The Book Of JUDGES
Judges 21:25 "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes."
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CHAPTER 20:
Verses 1-7: The phrase “…from Dan even to Beer-sheba…” indicates that all the men of Israel – except for those of Benjamin – answer the summons of the Levite, gathering in Mizpeh. (v.1) Dan is located in the northernmost territory, and Beer-sheba is the southernmost city. (Joshua 15:20-21, 28, Judges 18:29) Mizpeh is located in Gilead, in roughly the center of the promised land, thus making it an ideal location for all the tribal representatives to meet. It had previously played a prominent role in the saga of Jephthah. (Judges 11:11) Once everyone is present, the elders demand of the Levite his reason for summoning them. (v.3) He obeys, concluding his account with one of the greatest references of irony ever found in scripture when he refers to the actions of the sodomites: “…they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.” (v.6) A Levitical priest who has violated the law of Moses by marrying a sexually immoral woman now points a judgmental finger at a group of homosexuals and condemns them for sin! Even amidst all of the apostasy, idolatry, child sacrifice, sexual immorality, and a host of other sins currently being committed daily by the Israelites, the tribal elders somehow still consider homosexuality a particularly disgusting and vile wickedness that is worthy of the death sentence. Apparently the practice was fine with them until the sodomites committed murder as a result of their perversion. Only then does it become a matter worthy of their attention! Verses 8-17: The elders of the tribes agree with the Levite, and they summon from each tribe men of war to go confront the Benjamites of Gibeah. (v.8-11) The Benjamites, however, refuse to give up the sodomites residing in Gibeah! (v.12-13) Instead, they summon their own soldiers, a total of 26,700 men, 700 of whom are left handed and very skillful with a slingshot. (v.15-16) The total number of the Israelite army is 400,000. (v.17) The refusal of the elders of Benjamin to surrender the sodomites for their just punishment according to God’s law shows, again, the level of wickedness and apostasy to which Israel has fallen. Verses 18-29: The elders of Israel now turn to the LORD for guidance. This section of the narrative reinforces one of the central themes of this book. God uses the actions and choices of wicked, disobedient men to punish Israel for their sin. Even though the rest of Israel rightfully seeks justice for this heinous crime, God still uses the sinful, apostate soldiers of Benjamin to punish Israel for their sin! This is clearly seen in the two major victories given to Benjamin in this passage. (v.21, 25) Even though God tells Israel to go to war against Benjamin, He still gives the victory to Benjamin twice, costing Israel a total of 40,000 men of war! After the second defeat, the men of Israel come once again to the tent at Shiloh, offering up sacrifices and burnt offerings, and fasting all day until sundown. They weep in the presence of the LORD, and inquire of Him whether or not they should go to battle a third time. (v.26-28) Once again, God tells them to go, confirming this time, “…I will deliver them into thine hand.” (v.28) Thus the men of Israel, acting on faith, plan an ambush outside of Gibeah for the soldiers of Benjamin. (v.29) Verses 30-48: As with the inhabitants of Ai, the soldiers of Benjamin were lured into a false sense of security and overconfidence at the start of their third battle against their brethren. (Joshua 8:3-4) (v.31-32) The strategy employed by the other tribes successfully lures the Benjamites out of Gibeah into the highways and hedges surrounding the city. (v.33) Israel pretends to be overwhelmed yet again by sending forth only a small portion of their army – ten thousand soldiers – against the soldiers of Benjamin. (v.34) But at the appointed time, when enough of the Benjamites had been lured out of the city, God gives the victory to Israel just as He had promised. (v.35) A total of 25,100 Benjamites are slain. At a prearranged time, and with a signal from the first wave of the army of Israel, those soldiers that had hidden themselves for the purpose of the ambush now attack Gibeah, setting it aflame. (v.37-38) This causes the Benjamites to turn back, taken by surprise, and the remainder of the battle is devastating to the tribe of Benjamin. In both the city as well as the fields and forests around it, all but six hundred men are hunted down and slain. (v.42-47) But Israel doesn’t stop with just Gibeah. They attack all the cities of Benjamin, setting them on fire and slaughtering every man, woman, child, and beast. (v.48) The actions of a few sodomites in one city and the refusal of the tribal elders to surrender them for righteous judgment and punishment results in the near extinction of the entire tribe of Benjamin! CHAPTER 21: Verse 1-7, 16-18: At the first gathering at Mizpeh, at the beginning of the previous chapter, the tribal elders had vowed before God that they would not give any of their daughters to the sons of Benjamin because of the actions of the sodomites at Gibeah. (v.1) Under the Mosaic Law, a vow to God was a serious matter and not something that could be taken lightly or easily dismissed. (Numbers 30:2) But now, in the wake of the final battle against Benjamin, the elders realize they have a serious problem. Only six hundred men of Benjamin are left alive. None of their women or children survived the raids of the Israelite army that swept through that tribe’s land. And since the tribal elders had already vowed to never give their daughters unto the men of Benjamin, that tribe will soon be extinct from the nation of Israel. (v.6-7, 16-18) The men of Israel gather at Bethel, at the house of God (v.2) and, with great lament, inquire of the Lord. Verses 8-15: A solution is found when the elders discover that no one from the city of Jabesh-gilead sent a delegation to the initial gathering at Mizpeh. (v.8-9) Because of the serious nature of the Levite’s summons, signified by the pieces of the corpse of his dead wife that were sent out to all the tribes, the men at Mizpeh had vowed a death sentence upon any who refused that summons. (v.5) Now, when they take a census and discover that no one from Jabesh-gilead responded to that initial gathering, they dispatch 12,000 soldiers to Jabesh-gilead with orders to slay everyone except the female virgins. All other men, women, and children are to be executed. (v.10-11) The result of this attack yields 400 young virgins. (v.12) The 600 Benjamites are willing to take those women for wives, but that still leaves 200 men without any prospects. Notice that, for the first time since the initial conquering and settlement of the promised land under Joshua, neither the men of Benjamin nor the elders of Israel suggest marriage to any of the daughters of the Canaanites. This generation, for the first time in a long time, is adhering to God’s commandment regarding national purity. Verses 19-24: A final solution is found when the men of Israel consider the upcoming annual feast at the temple in Shiloh. (v.19) They decide to allow the 200 men of Benjamin to “kidnap” the young virgins that go out to dance among the vineyards and fields that surround the temple. (v.20-21) When the fathers of those women come to the elders to demand justice and retribution, the elders will tell them to let the matter drop out of mercy for the Benjamites, their Israelite brethren. The fathers will not be violating their vow to God because their daughters were taken without their knowledge and against their will. All of this takes place exactly as planned, and the 600 men of Benjamin return to their own land with new wives to repopulate their tribe and rebuild their cities. (v.23) The other eleven tribal elders also return to their respective lands and homes. (v.24) This highly unorthodox solution seems to have worked since scripture has no mention later on of the tribe of Benjamin not being present in any of the lists of genealogies or familial lines of Israel. Verse 25: The book of Judges closes with the sad, familiar refrain that opened chapter 17. It also perfectly sums up this entire era following the death of Joshua. Even after this disastrous civil war and the elders of Israel returning briefly to God, they quickly go back to life as normal once the crisis is over, forgetting God once more, each man doing whatever is “…right in his own eyes.” Together with Joshua, Judges provides an account of the transition period between the conquering and settlement of the promised land and the advent of the era of the kings that begins with the final judge, Samuel, and the coronation of Saul.
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Verses 1-10: Once again, the central character of this episode is a Levite, also from Ephraim, though there is no description or confirmation from the author of Judges to connect this Levite to the one who was involved with Micah. Nor is there any chronology or timeline given for this account, so we can only presume that this episode takes place sometime after the account given in the previous two chapters.
As I stated earlier, the reason for both of these episodes is to show the reader just how bad things had gotten in Israel. It wasn’t just rampant immorality and idolatry, but basic law and order had also degraded to the point that it was every man for himself. The Levites, who were the spiritual leaders of Israel, were utterly neglected, and because they had no land allotments like the other tribes, they were forced to fend for themselves as best they could. The tribes were each supposed to designate portions of their land for the Levites, but they had either failed to do so, or the people simply weren’t tithing of their first fruits like they were supposed to. But even the priests were completely ignoring the law of Moses, as indicated here by the Levite taking for himself a concubine. (v.1) (Leviticus 21:7) This shows just how morally bankrupt the spiritual leadership in Israel had become. When the concubine leaves the Levite to return to her father’s house, the Levite pursues her. (v.2-3) Her father, following the custom of the ANE, welcomes the priest into his home, showing him generous hospitality. (v.4) The father implores the Levite to stay longer than he wishes to, and the priest relents. (v.5-8) But on the evening of the fifth day, the Levite refuses the pleading of his concubine’s father, and he, his servant, and his mistress depart for home. (v.10) Verses 11-21: As nightfall draws closer, the servant suggests to his master that they lodge in Jerusalem (v.11), but the Levite demurs, citing the fact that the city is inhabited by non-Israelites. (v.12) He offers up an alternative: either Gibeah or Ramah, both of which are cities of the tribe of Benjamin. (v.14) (Joshua 18:21, 25) It’s ironic that the true danger to the Levite and his concubine ends up being from their fellow Israelites instead of the Jebusites which occupy Jerusalem. (Joshua 15:63, Judges 1:21) Upon arriving in Gibeah, the Levite and his party settle down in the city square, which is the custom of the ANE at this time. (v.15) Travelers who had no other place to lodge for the night could sleep in the “…street of the city…”, a large, open square, usually just inside the city gate, that was often used as a place of commerce, public hearings on matters of law or dispute, etc. This is where the prominent men of the city and the rulers would sit and conduct their business, and it was considered a place of safety precisely because of its location. This is why it’s not unusual that the Levite opts for camping out here for the night. (Genesis 19:1-2) By chance, another man from mount Ephraim, a non-Benjamite who lives in Gibeah, is arriving home from working in the fields. (v.16) When he sees the Levite and his party preparing to bed down in the city square for the night, he introduces himself and asks about them. (v.17-19) He invites them to lodge with him for the night instead of sleeping in the open square, and the Levite accepts. (v.20-21) The author purposely presents this scene as nothing more than a kind stranger being hospitable to a group of weary travelers. There is nothing here to prepare the reader for the shocking turn of events in the next few verses. Verses 22-30: However, both the encounter with the kind stranger and the events that follow later that night are intentionally presented by the author as a close parallel to Genesis 19. Just as Lot implored the angels to not spend the night “…in the street…”, so did this man of Gibeah implore the Levite and his party to lodge with him this night instead of the city square. And, just as the men of Sodom surrounded Lot’s house, demanding that he surrender the two strangers to them for the purpose of raping them, so do “…the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about…” (v.22), demanding that the man of Ephraim surrender the Levite to them for the purpose of satisfying their perverted lusts. This is the only direct mention in scripture of Israelites who are homosexuals, as indicated by that phrase “sons of Belial”. In the OT, this description is reserved only for men who commit various acts of wickedness and sexual perversion. (Deuteronomy 13:13, 1 Samuel 1:16, 2:12, 10:27, 25:25, 2 Samuel 16:7, 1 Kings 21:10, Proverbs 6:12, 19:28) In the NT, the apostle Paul uses this same word as a proper name for Satan. (2 Corinthians 6:15) To be a son of Belial is to be a "worthless man", one who habitually practices particularly vile and perverted sin. The use of this term here is to show the reader how far from God the men of Israel had strayed. As with Lot, the master of the house tries to bargain with these wicked men by offering up his virgin daughter as well as the Levite’s concubine for them to rape! (v.23-24) Even more shocking, the Levite goes along with this! He surrenders his concubine to the sodomites, and she dies as a result of their sexual abuse! (v.25-27) When he discovers her body on the doorstep the next morning, he loads it onto his donkey and returns home to mount Ephraim. (v.28) As if all that wasn’t bad enough, what the Levite does next is both horrifying and unexpected to modern readers. Yet this, too, was a custom in the ANE, albeit a rarely practiced one. The Levite dismembers the body of his concubine and sends each part to all twelve tribes, summoning their men of war. (v.29-30) The people of Sodom and Gomorrah had become so wicked in the eyes of God that He poured out his wrath upon them, and the author of Judges is demonstrating here that the men of Benjamin had become just as depraved and sinful as those sodomites. Because everyone did whatever was right in their own eyes, following the perverted lust of their flesh just like the other heathen nations of Canaan, God had judged and condemned the Benjamites. The civil war that results from the death of the Levite’s concubine nearly wipes out that entire tribe, as we’ll see in the final two chapters of this book.  The Migration of the Danites, courtesy of the Thomas Nelson KJV Study Bible. CHAPTER 17:
Because the people and events described in the book of Judges have thus far been in chronological order, we can presume that these accounts in the final five chapters occur sometime after Samson’s death. The people and their actions described in these closing chapters are meant to show the deplorable state of Israel at this time. They had strayed so far from God that “…every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (v.6) As a result, there was much chaos – both moral and civil. The first example of this is Micah, his mother, a Levite priest, and the tribe of Dan. (Chapters 17-18) Verses 1-6: Micah, an Ephraimite (v.1), steals eleven hundred shekels of silver from his mother, but then confesses his crime to her and returns the money. (v.2) His mother graciously forgives him, even calling forth a blessing of the LORD upon Micah for his confession and repentance! If we were to stop reading there, we would mistakenly think that these two were the exception to the rule of the national apostasy and immorality that has characterized all of this book thus far. But, sadly, we are immediately disabused of that notion in verses 3-4. Micah’s mother uses some of the silver to hire a founder to carve two idols which Micah then sets up in his house! (v.5) As if that isn’t bad enough, he chooses one of his sons to serve as a priest, even going so far as to craft an ephod for him to wear. Either Micah has no true understanding of the Levitical priesthood and the law of Moses, or he deliberately chooses to do as he pleases. The reality is probably a combination of both, as summed up by the author in the familiar refrain of verse 6. Verses 7-13: Because the nation is not following God’s law, and thus not providing for the Levitical priests as the law required, the priests are forced to find their own means of support. Each tribe was supposed to designate a share of their land for the priests to inhabit, and every Israelite was supposed to tithe of their first fruits which was then used to support the priests as they served daily in the temple at Shiloh. What we see here in the story of the Levite of Bethlehem of Judah is the consequences of Israel not obeying the law of Moses. Since every man is doing whatever he wants, no one is worshiping God by bringing their sacrifices to the temple, and therefore the priests are left to fend for themselves. The Levite described here is searching for a place to live and a means to support himself. (v.8) His journey takes him to mount Ephraim where he happens upon Micah who, when he learns of the Levite’s origins, asks the priest to stay in his house and be his own personal priest! (v.9-10) Micah offers to pay the Levite ten shekels a year in addition to housing, clothing, and daily meals. The Levite readily agrees to this, and he is treated as if he were one of Micah’s sons. (v.11) Micah proceeds to consecrate the Levite, believing that God will bless him and all his house just because he now has a Levitical priest living with him! (v.12-13) Everything about this situation is upside down and backwards, utterly contrary to what was set down by the Lord in the Mosaic Law! Micah is, in essence, treating the Levitical priesthood as nothing more than a good luck charm. Again, whether out of sheer ignorance of God’s law or blatant disobedience, it’s hard to tell. Either way, this account is a sobering commentary on the deplorable state of affairs in Israel during this period. CHAPTER 18: Verses 1-6: Now the narrative shifts to the tribe of Dan. As you’ll recall from Joshua 19:40-41, Dan’s tribal allotment was a narrow strip of land sandwiched between the huge territories of Manasseh to the north and Judah to the south. (See my commentary on Joshua 13 and the map there.) But it’s clear from verse 1 of this chapter in Judges that the Danites had failed to eradicate their enemies from their assigned territory! God had given the promised land to His chosen people, but it was up to them to conquer and possess it. As noted in Judges 1:34-35, the Danites failed to drive out the Amorites from their allotted territory. Now, rather than seek out the Lord for His help, the Danites choose instead to seek out other territory where they might settle. This sets the stage for their encounter with Micah and his priest. Five men from Dan are chosen to scout out land in the north, and while on their way they happen upon the Levite priest. (v.2-3) Upon questioning him, the scouts learn of how he came to reside in the house of Micah, and they ask the priest to ask of God whether their mission will be a success. (v.5) The fact that the priest tells them that the Danites are within God’s will by seeking out other land besides that which was already allotted to them is revealing. (v.6) It’s further proof that no one in Israel is actively seeking God or even attempting to obey His commandments during this time period. This Levite is only telling these men what they want to hear. Verses 7-10: The five scouts depart Micah’s house and eventually arrive in Laish, a lush and beautiful region in the far north on the eastern side of the Jordan river. (v.7) Joshua 19:47 summarizes what happens here in Judges 18. In Joshua the name is Leshem which, according to Strong’s concordance, is another name for Laish. (Refer to the map pictured at the top of this post.) What the scouts discover here is a people living in quiet safety and security, far from the strife and ongoing conflict with the Canaanites that characterize daily life for the Danites. They report back to their elders in Zorah and Eshtaol that Laish is ripe for the conquering and will give the tribe much needed rest from their enemies as well as a fertile land that is ideal for growing crops and breeding livestock. Verses 11-21: The Danites choose six hundred of their best soldiers to conquer Laish and drive out the inhabitants there. Either their entire army is not very large to begin with, or the number of Canaanites dwelling in Laish is quite small. Whatever the case, these six hundred represent the best of the Danite army, and they set up camp in Kirjath-jearim, which isn’t far from Micah’s house at mount Ephraim. (v.12-13) The five scouts now reveal to the rest of the soldiers what they found at Micah’s house. (v.14) Accompanied by all six hundred men, the scouts return to Micah’s house with the intent of kidnapping the priest and seizing the ephod and idols that Micah had set up for worship in his home. (v.15-17) When the priest confronts the five men, they offer him a choice: stay and continue serving Micah, or come with them to serve as a priest for the whole tribe in their new home in Laish. The priest opts for the latter, and the whole company departs Micah’s house. (v.20-21) The priest is clearly acting out of his own selfish interests here. The Danites will give him more money and, probably, his own land in their new home. This whole conversation is described as nothing more than a standard business deal, again clearly showing how God is utterly ignored and excluded from daily life in Israel. The priesthood that was once considered sacred and revered by all Israelites is now treated as a common, ordinary profession that can be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Verses 22-26: Micah’s neighbors, upon witnessing the whole encounter between the Danites and the priest, summon Micah and catch up to the Danite army. When they confront them, the soldiers respond, “What’s the problem? Why are you upset?” (v.23) Micah, surprised by the question, responds with incredulity. “You’re robbing me of my idols and my personal priest, and you dare ask me why I’m upset??” (v.24) The Danites then threaten Micah, saying essentially, “If you know what’s good for you you’ll turn around and go home lest we kill you and all your family.” (v.25) Micah reluctantly obeys, seeing he is vastly outnumbered. (v.26) Verses 27-31: The six hundred Danite soldiers succeed in wiping out the Zidonians in Laish. (v.27) Because the Zidonians are far from their own people and isolated in this small valley, they have no one to come save them. (v.28) They did not develop any alliances with the neighboring peoples, and their army is very likely outnumbered by the Danite force. The Danites proceed to resettle their tribe in Laish, building a new city upon the smoldering ruins of the old one. They name it Dan (v.29), and they set up a grove wherein they can worship the idols made by Micah. It’s unclear from verse 30 whether Jonathan is the name of the priest that was with Micah, or if this is a different man. Regardless, what is clear from this verse is that the Danites establish their own line of hereditary priesthood, started by Jonathan, who is of the tribe Manasseh. He’s not a Levite and thus not a legitimate priest according to the law of Moses, a point which the author emphasizes in verse 31: “…all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.” Yet, as with Samson, the hand of the LORD is clearly seen in the actions of the Danites at Laish. The Zidonians are Canaanites, and God had already judged and condemned all the heathen nations of Canaan, including this small group living quietly and peaceably in the mountains of the far north. Thus, the Danites still served God's purpose and plan, even though their actions were motivated entirely by their sinful flesh. This whole episode serves up an example of what happens when the Israelites completely ignore God and his law. Selfishness, greed, jealousy, and pride are all at the forefront here, and it’s nothing but chaos. Every man is for himself, and no one is bothering to consult the LORD or even attempting to obey Him. As a result, the corruption of sin can be seen in all aspects of daily life in Israel, but this episode is not even the worst. The next three chapters that close the book of Judges show just how far God’s chosen people have fallen from God’s grace, protection, provision, and mercy. |
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