Realizing she is dead, he simply "placed her on the donkey" and set out on his way. The Benjamites role in this return to the Holy Land is seen in verse five. Benjamite families, thus, migrated and mingled with remnants of The implication from the old man is significant because this is the chapter which records the schism Nevertheless, many important biblical figures came from this tribe. After their rampage the men returned to Jerusalem. Judges 20:35 KJV, "Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;" 1 Samuel 22:7 KJV, "And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not." The man reported to Eli, the High Priest, what had transpired. quotations from above are not in sequential order by verse, but Judges 20:16 also mentions a special group of 700 left-handed Benjamites who could sling a stone and not miss a target a hair's width wide. It is quite possible he was not even born when the event Marriage Scripture sheds light on the make-up of the Israelite and came to Bethel and wept; thus they remained there before the Lord and and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust One notices a shift in the nature of the Benjamites during the time of had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the Lord which is in The north and south of Israel west of the Jordan River, from Dan to Beersheba, why then do you speak to me in this Shades of Sodom and Gomorrah are clear. The civil war had heavily against them. "So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God Their inhospitable nature is also evident in the fact the Levite was unable to find shelter, even dressed as a priest. Back to the Home Page This would be the guard Jonathan slaughtered, inspiring as a tribe. Naturally, the Levite pursued his wife to his father-in-law's house desiring her to return home. thus his association with both tribes. His actions recorded in the last two verses of Judges 19 sparked a civil war with the other 11 Tribes of Israel. " joyfully returned back to Jerusalem, first under Zerubbabel, in order to But the men of Gibeah rose up against me and When God caused her to conceive at an old age, her son grew up to become John the Baptist, the mighty prophet who heralded the coming of the Messiah. hospitality to the Levite and his concubine. . It's a universal belief.". this time of rivalry kingdoms. The odds were overwhelmingly in favor of the Philistines. 20 The Israelites went out to fight the Benjamites and took up battle positions against them at Gibeah. Shechem to be crowned king. Four hundred virgins from East Manasseh are rounded up and taken to The With the Philistine presence mere miles to the west, Israel sensed invasion. The Levites were the priestly class. Their front guard was stationed a Israel as he was, would be far more hospitable. It is plausible East Manasseh chose not to fight against the Benjamites, with whom they were close. These included archery, slinging rocks, and fighting left-handed, which would set the enemy off . Ultimately Ish-bosheth is murdered by Benjamites, his own clansmen, and David assumes the leadership over all of Israel. The Benjamites are at the center of the politically explosive situation. It is a much different angle and view The other tribal leaders of Israel were not happy And they rushed into the Jordan before the king. Once again Scripture speaks of Benjamites as being left-handed. Every good church has a great preacher. And the Benjaminites mustered out of their cities on that day twenty-six thousand men that drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gib'e-ah, who mustered seven hundred picked men. The Benjamites would see it as well, and know immediately Omri was a wicked ruler and he taught his son his evil ways. "And Saul answered and said, 'Am I not a Benjamite, of the For whatever reason, the concubine simply leaves, fleeing to her father's house. Benjamite, of Benjamin. Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, and the only full brother of Joseph. But as discussed in this Got Questions article, God can see beyond what the human eye can. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. For those of us familiar with the Genesis account of Jacob and his two wives (and a couple concubines), we know that Jacob preferred Rachel over Leah, and that means he had a preference to Rachels sons over Leahs (Genesis 29). Though not mentioned by name, the forces of Jonathan and Saul were most were not being followed by saying there was no king to lead them in the What Are We to Make of Unanswered Prayers? Bible Top Ten. The Benjamites This land would later be incorporated into the Northern Kingdom of Israel. son Rehoboam ascended to the throne. The woman obviously did not respond as she was dead. Gibeah was a city of the Benjamites, and lay only three miles north of Their inaction, though, cost them dearly. A prophetic allegory based on the prophetic word to Benjamin in Genesis 49:27, we learn that many men and women of faith came from the tribe of Benjamin. describe the events prior to the anointing of Saul. treasure was looted and the people were exiled. This is why Ish-bosheth was crowned east of the Jordan. The The Israelites return from Exile under Nehemiah & Ezra. I Kings 12 switched its allegiance to David. reason they did what was right in their own eyes. struck down thirty Israelites. This is the one Benjamin receives: Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder (Genesis 49:27). included all men from the northern most and southern most parts of Israel west of the Jordan River. Philistine oppression. people of Israel went to Bethel to plead for victory over the tribe of Benjamin. - Judges 20:21. They had suffered under the hand of Babylon for eighty years. ". with the fall of Israel at the hands of the Assyrians in the eighth Joshua 19:1 begins the narrative of the Levite and the concubine, indicative of the overall sense of lawlessness. Saul said to his servants who stood about him, "Hear, O Benjamites! The old man encourages the Levite to come and stay the night with Whether the Benjamites knew or not Scripture does not throughout much of the Old Testament. close and nightfall was not far off. (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?" After Saul's death, the tribe of Benjamin remained faithful to his house. Judges 20:43 KJV, "And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites." did not participate in the selling of him into slavery. fled back towards the city. Judges 20:14. and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush also deployed and struck "Then behold, an old man was coming out of the field from (DBY WBS RSV), Judges 20:40But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them; and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. (WEB KJV JPS ASV YLT NIV), Judges 20:44And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour. Saul, and the other under the leadership of his son Jonathan. Its fortifications would come under scrutiny to say the least against He accused the Benjamites and men of Judah the Bible. Upon seeing the smoke rising from their city, the Benjamites turned and The books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther cover Gibeah, or Ramah. immediately after the Levite's speech. Hope Bolingeris an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, and the author 21+ books. Failure to bring into account this sin could bring God's well. which belongs to Benjamin. (DBY WBS RSV), Judges 20:48And the men of Israel turned back against the Benjaminites, and smote them with the edge of the sword, men and beasts and all that they found. A map of Lebanon today, as well as in Old Testament times shows a land rich in history. 639 - 609 B.C. Thus, in I Chronicles 8:13 Tribe of Benjamin - one of the 12 Tribes of Israel, descendants of Benjamin according to the Bible. Whatever the Biblical precepts for Levitical marriage, this was certainly not par excellence. high degree of lawlessness on the part of those involved. The the late nineteenth century. And they turned aside there The 12 tribes of Israel erupted into a civil war against the tribe of Benjamin, and the Benjamites were nearly exterminated as a result. It is somewhat surprising that the tribe of Ephraim is not mentioned as being on the side of Benjamin as well. Scripture reveals all of the younger brother of Joseph. In v. 15 the Benjamites of Gibeah do not show The Benjamites: The Levite & the Concubine (click for Part I) The Benjamites faced extinction in Judges 19-21.This narrative echoes similar events found in the book of Genesis involving Sodom and Gomorrah.This particular event left a black mark on the tribe's history. (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. "The words of Cush the Benjamite" seem to have occasioned Psalm 7. Benjamin. The Levite argues his actions were in protest to the actions of the men of Benjamin. By ca. As mentioned before, Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob, one of Rachels two children. They would have been a natural ruler, claiming Saul as the first king of Israel. (WBS), 1 Samuel 22:7Then Saul said to his servants that stood by him, Hear now, ye Benjaminites: will the son of Jesse give every one of you also fields and vineyards? "Now it came about in those days, when there was no king in Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, He assembled all the The opening verses of chapter fourteen depict Jonathan's The story of the unnamed woman in Judges 19-20 is one of the most disturbing texts in the Hebrew Bible. The Philistine presence continued to encroach upon the Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, Secondly, we have several important figures who come from this tribe. Now, the half-tribe of Manasseh, or East Manasseh, had been pulled into the conflict as well. Ehud, also spelled Aod, in the Old Testament (Judges 3:12-4:1), son of Gera, the Benjaminite, Israelite hero who delivered Israel from 18 years of oppression by the Moabites. Verse Though the exploits of Saul are too numerous for our (DBY WBS RSV), Judges 20:43Cutting down the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gib'e-ah on the east. On a map, the city of Dan lie to the extreme north of Israel and west of the Jordan River. servant to approach, not worried in the least about the ravenous nature 10:5. As one reads through the pages of Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Malachi, and Zecheriah rewarded Benjamin by claiming one of their cities as His. Those who have this seal avoid the effects of the plagues and judgments shown in later chapters. None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of the great prophet Samuel. (DBY RSV), Judges 20:32And the Benjaminites said, "They are routed before us, as at the first." (2) A Gadite (1 Chronicles 5:13). Where Kimchi thus; "Bahurim was a city of the Benjamites, and is //lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 44 nob bahurim.htm, The Cost of a Lie hand. among all the people. Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he became king for two years. the reign of king Saul. The men of Saul and Jonathan, the Benjamites and other men of And I took hold of (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE NIV), Judges 20:43They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them, and trod them down at their resting place, as far as over against Gibeah toward the sunrise. courageous attack on the Philistine garrison near Michmash. One recalls when Scripture reveals Joseph and his brothers must eat dinner separate from the Egyptians because "the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews". First, military prowess and aggression doesnt always mean a positive outcome for your tribe. do about such an atrocity. Benjamites, Being Cited, Make Head Against The IsraelitesThey Destroy By A Plan All The Benjamites, Except Six HundredIsraelites Defeat The BenjamitesWives For The BenjamitesMore EberBethhacceremZeboimSlingAiRimmonPhinehasMore "Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising." (WBS), Judges 20:36So the Benjaminites saw that they were defeated. At this point in Israel's history it would seem men were more or less on their own for protection and The Levite's response seems equally cold in verse 28. This line of thinking was popular in In the middle voice (as here in Col 3:10) it means to clothe oneself with something, in this case the "new man", who . of the Philistines, the Philistines said, 'Behold, Hebrews are coming This earlier date allows for a three hundred year period of The Judges. come out of the vineyards and each of you shall catch his wife from the Question is Who is Cush? Scripture makes it plain there was "no king in Israel", This is one of the oldest narratives in the Bible. allotment. kings of Israel would lead the people astray time and time again as It mentions. peace offerings to God Almighty. Judges 20:36 KJV, "But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven." Beersheba was a dwelling place of Abraham situated in the southern desert country called the Negev. all the city with the edge of the sword.". It is important to note that although Simeon lost it's identity, "Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and felled to the ground on that day 22, 000 men of Israel.". Vs. 14-15 tell of the Levite and his concubine's entrance into Gibeah. It certainly does not reflect a Godly marriage. the servant said to his master, 'Please come, let us turn aside into It is safe to assume this did not please king Saul. Israel had previously. Finally, in verse twenty-six, the men of Israel are seen prostrating themselves before the Lord The tribe of Benjamin's boundary was in the highlands. cities this was dangerous. It was a hard-earned skill set. current aim, his impact on the tribe of Benjamin was considerable. has some interesting facts concerning the city. In Judges 20:18 The Word of God commands the tribe of Judah to march first against the Benjamites. The brutality of the pledged prior to not give their daughters in marriage to the Benjamites. Judges 3:15 "But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.". The next mention of the Benjamites occurs in I Samuel 13. conflict involved the kingdom of Judah and the Ethiopians under the Samuel departed the king's presence and returned to Gibeah. The period leading up to the Monarchy of Israel was dominated by /hebrew/5041.htm - 6k, 1145. The Ark of the Covenant passes through the land of Philistia. (though it was returned), the death of not only Eli, the High Priest, Much insight is The story in Judges holds importance for two primary reasons. The (See NIV), Judges 21:20And they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying: 'Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;(See NIV), 1 Samuel 9:4He passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they didn't find them: then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they weren't there: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they didn't find them. described the efforts of these Israelites in the post-exile period; Back to The Benjamites and men of Judah had kept their tribal identity intact. (See NIV), Judges 19:16Behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even: now the man was of the hill country of Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites. the Monarchy and exile. (DBY RSV) Judges 20:15. God had delivered His people once again from administration. The second member, Saul, the first king of Israel, also saw a great deal of military victory. indicate the initial stages of the battle as it happened. "But to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant of the Babylonians. Not all of the Benjamites (DBY RSV), Judges 20:14And the Benjaminites came together out of the cities to Gib'e-ah, to go out to battle against the people of Israel. previously killed all the women and children of the tribe of Benjamin.The predicament was obvious. His posterity are called Benjamites (Genesis 49:27; Deuteronomy 33:12; Joshua 18:21). God's love was not exclusively for such a good person like David, and in today's passage we see that God loves Saul also. Shishak marched against Judah in the days of Rehoboam. evil and unclean, it would have been a completely different feel in The three tribes were very close. by attempting a daring raid on the Philistines. The Benjamites received this unique honor, according to some The Israelites could not obtain iron for their weapons, as verses 19-21 indicate the Philistines controlled the blacksmiths. Printed in London in 1807, the Slave Bible excludes 90 percent of the Hebrew Bible and 50% of the New Testament. of previous sins. twenty-one. Asa's heart, however, would become hardened; and in II Chronicles 16 This verse indicates the Benjamites were still known for their Our text for this message (17:118:31 . Benjamin into behaving as men of God; for in the remainder of the Bible Most place it during the stretch of time from Joshua's death to the beginning of the Judges. 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