Judges 20:1 - Meaning and Application

All Israel gathered to deal with the crime involving the Levite’s concubine and to decide what should be done. It does not seem that any one leader called them together. Rather, they came by common agreement, as one people stirred by a holy concern for God’s honor and Israel’s good.

They met at Mizpeh, a place close enough to Shiloh, where the tabernacle was. Since Shiloh was a small town, Mizpeh likely served as their base when such a large group assembled before the Lord. They chose the nearest important town, perhaps to avoid placing too much burden on Shiloh and the priests who lived there.

The people who came were all Israel, from Dan in the far north to Beersheba in the south, along with the land of Gilead, that is, the tribes east of the Jordan. They came as one man, showing a rare unity for the public good. This was an assembly of the people, not mainly of priests and Levites, even though a Levite was at the center of the case. The people acted like a nation appealing to its own judgment, and they were 400,000 armed foot soldiers, men ready for service.

The leading men of the nation also stood with the assembly, as representatives of the rest. They took their places over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, showing that they had some order and rule among them, even without a single commander over all. So this gathering was both a council for advice and a muster of the militia for action.

Benjamin was told about the meeting at Mizpeh. They likely received a lawful summons to appear with their brothers, so the matter could be fairly examined before any decision was made. If they had listened, the later disaster might have been avoided. Instead, the news seems to have hardened and angered them.

The charge against the men of Gibeah was then examined carefully. The report first sent out was terrible, but it was fitting to investigate more closely, since such things are often made worse in rumor. A committee likely heard witnesses on oath, for the law did not allow someone to be put to death, much less many people, on the testimony of only one witness. The Levite’s account is recorded here.

He said he had come to Gibeah only as a traveler, looking for a place to stay, and had given them no reason to suspect evil. Yet the men of Gibeah, including the leading men who should have protected strangers, rose up in riot and surrounded the house, intending to kill him. He did not repeat the shameful demand they made, since their sin was too vile to be fully spoken aloud. It was enough to say they wanted his death, and he would rather have died than submit to their wickedness. If they had gotten him, they would have abused him until he died, as they had done to his concubine.

To stir the tribes to righteous anger, he sent pieces of her mutilated body throughout Israel. That called the people together to bear witness against the lewdness and folly committed in Israel. All sexual wickedness is foolish, but it is especially shameful in Israel. Those who defile their own bodies, though they bear the mark of God’s covenant in their flesh, and who defy the judgment of heaven so openly, are truly foolish.

He ended by appealing to the judgment of the court. “You are all children of Israel,” he said, in effect, “so you know law and justice. You are God’s holy people, and you should hate anything that dishonors him or defiles the land. You are members of one community, so you should feel the sickness of any part of it. And since you are Israel, you should especially care for the Levites, God’s own tribe among you. So now give your counsel about what should be done.”

When they heard the case, they resolved not to go home until justice had been done on this wicked city, which had brought disgrace on their nation. Their zeal showed that they valued God’s honor and Israel’s honor above their own comfort and private affairs. They also acted wisely by sending out a large part of their force to gather food for the rest.

One of every ten men, chosen by lot, had to go back to his own district to bring bread and other supplies for this great army, which numbered 40,000 in all. When they left home, they had only brought what was needed for the trip to Mizpeh, not for a long camp before Gibeah. This also kept the men from scattering to find food for themselves, because if they had done that, it would have been hard to gather them all again, especially while their hearts were still so united.

This shows the wisdom of acting while holy zeal is still warm. Such eagerness for a good work can cool quickly if the work is delayed. We should never leave for tomorrow what we can just as well do today.

Their agreement in this plan, and in carrying it out, was also important. The resolution passed with no dissenting voice (Judges 20:8), and in action they were joined together as one man (Judges 20:11). Their strength and honor were in this, that the tribes did not put their own interests first when the common good was at stake.