seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Judges 20:1 Then all Israel from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came together as one and assembled before the Lord in Mizpah. 2 The leaders of all the people of the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, four hundred thousand men armed with swords. 3 (The Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the Israelites said, “Tell us how this awful thing happened.”
4 So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, said, “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. 5 During the night the men of Gibeah came after me and surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They raped my concubine, and she died. 6 I took my concubine, cut her into pieces and sent one piece to each region of Israel’s inheritance, because they committed this lewd and outrageous act in Israel. 7 Now, all you Israelites, speak up and tell me what you have decided to do.”
8 All the men rose up together as one, saying, “None of us will go home. No, not one of us will return to his house. 9 But now this is what we’ll do to Gibeah: We’ll go up against it in the order decided by casting lots. 10 We’ll take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred from a thousand, and a thousand from ten thousand, to get provisions for the army. Then, when the army arrives at Gibeah[a] in Benjamin, it can give them what they deserve for this outrageous act done in Israel.” 11 So all the Israelites got together and united as one against the city.
4 So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, said, “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. 5 During the night the men of Gibeah came after me and surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They raped my concubine, and she died. 6 I took my concubine, cut her into pieces and sent one piece to each region of Israel’s inheritance, because they committed this lewd and outrageous act in Israel. 7 Now, all you Israelites, speak up and tell me what you have decided to do.”
8 All the men rose up together as one, saying, “None of us will go home. No, not one of us will return to his house. 9 But now this is what we’ll do to Gibeah: We’ll go up against it in the order decided by casting lots. 10 We’ll take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred from a thousand, and a thousand from ten thousand, to get provisions for the army. Then, when the army arrives at Gibeah[a] in Benjamin, it can give them what they deserve for this outrageous act done in Israel.” 11 So all the Israelites got together and united as one against the city.
a. Judges 20:10 One Hebrew manuscript; most Hebrew manuscripts Geba, a variant of Gibeah
This is from Bible.org.
What a despicable account! The Levite desecrates and mutilates his wife’s corpse by cutting it into twelve parts and fed-exing one part to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Of course, he wants to mobilize the support of the tribes and punish the men of Gibeah who have killed his wife, but in fact, he was the one who had let them kill her! Surely there were other ways to call attention to Gibeah’s crime. Had the Levite gone to Shiloh where the tabernacle stood (18:31), and had he consulted with the high priest, he could have dealt with the matter according to God’s law and avoided causing a great deal of trouble. Once tempers were heated in Israel, however, it was difficult to stop the fire from spreading. The outrage escalates into a full-scale civil war that almost destroys the tribe of Benjamin.
Remember... this all started when this man's concubine ran away from this guy. This all started when this guy decided to head out late in the day... getting caught in Gibeah that night.... This all started when this guy decided to throw that woman out in the street to appease those men who wanted to do this guy harm. Can you tell.... I have no respect for this guy at all... and now he's incited the Israelites to go against one of their own family branches. That's right... this guy has everyone's ire aimed at the Benjamites.....
This is from Enduring Word.
Tell us, how did this wicked deed happen? The children of Benjamin wanted to know, so they could do something about this outrage.
They intended to kill me, but instead ravished my concubine: The Levite spun the story to his own advantage. What he said was true, but he didn’t mention the cruel and callous way he abandoned his concubine to the mob.
So all the people arose as one man: This was an encouraging response in a very dark time. They came together in unity and decided to bring justice to the people of Gibeah.
They may repay all the vileness that they have done in Israel: This was extreme, but a valid and proper fulfillment of God’s command to Israel Deuteronomy 13:12-18.
They intended to kill me, but instead ravished my concubine: The Levite spun the story to his own advantage. What he said was true, but he didn’t mention the cruel and callous way he abandoned his concubine to the mob.
So all the people arose as one man: This was an encouraging response in a very dark time. They came together in unity and decided to bring justice to the people of Gibeah.
They may repay all the vileness that they have done in Israel: This was extreme, but a valid and proper fulfillment of God’s command to Israel Deuteronomy 13:12-18.
OK... do you see the mistake the Israelites are making?
Every crime requires two (2) witnesses.... they are taking one man's version of the story.... this is not good...
The Benjamites are descendants of Benjamin. Benjamin was Joseph's baby brother. Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob. God changed Jacob's name to Israel. Benjamin was the pawn that Joseph used to get his family together in Egypt during the famine.
Now this man is inciting all of Israel against the descendants of Benjamin... and they only have one version of the story.
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