050Response to the Outrage at Gibeah

Response to the Outrage at Gibeah (20:1-48)

In this session we will look at how Israel responds to the rape and death of the young concubine at Gibeah. This chapter will provide an insight into the character of the Levite, the Israelites, and the Benjamites, as the writer depicts the preparation of the coming battle between Israel and the wayward tribe of Benjamin. We will begin with the assembly of the tribes of Israel in Mizpah.

The Assembly (20:1-3a)

In these verses the writer stress the depth and unity of Israel’s response to Levite’s sending out body parts dismembered concubine to the tribes of Israel. The writer uses two phrases to show the solidarity of Israel in dealing with this tragedy and stain on their national honor. We encounter both phrases in verse one. The first phrase, “all the Israelites” as translated in the NIV, actually means “All the sons of Israel” in Hebrew and is used in only one other place in Judges, 2:4. This is the first usage of the second phrase in the Old Testament, “from Dan to Beersheba,” which represents a “geographic definition of the nation in the Old Testament.” This would reflect the geography of the writer’s time and not necessarily of the actual geography at the time of this gathering of Israel at Mizpah. It is unlikely that the Tribe of Dan was clearly recognized as the most northern boundary of the nation at this time. Both phrases are used of the writer to demonstrate that it was all of Israel that was united in taking action against the tribe of Benjamin, with at least one known exception that will become important in 21.8-9. The writer will continue to emphasize this unity of action by the use of the word “all” in several places in this chapter. The context shows that this only includes the other eleven tribes; Benjamin was not part of this assembly. Furthermore, the congregation was assembled as one man, emphasizing the unity of the eleven tribes a unity emphasized several times in the context. For example, the phrase as one man appears three times (verses 1, 8, and 11); the phrase, all the tribes of Israel appears three times (20:2, 20:10, and 21:5); the phrase, all the people in 20:8 only; and the phrase all the men of Israel in 20:11 only.

Verse 2 describes the presentation of the chiefs at the assembly: “The leaders of all the people of the tribes of Israel.” They presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God. This is the only place that the phrase the assembly of the people of God is used, but it again emphasizes that this was a holy war with a moral mission. With the leaders was an army of four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword. Not all the Israelites were there, but all the leaders were there, along with the whole army. Since this was the total army, it shows that the population had decreased by one-third since the Exodus and the Conquest when the army was closer to 600,000.

Verse 3a notes the report to Benjamin: (The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) Such a massive gathering at the Benjamite border where Mizpah was located could not be hidden, and this gave the Benjamites time to mobilize their army. The fact that they heard the tribes had assembled but did not attend shows that they were siding with the perpetrators of the crime. In verse 3b, the Levite was asked, “Tell us how this awful thing happened.”

It is interesting to see that this nameless Levite from some remote place in Ephraim did what no judge had been able to do. Daniel Block tells us that “Not even Deborah and Barak had been able to galvanize support and mobilize the military resources of the nation to this extent.”

After underscoring the unity and completeness of the Israelites’ response to the outrage at Gibeah, the writer makes note of the spiritual nature of this assembly. By referring to it as an assembly of the people of God the writer “identifies the nation as a body “called out” by Yahweh to engage in holy war.” In the Torah the Hebrew word for “assembly” was a favorite designation for the people of Israel gathered together to worship Yahweh.

The writer adds that Israel “assembled before the Lord at Mizpah.” This Mizpah is not the Mizpah in the Transjordan where Jephthah made his pact with the Gileadites in 11:11. The Mizpah spoken of here is thought to have been located approximately “twelve kilometers north of Jerusalem and four to five and one-half kilometers northwest of Gibeah, on the boundary between Benjamin and Ephraim.”

In the first three verses we get the impression that perhaps Israel has turned the corner- that they have come back to Yahweh. With the mention of the fact that it was an assembly of the people of God and that they had assembled before the Lord, it seems like this is a gathering of God’s people turn to Him to seek His will- but that is not the case. They did not gather to seek God’s will but they gathered as an army to right an outrage against the Levite done by the men of Gibeah. We have little information as to what the various tribes may have thought when they each received a body part of the Levite’s concubine but it seems that the body part and the summons by the Levite was enough to make the tribes gather at Mizpah and be willing to fight to right the wrong that was done to him.  In v3a we find out that not all tribes gathered at Mizpah. The tribe of Benjamin was not among those tribes gathered at Mizpah and no reason for their absence is given by the writer. We are left to conclude that perhaps they had decided to defend their fellow Benjaminites, the men of Gibeah, and stand against the other tribes of Israel and as Block suggests also against Yahweh.

The Question: 20.3b-4a

The question of 3b raises more questions. To whom was the question of 3b addressed? Was it addressed to any of the leaders or was it addresses specifically to the Levite? To what awful thing was the question referring? Was it the murder of the concubine, the lack of hospitality shown by the Gibeahites, or perhaps simply the dismemberment of the woman?

Since the Levite answers the question it is logical to assume the question was addressed to him. It is interesting to note how the writer introduces the Levite. He is “the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman.” If this were a spiritual gathering the Levite’s role would be to have led the gathering but this is not a spiritual gathering and the Levite is announced as the husband of the murdered woman and it as a husband he addresses the gathering. Daniel Block raises an interesting question by noting that the concubine is described as the “murdered woman” rather than the “dead woman.” Murder normally refers to a “premeditated” act and if that is the case then Block questions the description of her death in 19.27-29. “Was not the intention of the men of Gibeah to rape her and abuse her all night, and then to let her go (19:25)? If her death was a secondary effect of their violence, would it be called murder? On the other hand, 19:27 leaves open the question whether she was even dead when the Levite found her. If not, then the person who answers the Israelites’ questions is no longer an aggrieved party but the criminal.” Verses 4b-7, the Levite’s answer to the question of 3b, does not provide any satisfactory answers to the questions raised by Block.

The Levite describes for Israel what happened in Gibeah. He tells them that he and his concubine came to Gibeah of Benjamin to spend the night. Once they were settled in the house of the old man the men of the city came after him and surrounded the house, intent on killing him. Instead they raped his concubine and she died. He then took his concubine, cut her in pieces, and sent a piece to each tribe in Israel. After telling what happened, he asks for a verdict.

On the surface the Levite’s explanation may seem satisfactory but a closer examination suggests that there are holes and as Block notices “certain features of the speech are extremely troubling.”  Block has the following problems with the Levite’s response:

“The Levite expresses no concern whatsoever for his concubine. On the contrary, he diminishes her role at the outset by opening with a first person singular verb (v. 4b). In fact, he transforms an explanation of the events into a self-centered apologia. The Levite makes it sound as though Gibeah was his destination saying nothing of his domestic troubles or how he had been proved wrong for recommending to his servant and concubine that they spend the night in Gibeah rather than Jebus. He blatantly twists the facts by claiming that he was the primary target of the men of the city. They had risen against him, surrounded the house because of him, and sought to kill him. For some (undeclared) reason, their attention had been deflected to the concubine, whom they raped and violated, though he does explicitly link the woman’s death to the actions of the men of the city. His addition of “and she died” at the end of v. 5 does not preclude the possibility that he may himself have had a hand in her death. Finally, although his vocabulary sounds pious, he makes no reference to Yahweh, let alone appeal to him to act in defense of the covenant and/or the sanctity of the land.”

Regardless of Block’s questions or the Levite’s self-interest, the Levite’s speech in conjunction with his sending various body parts of his wife to the tribes of Israel is more than enough to galvanize Israel to take action against Gibeah. The Levite, as we mentioned earlier, has accomplished more than any Judge as he brought the tribes together to take part in a united action against the Benjaminites. The irony here is that for both the Levite and Israel all is accomplished without Yahweh. Yet even though the Yahweh’s involvement appears non-existent, the plans of Levite and Israel seemingly succeed just like the Danites did in the previous section. 

Israel’s Reaction: 20.8-13

The speech of the Levite moved the army of Israel to take immediate action against Gibeah and then subsequently against Benjamin. Israel resolves that none will go home until the city of Gibeah is punished (20:8-10).  Another example of Israel taking action without Yahweh is seen in the fact that rather than inquire of Yahweh as to the order in which the tribes should go into battle, Israel simply relies upon the lot to determine who will lead the attack.

In verses 10-11 we see that Israel is preparing for a rather protracted campaign as they are concerned about establishing supply lines for the army. At the end of v10 we are given the mission statement of the campaign: “When the army arrives at Gibeah in Benjamin, it can give them what they deserve for all this vileness done in Israel.” As is proclaimed in verse 11 the support for this mission is unanimous. Not since the days of Joshua have we seen the tribes of Israel so united against a common foe, it is tragic that the foe is an Israelite city rather than a city of the Canaanites.

Verses 12-13 report that prior to attacking Gibeah Israel sends representatives throughout the tribe of Benjamin asking their support in punishing Gibeah by surrendering them to the army for execution.

Setting the Stage: (20:14-17)

Benjamin not only refuses the demands of their brethren, placing themselves alongside the “rapists rather than the assembly of God,” but they move their forces to Gibeah to confront the army of Israel (v14-15). The Benjaminites mobilize an army of twenty-six thousand swordsmen and seven hundred chosen men from Gibeah. In verse 16 we are told that among Benjamin’s forces there were seven hundred left-handed men who were expert with a sling. Israel counters by facing Benjamin with four hundred thousand swordsmen (v17).

Three Battles (20:18-48)

The First Battle (20:18-21)

The first battle opens with the Israelites at Bethel asking God who should be the tribe to lead Israel into battle against the Benjamites. We might wonder why the Israelites didn’t ask the big question like “Should we go to war against our brothers over this issue?” but they didn’t instead the writer tells us that it was the minor points that Israel turned to God to resolve. Block also points out that the generic term for God, Elohim, was used instead of the more personal, covenant name for God, Yahweh. Perhaps the usage of Elohim is an indicator that this was more of a formality than a real question.

Yahweh answers saying: “Judah shall go first.” Judah was a logical choice in that the Levite had begun his travel from Bethlehem in Judah and the woman was from Bethlehem.  Judah was also the tribe that seems to have been designated as the “go to tribe” when it came to fighting as evidenced by their successes in chapter one of Judges. So this may have been a logical choice. The difference here is that while this may have been looked at as a holy war it is war against kin, a fellow Israelite tribe and not the Canaanites even thought the Benjaminites “by their conduct have demonstrated themselves functionally and spiritually Canaanites.”

We are told the events of the first battle in verses 19-21. Israel with all of the advantages on paper was eager for battle and yet at the end of the day it was Benjamin who emerged the victor. The Benjaminites are credited with killing twenty-two thousand Israelites, a staggering number in that it was almost equal to the entire army of the Benjaminites. We are not told how Benjamin achieved this or what Benjamin’s casualties were but they indeed carried the day.

The Second Battle (20:22-25)

There is no hint of the Israelites being discouraged by their defeat as they prepare for a second engagement. This time however Israel was not so eager. Before returning to the battlefield they went weeping before God and this time they ask the big question “Shall we go up again to battle against the Benjaminites, our brothers?” And Yahweh responds “Go up against them.” On the morning of a new day, Israel launches another attack against the Benjaminites, but the results are pretty much the same. Israelite casualties are around eighteen thousand fighters while again there is no indication how Benjamin was able to defeat Israel or is there any mention of Benjamin casualties. 

 

The Third Battle (20:26-48)

The third battle is given the greatest coverage by our writer as he goes into greater detail of this third and final battle. In verse 26 the writer reveals how crestfallen the Israelites were over this second defeat. “Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, and there they sat weeping before the Lord. They fasted that day until evening and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord.” Note the increase in the intensity as now all the people go up and not only do they weep before Yahweh but now they also fast and present offerings. Are they now realizing that perhaps there are some relationship issues between Israel and Yahweh that need to be repaired?

The Inquiry (20:27-28)

 Verses 27-28 indicate that doubt regarding this venture is now foremost in the minds of Israel. While they ask if they should go up against Benjamin there are two telling words added “or not?” We also have mention of the presence of the Ark of the Covenant of God.  The writer may be implying that after two defeats Israel was pulling out all the stops and that they brought the ark to Bethel from Shiloh, as a symbol of God’s presence and to bring them victory in the battle against the Benjamites. Daniel Block suggests that it is possible that the phrase “in those days probably refers to the days of the first two battles described in vv. 18-25. If this interpretation is correct, then the strategy had obviously failed.”

According to v. 28b, in response to the third question of whether or not the Israelites should attack Benjamin again, Yahweh replies that yes they should attack and that He would deliver the Benjamites into the hands of the Israelites the next day.

The Result (20:29-48)

The writer, until now, has described the battles between the Israelites and Benjamites only from Israel’s perspective. After two resounding defeats and the death of forty thousand or more soldiers, Israel is left wondering “Is God on our side?” “If this is a just war where is God?”

Throughout his account of the first two battles the writer has provided us with insight into the emotions of Benjamin after their two victories against an overwhelming force. We know nothing of the losses of Benjamin or how they went about so easily defeating a superior force. We are left to construct for ourselves the emotions and excitement that must have been on display in Benjamin’s camp after their first two overwhelming victories over Israel. We might wonder about their confidence level. Where they beginning to feel as if they were indestructible? Were they thanking Yahweh for their victories? Did they feel that Yahweh was on their side and that they were in the right to defend the men of Gibeah from punishment at the hands of Israel? These are but some of the questions we are left to answer on our own.

It is in the third battle that we see the focus of the writer turn from Israel to Benjamin as he pays particular attention to the emotions of the Benjamites. “He (the writer) focuses particularly on the emotions of the Benjamites at the moment they realize they are about to be annihilated. This moment of realization is the high point of the chapter.”

 Verses 29-34 describe the ambush that Israel sets in place to trap and destroy Benjamin. Israel lures Benjamin into its ambush by doing what it had done in two previous engagements and Benjamin, predictably reacts as it had previously. Experiencing initial success the Benjamite forces likely felt certain that the results would once again prove them victorious over Israel. Benjamin clearly feels that this battle will end with them experiencing victory a third time. Things certainly seem to be going their way.

The Israelites turn from the forces of Benjamin and begin to flee. Benjamin, believing that the rout is on run after them not recognizing that they were being “lured” into an ambush. As soon as Benjamin had been lured far enough away from the walls of Gibeah an Israelite force moved in behind the Benjamites, preventing them from returning to the safety of the city walls. At the same time Israel launched an attack on the unprotected city of Gibeah.

In verses 35-41 we are given a detailed account of the destruction of Benjamin, prefaced with the statement in verse 35 that the credit for this victory belonged to Yahweh. It was “this divine intervention accounts for the rout of the Benjamites.” The results this day were unlike the previous battles as this time more than 25,000 Benjamites had been cut down. The writer recounts how Israel lured Benjamin into their ambush and how the Israel had successfully triggered the ambush by burning the city, signaling that the city had been taken.

In v. 39 the writer tells us that as Benjamin was pursuing Israel they had no idea what was happening behind them. When Israel stopped running before them and turned around to face Benjamin, the Benjamites felt an initial sense of victory only to see the smoke rising from the city and realize that they were cutoff and that they were trapped in a vice of the Israelite army. Realizing their dire situation Benjamin’s forces turning towards the desert and begin to flee for their lives only to be caught and cut down by Israel.

We are provided with the casualty list from this battle for the Benjamites in verses 44-47. Twenty-five thousand Benjamites died survived by only six hundred men who were holed up in an area near the Rock of Rimmon.  In verse 48 the writer tells us that Israel turned to the land of Benjamin, burning the cities, killing the inhabitants and livestock. The tribe of Benjamin was nearly completely destroyed. This was what Yahweh had asked Israel to do to the Canaanites and yet here it was done to their kinsmen.

Conclusion

There are at least four things that standout in this chapter. First, we are finally given a picture of Israel completely engaged in a holy war against evil. As Daniel Block says: “All the key elements of Israel’s holy war traditions are found in this chapter: (1) The people assemble as one man before Yahweh. (2) The priest leads the people in seeking the will of Yahweh. (3) Yahweh gives directions about the order of march into battle. (4) Yahweh goes before Israel as the divine Warrior striking the enemy. (5) The people apply the law of holy war.”

The unfortunate thing is that this holy war took place against an enemy that was one of their own. It was against a tribe that had become so Canaanized that it literally was just like the Canaanites and they were treated as such. It was a statement of how deeply rooted the Canaanizing rot was in the culture of Israel.

Second, the writer presents us with a challenging picture of Yahweh. We see Yahweh as being just a witness to the gathering of Israel at Mizpah in verses 1-2, then responding to the inquiries of Israel regarding battle strategy (vv. 18, 23, 28), and finally acting in judgment of Benjamin, and punishing them for protecting and defending those whose despicable acts brought disgrace on all of Israel. As Block says “this account provides the clearest example of deuteronomistic theology in the book.” This is the classic example of disobedience bringing down Yahweh’s divine curse. There is no mercy only brutal justice. But it is not just the guilty that are punished: “All Israel suffers for the sin of one city, for with the annihilation of Benjamin they lose a brother and one-tenth of their own male population (over forty thousand soldiers from their own ranks).”

Third, we come to another great irony in the Book of Judges. Israel, which has been increasingly canaanized, gathers before Yahweh as a covenant community (vv. 1-3). Throughout the Book of Judges we have seen divinely called and empowered judges fail to be able to mobilize the nation into taking united action against the Canaanites and yet here “a nameless Levite of questionable character and with questionable methods is able to rally all the troops as “one man.”  

Daniel Block identifies another irony:

“The tribe that embodies right-handedness (Benjamin, “son of the right hand”) not only demonstrates its left-handedness metaphorically by being completely out of step with orthodox theological and ethical standards, but also, ironically, is able to field an entire contingent of first class left-handed warriors. A little army of twenty-six thousand, seven hundred of who are “handicapped with respect to the right hand,” is able to put to rout an army more than fifteen times its size, not once but twice. In the process they slaughter forty thousand Israelite soldiers, without a single stated casualty of their own.

Fourth and perhaps the greatest irony of all, we see the nation of Israel fighting a holy war against one of their own tribes with all the energy and aggression that they should have demonstrated if battling against the Canaanites. “Israel has discovered who her greatest foe is: she is her own worst enemy.”