SERIES H --- THE JUDGES --- LESSON 21

A WAR OF PUNISHMENT

THE BATTLE AGAINST BENJAMIN

From Judges 20:1-23

From all over the land of Israel they came; north to south, Dan to Beersheba and from across the Jordan River in the land of Gilead, meeting with one purpose at Mizpah. The army of Israel was armed and ready for battle against the tribe of Benjamin and word of this great assembly soon reached the people of that tribe. Before going to battle, the chiefs of the tribes summoned the dead woman’s husband and asked him, ‘how did this evil deed happen?’ The Levite husband of the dead woman told them about the incident. ‘My concubine and I came to the city of Gibeah, in the land of Benjamin, to spend the night,’ he said. ‘But some men in Gibeah surrounded the house and made plans to kill me. They molested my concubine all night until she died. When I took her body home, I cut it into pieces and sent it throughout Israel. Now this is a wicked thing that these men have done, so people of Israel, tell me what you think!’ The people spoke as one voice. ‘No one will go home until we have punished Gibeah,’ they said. ‘We will choose a tenth of us; one of ten, ten of each hundred, a hundred of each thousand, a thousand of each ten thousand; to carry the supplies while the rest of us march against Gibeah to punish those men for their wicked deed.’ That day all Israel united against the city of Gibeah. Soon messengers were sent out into the territory of Benjamin. ‘Do you realize what has happened in your land? Surrender the guilty men so that we may put them to death and remove this sin from Israel.’ But the people of Benjamin ignored the messengers. They sent twenty-six thousand men to Gibeah to help the seven hundred men of that city. All were skilled fighters, but the seven hundred were left-handed, so skilled with the sling that they could hit a hair without missing. But the Benjamite soldiers faced more than four hundred thousand swordsmen in the army of Israel! As the time for battle neared, the men in Israel’s army went to Bethel to seek YHVH’s guidance. ‘Which tribe shall go first to fight the Benjamites?’ they asked. ‘Judah,’ Adonai answered. Early the next morning the army of Israel arose, set up camp near Gibeah and arranged a battle line against the city. But the army of Benjamin rushed from Gibeah and killed twenty-two thousand men of Israel. The survivors went to seek YHVH’s guidance, weeping before Adonai until evening. ‘Shall we go again to fight our brothers the Benjamites?’ ‘Go!’ Adonai answered. The next day, the army of Israel returned to the same place.

COMMENTARY

ISRAELITE WEAPONS

The Levite, whose concubine was killed by the Benjamites, sent word of that evil deed to all Israel. The Israelites gathered for a conference. They determined to punish the Benjamites, even if it meant a terrible civil war. Though the Israelites were often in battle against Philistines and Canaanites, they were unskilled and badly equipped at this time for warfare. Israelite men had almost no training and their weapons were few and simple. Those who owned stone or metal farming tools used them both in the fields and in battle. Hammers, axes, saws and the metal points from ploughs were among the farming tools used as weapons. They fought with small bows, sticks and the slings used by shepherds to protect their flocks. They sometimes carried hunting knives or nets. Many of their tools and weapons were made of soft copper, which quickly dulled with use. The Canaanite armies fought with weapons made of the more durable bronze. The Philistines used iron; the strongest metal available at that time. But the Philistines kept the technique of casting iron to themselves. They made certain there was not one smith among all the Israelite tribes. What little iron the Israelites possessed they acquired from the Philistines during peacetime. Often the only real weapons many Israelite soldiers had were those they had managed to take from slain or captured enemies. They must have grown expert at wrestling swords and spears from warriors during battle. They did manage to stockpile a fairly large number of weapons for use in close combat; daggers, swords, spears and short wooden staves. Canaanite and Philistine soldiers wore armour on their bodies and helmets on their heads; their feet were covered with metal-fronted boots; they carried sturdy shields. The Israelite soldier went into battle wearing the clothes he wore every day; a cloak of coarse cloth belted at the waist and simple leather sandals on his feet; a few had the sad protection of a poor wooden shield covered in leather. Only their leaders; and not always all of them; could afford metal body armour like their enemies wore. At times the Israelites were so unequipped and unprepared for war that they could do little more than hide in caves, wells and ravines while the Canaanites destroyed their homes and farms, this happened most often during the time of the judges. Faced with such overwhelming odds, the Israelites learned to use tactics rather than brute force against their enemies. In a sense, intelligence became their best weapon. Foot soldiers lured the heavy and awkward chariots of the enemy onto marshy ground where their wheels were trapped in mud or fought their battles in the hills where the chariots were not able to manoeuvre. The Israelites discovered that a large and disorganized army did less good than a small disciplined one with precise plans. Small groups of lightly armed men could move much more easily and quickly than the Philistine and Canaanite warriors, who were weighted down with metal helmets, shields and armour. With tactics such as these and with YHVH’s help, the Israelites were able to survive the many long years of war.