II. THE TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER AMONG THEIR TRIBES

In chapters twenty and twenty-one we have an account of the terrible slaughter among their tribes.

A. All the Children of Israel
Gathering as One Man unto Jehovah

All the children of Israel from Dan as far as Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, gathered as one man unto Jehovah. The leaders of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the congregation of the people of God at Mizpah, four hundred thousand footmen who drew the sword. The children of Benjamin heard about it (20:1-3a).

B. The Levite Telling Them the Story
of the Wickedness and Folly
of the Men of Gibeah

The Levite, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, told them the story of the wickedness and folly of the men of Gibeah. Then he asked all the children of Israel to give their advice and counsel (vv. 3b-7).

C. All the People Rising Up as One Man
and, Knit Together as One Man,
Being Gathered against the City of Gibeah

All the people rose up as one man, saying that none of them would go to their tents nor any of them return to their houses. Rather, they would go up against Gibeah by lot. Thus all the men of Israel, knit together as one man, were gathered against the city (vv. 8-11).

D. The Tribes of Israel
Sending Men throughout the Tribe of Benjamin

The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, requesting them to deliver up the worthless men who were in Gibeah, for they would kill them and put away the evil from Israel (vv. 12-13a).

E. The Benjaminites Not Listening
to the Voice of Their Brothers,
the Children of Israel

The Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the children of Israel. The children of Benjamin gathered together at Gibeah from their cities to go to battle with the children of Israel, with twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, apart from seven hundred choice men from Gibeah. These went out against four hundred thousand men of Israel who drew the sword, men of war (vv. 13b-17).

F. The Children of Israel
Going Up to Bethel and Inquiring of God

The children of Israel went up to Bethel and inquired of God as to which of them should go up first into battle with the children of Benjamin, and Jehovah said, “Judah first” (v. 18).

G. The Children of Israel and
the Children of Benjamin Coming into the Battle

The children of Israel and the children of Benjamin came into the battle, and on that day the children of Benjamin slew twenty-two thousand men of Israel (vv. 19-21).

H. The Children of Israel Going Up
and Weeping before Jehovah, Inquiring of Him

The children of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah into the evening. They inquired of Jehovah, saying, “Shall I again approach the battle with the children of Benjamin my brother?” Jehovah said, “Go up against him” (vv. 22-23).