number three is the number of completeness and this indicated to them that God’s perfect plan was coming to completion. ... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 20:31

‘ And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city. And they began to smite and to kill some of the people as at other times, in the high ways, of which one goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, in the country, about thirty men of Israel.’ The children of Israel went into retreat drawing the Benjaminites after them into the highways in the open country going towards Bethel. The Benjaminites, exulting in this further success, followed them leaving... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 20:32

‘ And the children of Benjamin said, “They are smitten down before us, as at first.” ’ This was their view of the position. They were overconfident and became careless, forgetting that their previous victories had been due to the slingers and the massed ranks of their enemies coming towards them. Judges 20:32 b ‘But the children of Israel said, “Let us flee, and draw them from the city into the highways.” ’ This was the strategy of the children of Israel, to draw the Benjaminites away from the... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 20:33

Judges 20:33 a ‘And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar.’ These men who ‘rose up out of their place’ were probably a large force lying in ambush. As the fleeing Israelites came towards them, followed by the exultant Benjaminites, they rose up and drew up in battle formation at Baaltamar, a place on the route. (Tamar means ‘palm tree’). Possibly it was a grove of palm trees where Baal worship had been prominent. Judges 20:33 b ‘And the liers... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 20:34

Judges 20:34 a ‘And there came over against Gibeah ten eleph chosen men out of all Israel.’ These ten units may have been the liers in wait, or they may have been the forces in ambush that suddenly appeared in front of the horrified Benjaminites, joining forces with the fleeing children of Israel. Or they may have been a third force which had been waiting for this moment. (As often with descriptions, ‘over against’ is rather vague although no doubt clear to the writer). Thus we may read ‘All... read more

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