Judges 20:48

Cross-references For Better Understanding a Related Topics b Additional Materials c

Summary

• The tribe of Benjamin is almost annihilated.

Details and/or Comments

• Background: The whole account is found in chapters 19-21. This was a dark time in Israel's history, when everybody did as they pleased. Though the account begins with a focus on sins committed by the tribe of Benjamin and Israel's response to them, we don't read very far before we realize that neither side was without sin.

• The tribe of Benjamin chose to defend the wicked conduct of certain members of their tribe, instead of handing them over for the punishment they deserved (death). So all Israel went to war against the tribe of Benjamin. Sadly, the nation fought with unrestrained zeal, and nearly annihilated the tribe. (Though God permitted Israel to fight them, he punished both sides. And he did not tell Israel to totally destroy the tribe of Benjamin. This was their own doing - and they regretted it later.)

• The focus in this specific verse (below) is on the destruction of property during the war. They essentially destroyed everything in their path.

Scripture

Judges 20:48

Scripture Passage	Comments and Links
Jdg 20:48 The men of Israel turned again on the children of Benjamin, and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city [Gibeah], and the livestock, and all that they found: moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire.	Scorched Earth Policy Genocide - It almost got to this point.

Scripture Passages (Only books that have relevance to this study have active links. The others are in italics.) Genesis  •  Exodus  •  Leviticus  •  Numbers  •  Deuteronomy  •  Joshua  •  Judges  •  Ruth  •  1 Samuel  •  2 Samuel  •  1 Kings  •  2 Kings  •  1 Chronicles  •  2 Chronicles  •  Ezra  •  Nehemiah  •  Esther  •  Job  •  Psalms  •  Proverbs  •  Ecclesiastes  •  Song of Solomon  •  Isaiah  •  Jeremiah  •  Lamentations  •  Ezekiel  •  Daniel  •  Hosea  •  Joel  •  Amos  •  Obadiah  •  Jonah  •  Micah  •  Nahum  •  Habakkuk  •  Zephaniah  •  Haggai  •  Zechariah  •  Malachi Matthew  •  Mark  •  Luke  •  John  •  Acts  •  Romans  •  1 Corinthians  •  2 Corinthians  •  Galatians  •  Ephesians  •  Philippians  •  Colossians  •  1 Thessalonians  •  2 Thessalonians  •  1 Timothy  •  2 Timothy  •  Titus  •  Philemon  •  Hebrews  •  James  •  1 Peter  •  2 Peter  •  1 John  •  2 John  •  3 John  •  Jude  •  Revelation

—— To avoid any copyright issues, all Scripture is either from a public domain translation (such as the World English Bible), my own translation, or a combination of these. ——

The name "Yahweh," when present in an Old Testament passage, represents the Hebrew name for the God of the Bible.

Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.