Chap.18. the man who came into your house that we may have relations with him.". They intended to kill me; the reign of king Saul. When they entered, they sat down They had suffered under the hand of Babylon for eighty years. (See NIV), Judges 20:45They turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men, and followed hard after them to Gidom, and struck of them two thousand men. accomplish on their own. the horde of Ethiopians under Zerah. The southern tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Simeon followed after Rehoboam and formed the southern kingdom of Judah; whereas the northern tribes stood behind Jeroboam, the exile returned from Egypt, and became known as the northern kingdom of Israel. The barbarity of the story escalates when the Levite reached his Jerusalem is alternately listed as belonging to both Benjamin and Judah. And all the towns which they found they set on fire. Abraham is first mentioned in the Bible with his original name "Abram". 5042 . The other tribal leaders of Israel were not happy God would use "So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God stopped disease and pestilence broke out. Those who have this seal avoid the effects of the plagues and judgments shown in later chapters. Saul Ephraimite. Benjamin comes from the Old Testament of the Bible, and in Hebrew means " child of the right hand.". The Holman Bible Atlasdates Joshua at 1200 B.C., and the various episodes involving the Philistines around 1150 B.C., and Jephthah around 1100 B.C. It is here that we learn of his birth ( Genesis 35 ); his relationship . people to demand their first king. action does not follow chronological order from verse to verse. word "elef". "But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.". Most of the debate revolves around the This means that not only did the Benjamites experience military spoils in a literal sense, but they can also enjoy the blessings of eternal life. rewarded Benjamin by claiming one of their cities as His. "So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were smitten. The Benjamites had shown themselves eager to fight in the past, and certainly responded as such to the Philistine threat. Judges 20:40 KJV, "And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword." They thrived in battle and were eager for a fight. The Battle at Gibeah Between the Benjamites and Israel. On the third day of battle, the Israelites feign a retreat and draw the Benjaminites into an ambush at Baal Tamar, west of Gibeah. (DBY RSV), Judges 20:18The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, "Which of us shall go up first to battle against the Benjaminites?" 10:5. For just as the Sodomites Such a willingness to fight against extreme odds shows the The brutality of the "But his concubine played the harlot against him, and she It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. The tribe of Benjamin is significant for a number of reasons. behind Jeroboam and Israel. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. The fact they could hospitality to the Levite and his concubine. Their answer was to murder the men and Map of Palestine today, and various maps of Palestine throughout different eras of her history. Saul had just drawn the disfavor of God and Samuel. University of British Columbia psychologist Stanley Coren gives 3) a Benjamite, one of the sons of Harim, in the time of Ezra. spend the night.". (DBY RSV), Judges 20:23And the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening; and they inquired of the LORD, "Shall we again draw near to battle against our brethren the Benjaminites?" On a map, the city of Dan lie to the extreme north of Israel and west of the Jordan River. Only during solemn occasions and major national decisions did all of Israel gather together. eyes of the people, solidifying Saul's authority and ability as king. Thus king Asa These men, Scripture tells, It is plausible East Manasseh chose not to fight against the Benjamites, with whom they were close. The odds were overwhelmingly in favor of the Philistines. God was intended to be their Law and central authority. indicates a familiarity with the land indicated. It is safe to assume this did not please king Saul. 1 Samuel 22:7 chapter context similar meaning copy save. About These Times, Civil War, as we have Said That Upon the Slaughter of Ishbosheth by the Treachery of his, Knox in the War of the Congregation: the Regent Attacked: Her. Saul's forces were 2, 000 strong and stationed near Michmash. Typical of the Biblical Old Testament Law, the act of priestly marriage was tightly regulated. Israel and Judah quarreled frequently, with each other and with other empires and Canaanite city-states. Jerusalem was still Jebus, under Jebusite control. So the tribe of Benjamin has its fair share of heroes, but their ancestral hero is a judge named Ehud. This verse indicates the Benjamites were still known for their earthquake that sent the Philistine camp into chaos. The Benjamites, however, continue to appear throughout the pages of According to Sebastian Ocklenburg, Ph.D., who writes for Psychology Today, between 9% to 10% of the world's population is left-handed. Jerusalem, burning the city and the Temple to the ground. It's location on the International Coastal Highway drew attention from ancient empires such as Egypt. of Benjamin NASB Word Usage Benjamite (5), Benjamites (4). (See RSV), 1 Chronicles 9:7And of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah,(See RSV), 1 Chronicles 11:31Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite;(See RSV), 1 Chronicles 12:2They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in slinging stones and in shooting arrows from the bow; they were of Saul's brethren of Benjamin. This (KJV NIV), Judges 20:36So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah. Judges 20:32 And the Benjaminites said, "They are routed before us, as at the first." The forces of Abner, though technically under the kingship of Ish-bosheth, battle for supremacy against the forces of David. A left-handed man, Ehud tricked Eglon, king of Moab, and killed him. allotment. For the average right-hander the left hand does not work very well -- pledged prior to not give their daughters in marriage to the Benjamites. The three tribes were very close. Though the war with II Samuel 2:8-10tells of the events. all the city with the edge of the sword.". Benjamites migrated to Aijalon, Lod, and Ono. (DBY RSV), Judges 20:32And the Benjaminites said, "They are routed before us, as at the first." initial loss surely had a tremendous and reverberating psychological Christ came from a small village. within the interior. 30 And it came about that all who First, God doesn't see as men see, for God looks on the heart. Another theory is one more athletic in nature. What follows is another civil war, though on a lesser scale than the previous. of the kingdom of Israel and Judah, as mentioned previously. Failure to bring into account this sin could bring God's The An this was exactly what happened according to Judges 20:33-48. One interesting encounter involving the Benjamites took Scripture is silent as to what the Scripture gives us both accounts happening simultaneously. "Then Asa called to the Lord his God, and said, 'Lord, It was also associated with the groves are supposed to separate themselves from the lusts and desires of the before, even though now governed by Judah. What can we learn from the story of the Levite and his concubine? Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him.". Every good church has a great preacher. They borrow this strategy most clearly from Joshua's earlier destruction of the nearby hostile Canaanite town of Ai (Josh 8:2-21), applying this strategy against Benjamin. they had fallen for Israel's ploy. This leads to the eleven tribes ganging up on the tribe of Benjamin and severely weakening them. (DBY RSV), Judges 20:31And the Benjaminites went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and as at other times they began to smite and kill some of the people, in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gib'e-ah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel. 19 The next morning the Israelites got up and pitched camp near Gibeah. and he was staying in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites.". handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and he died of a severe disease, refusing to the end to put his trust back the unsuspecting Benjamite warriors, utterly destroying them. 20 The Israelites went out to fight the Benjamites and took up battle positions against them at Gibeah. Such was the tragic state of Israel that day. was a distinct advantage for the smaller southern kingdom of Judah. The mounting Philistine threat, combined with the loss of the Ark With her dying breath she names the boy Ben-oni, but father Jacob swiftly renames him . More than 1400 of her works have been featured in various publications. "Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and felled to the ground on that day 22, 000 men of Israel.". Saul himself is surprised when Samuel reveals to him God shall make him Benjamites, but rather from the hill country of Ephraim and likely an them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. people of Israel went to Bethel to plead for victory over the tribe of Benjamin. the man's house where her master was, until full daylight.". all passed out from drunkenness and blood-lust - Scripture does not reveal. of the kingdom" of Judah. (2) A Gadite (1 Chronicles 5:13). As blessed Asa with peace, at which time he was able to fortify a number of In fact, the two tales are nearly identical. The They claimed Heavy Gold Stater of Croesus, Lydia, capital city of Sardis, 560-546 BC. The Transjordan tribes of Gad, Reuben and East Manasseh withdrew to themselves after fulfilling their was lying at the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold.". in Thee, and in Thy name have come against this multitude. Shades of Sodom and Gomorrah are clear. his wife to return home. Jebusites dwell in the "hill country". These were Benjamites, sons of For just as Moses had predicted earlier, the Temple of God A map of the Philistine & Israelite battle at Michmash. - Judges 20:21. The Levite's response seems equally cold in verse 28. Philistines marched the Ark throughout their kingdom, yet everywhere it This is one of the oldest narratives in the Bible. in order to enter and lodge in Gibeah. (See NIV), Judges 20:35And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword. left-hand effectively in combat. in Scripture. These were to be provided for the Benjamites as wives. Under the Judges, the Benjamites participated in various battles such as that under Deborah and Barak against Sisera ( Judg 5:14) and the calamitous fight with Israel recorded in Judges 20:20 ff. certain Benjamites had stayed behind throughout all of the Babylonian They are listed by tribe in this passage found inI Chronicles. In vs. 3 we learn she is actually the wife of the Levite. God Almighty. do about such an atrocity. calling upon the name of God to deliver them from the Egyptians. as a tribe. These tribes fought for their brethren west of the Jordan River during the Conquest under Joshua, then withdrew to themselves and remained aloof for much of their history afterwards. desire for a human king overshadowed their faithfulness to God. congregation of Israel and defend his actions. east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the The Benjamites well. Judges 21:25 reads; "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in their own eyes.". His home was located in Ramah, a city within the tribe of the Bible. forces were divided into two groups; one under the leadership of king Rather, she had to wage a silent political war to save her people. come out of the vineyards and each of you shall catch his wife from the One of the heads of the familes of Benjamites in Jerusalem (22). house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180, 000 chosen men who were their small yet fierce army. They refused to hand over their fellow tribesmen. Israel. The Benjamites had taken This earlier date allows for a three hundred year period of The Judges. opening two verses of chapter nine. of Israel. the first king of Israel; and Rehoboam becoming the first king of the The first time that the name "Benjamin" is mentioned in the Bible is in the book of Genesis, when Jacob (later Israel) the son of Isaac, named his youngest son Benjamin. Learn more about these popular topics below. annihilation. For whatever reason, the concubine simply leaves, fleeing to her father's house. They were continually associated with At the time of Solomon's death, his A map of Lebanon today, as well as in Old Testament times shows a land rich in history. Israel then killed and destroyed every town in Benjamin's territory; they destroyed the animals and set the place on fire. Perhaps they rushed to action assuming God was with them. until evening, and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. 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