let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

14 And they passed on, and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin. 15 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city; for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.

8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.

9 And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-inlaw, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you to tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end; lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to-morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.

m

10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came "over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.

11 And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city P of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.

12 And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.

r

13 And he said unto his servant, Come, and

f Heb. to her heart. Gen. 34. 3-g Heb. strengthen-h Gen. 18. 5.-i Heb. till the day declined.-k Heb. is weak.-1 Heb. it is the pitching time of the day-in Heb. to thy tent-n Heb. to over against.-o Josh. 18. 28-p Josh. 15. 8, 63. Ch. 1. 21. 2 Sam. 5. 6.-r Josh. 18. 23.- Josh. 18. 25.- Matt. 25. 43. Heb. 13. 2-u Psa.

circumstances of the case vindicate this view of the subject. If she had been a whore, or adulteress, it is not very likely that her husband would have gone after her, to speak friendly; literally, to speak to her heart, and entreat her to return. The Vulgate simply states, quæ reliquit eum, that she left him; the Septuagint, wpyioon avro that she was angry with him; the Targum, by non ubeserath alohi, that she despised him; Josephus, alλorpiWS EIXE, that she was alienated, or separated herself from him. Houbigant translates the clause, que cum ab eo alienata esset, vel irata in eum esset eum reliquit; who, when she was alienated from him, or angry with him, left him: and he defends this version in his note. I think the true meaning to be among the above interpretations. They had contentions; she ceased to love him; her affections were alienated from him; and she left his house, and went home to her father.

Verse 3. He rejoiced to meet him.] He hoped to be able completely to reconcile his daughter and her husband. Verse 8. And they tarried until afternoon] Merely that they might avoid the heat of the day, which would have been very inconvenient in travelling.

Verse 9. The day groweth to an end un chanoth haiyom, "the day is about to pitch its tent ;" that is, it was near the time in which travellers ordinarily pitched their tents, to take up their lodging for the night.

Verse 11. When they were by Jebus] This was Jerusalem, which though, after the death of Joshua, it appears to have been partly conquered by the tribe of Judah, yet the Jebusites kept the strong-hold of Zion till the days of David, by whom they were finally expelled. See the note on chap. i. 8.

17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?

18 And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am 1: and I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.

19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.

20 And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever, let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.

21 So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

22 Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

23 And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, f do not this folly.

24 Behold, here is my daughter, a maiden,

104. 23.-v Josh. 18. 1. Ch. 18. 31. & 20. 18. 1 Sam. 1. 3, 7-w Heh gathereth. Ver. 15-x Gen. 43. 23. Ch. 6. 23-y Gen. 19. 2-2 Gen. 24. 32. & 43. 2.—a Gen. 18. 4. John. 13. 5-b Gen. 19. 4. Ch. 20. 5. Hos. 9. 9. & 10. 9.—c Deut. 13. 13.-d Gen. 19. 5. Rom. 1. 26, 27.-e Gen. 19. 6, 7.-f 2 Sam. 13. 12-g Gen. 19. 8.

Verse 15. No man-took them into his house to lodging. There was probably no inn, or house of public entertainment, in this place; and, therefore, they could not have a lodging, unless furnished by mere hospitality. To say that there were no inns in those primitive times, is not true; there were such places, though not very frequent. Joseph's brethren found their money in their sacks when they loosed them at an inn, Gen. xlii. 27. The house of Rahab was an inn, Josh. ii. 1. And the woman whose house Samson frequented at Gaza was a hostess, or one who kept a place of public entertainment.

Verse 19. There is both straw and provender for our asses] In the countries principally devoted to pasturage there was no hay; but as they raised some corn, they took great care of their straw, chopped it very small; and having mixed it with barley, beans, or the pounded kernels of dates, they made it into balls, and fed their cattle with it. Straw, cut into what is called chaff, is not unfrequently used in England for the same purpose.

Verse 20. All thy wants lie upon me] Here was genuine hospitality ;"Keep your bread and wine for yourselves, and your straw and provender for your asses; you may need them before you finish your journey; I will supply all your wants for this night: therefore, do not lodge in the street."

Verse 22. Sons of Belial] Profligate fellows. the notes on Deut. xiii. 13.

See

That we may know him] See Gen. xix. These were genuine Sodomites, as to their practice. Sons of Belial, rascals and miscreants of the deepest die; worse than brutes, being a compound of beast and devil inseparably

blended.

CHAPTER XX.

vite relative to the murder of his wife, who gives a simple narrative of the whole affair, 1-7. They unanimously resolve to avenge the wrong; and make provision for a campaign against the Benjamites, 8-11. They desire the Benjamites to deliver up the four ferers; they refuse, and prepare for battle, having assembled an army of twenty-six thousand seven hundred men, 12-16. The rest of the Israelites amount to four hundred thousand, who, taking counsel of God, agree to send the tribe of Judah against the Benjamites, 17, 18. They attack the Benjamites, and are routed with the loss of twenty two thousand men, 19-21. They renew the battle next day; and are discomfited with the loss of eighteen thousand men, 22-25. They weep, fast, and pray, and offer sacrifices; and again inquire of the Lord, who promises to deliver Benjamin into their hands, 26-28 They concert plans, attack the Benjamites, and rout them, killing twenty-five thousand one hundred men; and destroy the city of Gibeah, 29-37. A recapitulation of the different actions in which these were killed, 346. Six hundred inen escape to the rock Rimmon, 47. The Israelites destroy all the cities of the Benjamutes, 18. HEN all the children of Israel An Exod. Isr. went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, I. Olymp. 630. from P Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.

b Gen. 34. 2. Deut. 21. 14.-i Heb, the matter of this folly.-k Gen. 4. 1.-1 Ch. 20. 5-m Ch. 20 6. See 1 Sam. 11. 7.-n Ch. 20. 7. Prov. 13. 10.-o Deat. 15. 12 Joshua 22 12 Ch. 21. 5. 1 Sam. 11. 7.

Verse 24. Here is my daughter, a maiden] Such a proposal was made by Lot to the men of Sodom, Gen. xix. but nothing can excuse either. That the rights of hospitality were sacred in the east, and most highly regarded, we know; and that a man would defend, at the expense of his life, the stranger whom he had admitted under his roof, true: but how a father could make such a proposal relative to his virgin daughter, must remain among those things which are incomprehensible.

Verse 25. So the man took his concubine] The word pim yachazek, which we here translate simply took, signifies rather to take or seize by violence. The woman would not go out to them; but her graceless husband forced her to go, in order that he might save his own body. He could have but little love for her; and this was the cause of their separation before.

The men of Gibeah who wished to abuse the body of the Levite; the Levite, who wished to save his body at the expense of the modesty, reputation, and life, of his wife; and the old man, who wished to save his guest at the expense of the violation of his daughter; are all characters that humanity and modesty wish to be buried in everlasting oblivion.

When the day began to spring] Their turpitude could not bear the full light of the day: and they dismissed the poor woman when the day began to break.

Verse 26. Fell down at the door] She had strength to reach the door, but not to knock for admittance: when she reached the door she fell down dead! The reason of this abominable and horrid catastrophe is strongly signified

וידעו אותה ויתעללו בה כל הלילה .25 .by the original words, ver

vaiyedu otah, vaiyithâlelu bah col hallailah, which we modestly translate, and they knew her, and they abused her all the night. More literally, but still not fully: Illi cum eâ rem habuerunt, et alternatim in cam, totâ nocte ascenderunt. The hithpahel used here in the verb Sy greatly increases the sense. Conjugatio hithpahel frequentiam actûs, et immanem libidinem designat. The Arabic is not too strong: Exercuerunt in eâ cupiditates suas, et mæchati sunt in eâ ad matutinam usque.

Verse 29. Divided her into twelve pieces] There is no doubt that with the pieces he sent to each tribe a circumstantial account of the barbarity of the men of Gibeah; and it is very likely that they considered each of the pieces as expressing an execration, "If ye will not come and avenge my wrongs, may ye be hewn in pieces like this abused and murdered woman!"

It was a custom among the ancient Highlanders, in Scotland, when one clan wished to call all the rest to avenge its wrongs, to take a wooden cross, dip it in blood, and send it by a special messenger through all the clans. This was called the fire cross, because, at sight of it, each clan lighted a fire or beacon, which gave notice to all the

85. Anno ante

2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.

3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?

4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge:

5 " And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: ▾ and

p Ch. 18. 29. 1 Sam. 3. 20. 2 Sam. 3. 10. & 24. 2-q Judg. 10. 17. & 11. 11. 1 Sam. 7. 5. & 10. 17.-r Ch. 8. 10.- Heb. the man the Levite.-i Ch. 19. 15.- Ch. 19. 22 v Chap. 19. 25, 26.

adjoining clans that a general rising was immediately to take place.

Verse 30. There was no such deed done nor seen] They were all struck with the enormity of the crime; and considered it a sovereign disgrace to all the tribes of Israel.

Consider of it] Literally, put it to yourselves :- Take counsel upon it;-and speak. This was the prelude to the council held, and the subsequent operations, which are mentioned in the following chapter.

I have passed over the abominable transactions of this chapter as lightly as I could; and shall make no apology to the learned or unlearned reader, for leaving some things untranslated.

What a blessing are wholesome laws and a vigorous and attentive magistracy! These wretched people had no form of government, and every one did what was right in his own eyes: their own eye (corrupt inclination) was the measure and rule of their conduct; and how bad a rule, the abuse and murder of the Levite's wife testify. Reader, bless God for civil government.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XX. Verse 1. Unto the LORD in Mizpch] This city was situated on the confines of Judah and Benjamin; and is sometimes attributed to the one, sometimes to the other. It seems that there was a place here, in which the Lord was consulted, as well as at Shiloh: in 1 Maccab. iii. 46. we read, In Maspha was the place where they prayed aforetime in Israel. These two passages cast light on each other.

Some think that Shiloh is meant, because the ark was there but the phrase before the Lord may signify no more than meeting in the name of God, to consult him, and make prayer and supplication. Wherever God's people are, there is God himself: and it ever was true, that wherever two or three were assembled in his name, he was in the midst of them. The corners

Verse 2. The chief of all the people] pinoth for as the corner-stones are the strength of the walls, so are the chiefs the strength of the people. Hence Christ is called the chief corner-stone.

In the assembly of the people of God] The Septuagint translate, And all the tribes of Israel stood up before the face of the Lord, ev EKKλnσia Tov λaov rov Ocov, in the church of the people of God. Here was a church, though there was no priest; for, as Tertullian says, Ubi tres, ecclesia est, licet laici. "Wheresoever three are gathered together in the name of the Lord, there is a church, although there be none but the laity."

Verse 3. Tell us, how was this wickedness ?] They had heard before, by the messengers he sent with the fragments of his wife's body; but they wish to hear it, in full council, from himself.

my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.

6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. 7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; here your advice and counsel.

2

give

16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed; every one could sling stones at a hair-breadth, and not miss.

17 And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.

18 And the children of Israel arose, and f went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.

11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man. 12 T And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?

13 Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:

14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel. 15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

Heb. humbled-x Ch. 19. 29-y Josh. 7. 15.-z Ch. 19. 30.-a Heb. fellows. b Deut. 13. 14. Josh. 22. 13, 16.- Deut. 13. 13. Ch. 19. 22

Verse 8. We will not any of us go to his tent] We will have satisfaction for this wickedness before we return home.

Verse 10. Ten men of a hundred] Expecting that they might have a long contest, they provide suttlers for the camp; and it is probable that they chose these tenths by lot.

Verse 13. Deliver us the men] Nothing could be fairer than this. They wish only to make the murderers answerable for their guilt.

Benjamin would not hearken] Thus making their whole tribe partakers of the guilt of the men of Gibeah. By not delivering up those bad men, they in effect said, "We will stand by them in what they have done; and would have acted the same part had we been present." This proves that the whole tribe was excessively depraved. Verse 15. Twenty and six thousand] Some copies of the Septuagint have twenty-three thousand, others twentyfive thousand. The Vulgate has this latter number; the Complutensian Polyglott, and Josephus, have the same. Verse 16. Left-handed] They were ambidexters; could use the right-hand and the left with equal ease and effect. See the note on chap. iii. ver. 15.

Could sling stones at a hair-and not miss] velo yachetah, and not sin: kaι ovк εtapaρravovтes, Sept. Here we have the true import of the term sin: it signifies simply to miss the mark; and is well translated in the New Testament by auapravo, from a negative, and μάρπτω, to hit the mark. Men miss the mark of true happiness in aiming at sensual gratifications; which happiness is to be found only in the possession and enjoyment of the favour of God, from whom their passions continually lead them. He alone hits the mark, and ceases from sin, who attains to God through Christ Jesus.

It is worthy of remark that the Persian s la khuta kerden, which literally signifies to sin, or mistake, is used by the Mohammedans to express to hit the mark. The sling was a very ancient warlike instrument; and, in the hands of those who were skilled in the use of it, it produced astonishing effects. The inhabitants of the isles called Baleares, now Majorca and Minorca, were the most celebrated slingers of antiquity. They did not permit their children to break their fast till they had struck down the bread they were to eat from the top of a pole, or some

19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. 20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin: and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at

21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.

22 And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array, in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)

24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men: all these drew the sword.

d Deut. 17. 12-e Ch. 3. 15. 1 Chron. 12 2-f Ver. 23, 26.-g Numb. 27. 21. Ch. 1. 1. h Gen. 49. 27.-i Ver. 26, 27.-k Ver. 21.

distant eminence. They had their name Baleares from the Greek word Baλλew, to dart, cast, or throw.

Concerning the velocity of the ball out of the sling there are strange and almost incredible things told by the ancients. The leaden ball, when thus projected, is said to have melted in its course. SO OVID. Met. lib. ii. ver. 726.

Obatupuit forma Jove natus: et æthere pendens
Non secus exarsit, quam cum balearica plumbum
Funda jacit: volat illud, et incandescit eundo,
Et quae non habuit, sub nubibus invenit ignes
Hermes was fired as in the clouds he hung;
So the cold bullet that, with fury stung
From Balearic engines, mounts on high,
Glows in the whirl, and burns along the sky.

Dryden.

This is not a poetic fiction: SENECA, the philosopher, in lib. iii. Quæst. Natural. c. 57. says the same thing:-Sic liquescit excussa glans funda, et adtritu aeris velut igne distillat. "Thus the ball projected from the sling, melts; and is liquefied by the friction of the air, as if it were exposed to the action of fire." I have often, by the sudden and violent compression of the air, produced fire; and by this alone inflamed tinder, and lighted a match.

Vegetius de Re Militari, lib. ii. cap. 23. tells us that slingers could, in general, hit the mark at six hundred feet distance. Funditores scopas-pro signo ponebant; ita ut SEXCENTOS PEDES removerentur a signo,—signum sæpius tangerent. These things render credible what is spoken here of the Benjamite slingers.

Verse 18. Went up to the house of God] Some think that a deputation were sent to Shiloh, where Phinebas, the high priest, was; to inquire, not concerning the expediency of the war, nor of its success, but which of the tribes should begin the attack. Having so much right on their side, they had no doubt of the justice of their cause. Having such a superiority of numbers, they had no doubt of success. See the note on ver. 1.

And the LORD said, Judah] But he did not say that they should conquer.

Verse 21. Destroyed down to the ground-twenty-two thousand men.] That is, so many were left dead on the field of battle.

Verse 23. Go up against him] It appears most evident that the Israelites did not seek the protection of God. They trusted in the goodness of their cause, and in the multitude of their army. God humbled them, and deliv

26 ¶ Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the LORD.

27 And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD, (for m the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

29 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to-morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.

29 And Israel P set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.

31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.

33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.

34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them.

35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred men: all these drew the sword.

36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto

1 Verse 18-m Josh. 18. 1. 1 Samuel 4. 3, 4.- Josh. 24. 33.-o Deut. 10. 8. & 18. 5-p So Josh. 8. 4.-q Heb. to smite of the people wounded as at-r Or, Beth-el. Josh. 8. 14. Isai. 47. 11-t Josh. 8. 15.-u Josh. 8. 19.-v Or, made a long sound with the trumpets, Josh. 6. 5.

ered them into the hands of their enemies; and showed them that the race was not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.

Verse 26. And wept] Had they humbled themselves, fasted, and prayed, and offered sacrifices at first, they had not been discomfited.

And fasted that day until even] This is the first place where fasting is mentioned, as a religious ceremony; or as a means of obtaining help from God. And in this case, and many since, it has been powerfully effectual. At present it is but little used; a strong proof that self-denial is wearing out of fashion.

Verse 28. Phinchas, the son of Eleazar] This was the same Phinehas who is mentioned Numb. xxv.; and consequently these transactions must have taken place shortly after the death of Joshua.

Verse 29. Israel set liers in wait] Though God had promised them success, they knew they could expect it only in the use of the proper means. They used all prudent precaution; and employed all their military skill.

Verse 32. Let us-draw them from the city] They had two reasons for this:-1. They had placed an ambuscade behind Gibeah, which was to enter and burn the city as soon as the Benjamites had left it. 2. It would seem, that the slingers, by being within the city and its fortifications, had great advantage against the Israelites by their slings, whom they could not annoy with their swords, unless they got them to the plain country.

Verse 33. Put themselves in array at Baal-tamar] The Israelites seem to have divided their army into three

the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.

37" And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

W

38 Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke to rise up out of the city.

39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.

b

40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites a looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven. 41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.

42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.

43 Thus they enclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.

45 And they turned, and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men, and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.

46 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword: all these were men of valour.

47 But six hundred men turned, and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.

48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

h

w Or, time.-x Heb. with.-y Heb. elevation.-2 Heb. to emite the wounded. a Josh. 8. 20-b Heb. the whole consumption.-c Heb. touched them-d Or, from Menucah, &c.-e Heb. unto over against.- Jush. 15. 32-g Ch. 21. 13.-h Heb. was found.-i Heb. were found.

divisions: one was at Baal-tamar; a second behind the city in ambush; and the third skirmished with the Benjamites before Gibeah.

Verse 35. Twenty and five thousand and a hundred] As the Benjamites consisted only of twenty-six thousand and seven hundred slingers: or, as the Vulgate, Septuagint, and others read, twenty-five thousand, which is most probably the true reading: then the whole of the Benjamites were cut to pieces, except six hundred men; who we are informed fled to the rock Rimmon, where they fortified themselves.

Verse 38. Now there was an appointed sign] From this verse to the end of the chapter we have the details of the same operations which are mentioned in a general way, in the preceding part of the chapter.

Verse 45. Unto the rock of Rimmon] This was some strong place; but where situated is not known. Here they maintained themselves four months; and it was by these alone that the tribe of Benjamin was preserved from utter extermination. See the following chapter.

It is scarcely possible to imagine any thing more horrid than the indiscriminate and relentless slaughter of both innocent and guilty, mentioned in this chapter. The crime of the men of Gibeah was great; but there was no adequate cause for this relentless extermination of a whole tribe. There was neither justice nor judgment in this case: they were on all sides brutal, cruel, and ferocious: and no wonder; there was no king in Israel; no effective civil government; and every man did what was right in his own eyes.