Judges 20:23

Jdg 20:23 (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.)

Ver. 23. Wept before the Lord until even.] Yet more for their losses than for their offences: at least, they were not yet so thoroughly humbled, their repentance was not so deep and downright, so soaking and souring with the greatness of godly sorrow, as was fitting. David’s heart was leavened. {Psa 73:21} "Peter wept bitterly," {Mat 26:75} and that for sin as it is sin, offensivum Dei, et aversivum a Deo, an offence against God, and an aversion from God.

Go up against him.] Thy brother though he be. They neither prayed for success, nor doth God promise them any; but answereth them according to the idols of their hearts, of which they had not yet repented. They had forgotten, belike, what Joshua had foretold them; {Jos 24:19-20} - "Ye cannot serve the Lord," i.e., unless ye will be thorough in his service, "for he is a holy God, he is a jealous God, he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If ye fosake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good."

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.

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

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

(23) And the children of Israel.—This verse is parenthetical and retrospective. The whole narrative is arranged in a very simple manner, and shows an unformed archaic style.

Against the children of Benjamin my brother.—The words “my brother” show a sort of compunction, an uneasy sense that possibly, in spite of the first answer by Urim, God did not approve of a fratricidal war.

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

23. wept before the Lord] Cf. Jdg_20:26, Jdg_2:4, Jdg_21:2. After went up we should supply to Beth-el, as in Jdg_20:26.

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 Israel went up and wept before the Lord until even,.... The evening of the day in which the battle was fought; not that the whole army went up to Shiloh to the house of God there, but a deputation of them, who lamented their defeat, and the loss of so many lives, but not their sins and transgressions, and particularly the idolatry they had been guilty of:

and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, shall we go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? they seemed to have some doubt, by the loss they sustained, whether they were right in going to war with Benjamin, especially as he was their brother; and therefore the question now is, not who should go up first, which was already determined, but whether they should go at all; and still they do not ask any help of God in battle, nor success, but were depending on their numbers, and the justness of their cause, and therefore neither is promised to them, only they have an answer to their question:

and the Lord said, go up against him; for Benjamin was certainly in the wrong, and therefore the Israelites are directed to go against him, and they also were not sufficiently chastised, nor thoroughly humbled.

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

And join battle. This is an explanation of Hebrew, "against him." (Haydock) --- The Israelites still neglected to sue for the divine protection, trusting in their numbers. God sends them again to battle, and suffers them to be routed. Did he deceive them? By no means. He wished them to learn the important lesson of self-diffidence, and he had not promised them the victory. (Haydock) --- But after they had humbled themselves, He acts like a master. I will deliver, &c., ver. 28. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Went up and wept; not so much for their sins as for their defeat and loss, as appears by the sequel.

Against the children of Benjamin my brother; they impute their ill success not to their own sins, as they had great reason to do, but to their taking up arms against their brethren, the lawfulness whereof they now begin to doubt of. But still they persist in their former neglect of seeking God’s assistance in the way which he had appointed, as they themselves acknowledge presently, by doing those very things which now they sinfully neglected, Jdg 20:26, and therefore are again justly punished.

Go up against him: God answers to their question; but as they did not desire his assistance and success, so he doth not promise it.

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

23. Went up and wept — Though they had sought to speak lightly of their losses, and to assure themselves of victory, there was a secret sadness and a gloomy sense of loss. Though their loss had not thoroughly subdued them, it had manifestly humbled them, and now they weep as well as ask of God; and their question is not, Who shall go up first? but, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? There is a noticeable humility behind this question, as compared with that of Jdg_20:18, but it lacks the depth and penitence that appear in Jdg_20:26-28. It is noticeable, too, that in Jdg_20:18 they ask of God, while here and afterwards they inquire of Jehovah, the covenant God of Israel, as if in the former instance they had failed to recognise Jehovah in his proper character as their covenant God.

Go up against him — Jehovah does not espouse the cause of Benjamin, though he grants him signal victories. His purpose is first to humble the mightier forces of Israel, who have been glowing too much in their own strength.

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

And the children of Israel went up and wept, etc. This verse must precede chronologically ver. 22, and explains the circumstances under which the battle referred to in ver. 22 took place. The unexpected repulse they had met with had begun to produce its intended effect. There was a humbling of themselves before God, a brokenness of spirit, a deepened sense of dependence upon God, and a softening of their feelings towards their brother Benjamin. All this was shown as they again went to the tabernacle at Bethel to ask the Lord (ver. 18).

HOMILIES BY W.F. ADENEY Ver. 23. Lessons of defeat.

The Christian sometimes encounters defeat in the enterprises of spiritual warfare in the battle of the inner life, in efforts to destroy the wickedness and misery of the world, in missionary campaigns.

I DEFEAT SHOULD AROUSE REFLECTION. The Israelites had acted hastily under the impulse of sudden indignation. In defeat they were thrown back to think of the object and methods of their war. This war against a brother tribe was a terrible undertaking. Was it necessary? No war should be undertaken till it is absolutely necessary. It may be our duty to oppose our own brethren; but this should be done only after serious reflection. We are sometimes allowed to fail that we may consider more deeply all that is involved in actions attended with serious consequences.

II DEFEAT SHOULD INDUCE HUMILITY AND REPENTANCE. The Israelites had been too self-confident. Enraged at the wickedness of one town, they had not realised their own sin, nor how this wickedness was but one act of national depravity. They were now the champions of justice. The position thus assumed by them would blind them to their own failings and stimulate pride. When Christian men do battle against some monstrous evil, they too are in danger of falling into similar failings of pride and self-righteousness. Defeat is then a wholesome humiliation leading to repentance. If we are to testify against the sin of others, we too must not forget that we also are sinners.

III DEFEAT SHOULD LEAD US TO SEEK COUNSEL OF GOD.

1. The Israelites had consulted some oracle, some "gods," before going toward. After defeat they turned to the true God, the Eternal. We often need to fail before we will learn to pray. Then we see that our wisdom is to follow God"s will.

2. The Israelites did not simply ask for success. They asked whether or no they should go up to war. We should not pray for God"s blessing on the enterprise which we are obstinately pursuing irrespective of his will, but should first ask for light to teach us whether we should pursue it.

3. The Israelites did not ask for God"s strength, but only for his guidance. Perhaps if they had invoked his aid they would not have failed a second time. We need trust in God and reliance on his help for perfect success.

IV DEFEAT SHOULD LEAD TO RENEWED AND IMPROVED EFFORT. Through repeated defeats Israel persevered on to victory. So it is with the Christian. "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down". A. (Psa_37:24)

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

Wept - Not so much for their sins, as for their defeat and loss. My brother-They impute their ill success, not to their own sins, but to their taking up arms against their brethren. But still they persist in their former neglect of seeking God's assistance in the way which he had appointed, as they themselves acknowledged presently, by doing those very things which now they neglected.

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

But before renewing the conflict they went up to Bethel, wept there before Jehovah, i.e., before the sanctuary of the ark, where Jehovah was present in the midst of His people, enthroned between the cherubim, until the evening, and then inquired of the Lord (again through the high priest) "Shall I again draw near to war with the children of Benjamin my brother" (i.e., renew the war with him)? The answer ran thus: "Advance against him."

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)