Judges 20:21

Jdg 20:21 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.

Ver. 21. And destroyed down to the ground … twenty and two thousand men.] They slew so many upon the turf, as we phrase it, and that with a great deal of eagerness and earnestness; such as Scanderbeg expressed when, in fighting against the Turks, the blood did oftentimes burst out of his lips. {a}

{a} Turk. Hist., p. 287.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jdg 20:21. The children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah — Those forces which were left in Gibeah for its defence issued out upon the Israelites in their rear, while the other Benjamites fought against them in front. And destroyed that day twenty and two thousand — Since they were engaged in so good a cause, and God himself bid them go up, it may seem strange that they should receive such a defeat. But it is to be observed, he only bid them go, but did not promise them success. And undoubtedly they were highly blameable that they did not ask counsel of him in such an important matter as going to war with their brethren. For we find they absolutely determined upon it without doing so, and only inquired who should be in the van of their army. The Benjamites certainly deserved punishment. But to engage with them in a civil war was certainly what they ought not to have done without consulting God. It may be, if they had done so, God would have directed them to have sent another message, and that in HIS name, to the Benjamites, which might have had the desired effect, without proceeding to shed the blood of brethren, and exposing their own to be shed by brethren in such an awful manner. Add to this, that these tribes had many and great sins reigning among themselves, and they should not have proceeded to so great a work with polluted hands; but should have pulled the beam out of their own eye, before they attempted to take that out of their brother Benjamin’s eye: which, because they did not, God doth it for them, bringing them through the fire, that they might be purged from their dross. And God would hereby show, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. We must never lay that weight on an arm of flesh which only the Rock of ages will bear.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This God permitted, because the Israelites partly in their strength, and partly God would by this means punish their sins.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(21) Came forth out of Gibeah.—The whole armed force of the tribe had therefore assembled to save the wicked town from assault. Like many of the towns of Palestine (as their names indicate), it was on a hill, and therefore easily defensible against the very imperfect siege operations of the ancients.

Destroyed down to the ground—i.e., laid them dead on the ground, as in Jdg_6:25.

Twenty and two thousand men.—This immense slaughter shows the extraordinary fierceness of the battle. The Benjamite force must have nearly killed a man apiece.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21. The numbers here and in Jdg_20:25 are again prodigious: the Benjamites, without losing a man themselves (as is implied in Jdg_20:35; Jdg_20:44-47), kill 40,000 Israelites in the two battles. Why this loss on the Israelite side? Probably the narrator considered that even the champions of the divine justice were not free from blame; they had not begun the holy war with due religious observances. Or, if Jdg_20:18 is not a later addition, because they had consulted the oracle merely to enquire which tribe should go up first.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah,.... Which was their place of rendezvous, and which they came to defend; and in and about which they had stationed their whole army of 26,000 men:

and destroyed down to the ground: killed dead upon the spot:

of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men; wanting but 4000 of their whole number, excepting the men of Gibeah, which was such a rebuff the Israelites did not expect, being engaged in so just a cause, and having such a numerous army. Several Jewish, writers (q) think this was on account of their idolatry, that though they were very zealous to revenge corporeal adultery in the case of the Levite's concubine, and to remove such iniquity from Israel; yet were not zealous to revenge and put away spiritual adultery or idolatry in the case of the Danites, who had set up the image of Micah, and so had spread idolatry not only in their own tribe, but throughout Israel; and therefore God took this opportunity to avenge his own quarrel, and rebuke them for their sin; and now did Benjamin raven as a wolf, according to Jacob's prophecy, Gen 49:27.

(q) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 103. 2. Pirke Eliezer, c. 28. Jarchi & Kimchi in loc.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Gibeah, being on a hill, was difficult of access to an attacking army, and gave great advantage to the defenders, who fought from higher ground, and probably defended a narrow pass, while their companions on the walls could gall the assailants with their slingstones.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Quest. Why would God suffer them to have so great a loss in so good a cause?

Answ. Because they had many and great sins reigning amongst themselves, and they should not have come to so great a work of God as this with polluted hands, but should have pulled the beam out of their own eye, before they attempted to take that out of their brother Benjamin’s eye; which because they did not, God doth it for them, making them by this loss more clearly to see their own sins, and their need of God’s help, without which their great numbers were insignificant; and bringing them through the fire, that they might be purged from their dross; it being probable that the great God, who governs every stroke in battles, did so order things, that their worst and rotten members should be cut off, which was a great blessing to the whole commonwealth.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

THE WAR AGAINST BENJAMIN, Jdg_20:20-48.

21. Destroyed down to the ground — That is, smote them so that they lay dead upon the ground.

Twenty and two thousand — Almost as many as all Benjamin’s host contained. Compare Jdg_20:15. But of the Benjamites very few seem to have fallen.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Came forth out of Gibeah, etc. Gibeah (sometimes called Geba, literally, the hill) was doubtless very difficult to assault, and the steep approach greatly favoured the defenders. The men of Judah probably came up carelessly, and with an overweening confidence, and so met with a terrible disaster. The word destroyed here used is the same as is applied to the destroying angel. (Exo_12:23 2Sa_24:16; see also 2Ch_24:23)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Destroyed, &c. - Why would God suffer them to have so great a loss in so good a cause? Because they had many and great sins reigning among themselves, and they should not have come to so great a work of God, with polluted hands, but should have pulled the beam out of their own eye, before they attempted to take that out of their brother Benjamin's eye: which because they did not, God doth it for them, bringing them through the fire, that they might he purged from their dross; it being probable that the great God who governs every stroke in battle, did so order things, that their worst members should be cut off, which was a great blessing to the whole common - wealth. And God would hereby shew, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. We must never lay that weight on an arm of flesh, which only the Rock of Ages will bear.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

They crushed. They were punished because they were not equally vengeful over the incident of the figure of Michah, which had already taken place.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.