Judges 20:14
But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel. But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
The closing chapters of Judges recount the crime and outrage at Gibeah, and this gathering belongs to that record. They show the low, backslidden condition into which Israel had fallen before the call of Samuel the prophet. That backsliding was followed by disgrace and punishment.
The whole tribe of Benjamin gathered together out of its cities unto Gibeah to go out to battle against Israel. By so gathering it identified itself with the people of Gibeah. In doing so it placed tribal loyalty above justice.
The war begun by that gathering left Benjamin the least tribe and nearly exterminated it. The outrage at Gibeah nearly led to the extermination of Benjamin. God's later choice of Saul as king from Benjamin, that least and nearly extinct tribe, was divine wisdom. By using that least tribe He removed all grounds for jealousy among the other tribes.
The history of Israel's low condition in this passage stands in mighty contrast to the miracles and teaching of Jesus in Luke. Yet both speak of the goodness and mercy of God. Social customs and group loyalty never excuse sin, as this rallying of tribesmen to defend their own illustrates.