And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.
The verse records Israel coming near against Benjamin for the second day of fighting, a second attack following an earlier defeat. The war was fought over the murder of the Levite's concubine at Gibeah of Benjamin and nearly exterminated the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin became involved in the conflict because the tribe identified itself with the people of Gibeah who committed the crime at Gibeah. Gibeah lies on the route past Mizpeh toward Jerusalem, within an hour's walk of Jerusalem, opposite Anathoth and near Nob, about 2,690 feet above the sea and about 200 feet higher than Jerusalem, commanding a view beyond the Dead Sea far into the mountains of Moab.
At this time the ark of the covenant was at Bethel, where the people came to inquire of the Lord during Israel's troubled days. The events of Judges 17-21, to which the verse belongs, occurred early in the history of the judges, while the book's main story ends with chapter 16. The closing chapters of Judges to which the verse belongs record Israel's backsliding and the disgrace and punishment that followed, showing the low state and low condition into which Israel had fallen before the call of Samuel the prophet.
Israel was defeated again on this second day, being twice defeated before prevailing, but the Lord sent them a third time, when they conquered. In Judges 20 Benjamin was reduced to the least and nearly extinct tribe in Israel, and divine wisdom chose Israel's king from that low tribe to remove all grounds of jealousy among the other tribes. The account shows that neither customary hospitality nor loyalty to one's tribe excuses sin or takes precedence over justice.
The eventual victory after two defeats shows that temporary defeat and shame do not prevent ultimate success. The low condition in these last chapters of Judges stands in mighty contrast to the goodness and mercy of God seen in the miracles and teaching of Jesus in Luke, yet together they speak of the goodness and mercy of God.
The verse records Israel coming near against Benjamin for the second day of fighting, a second attack following an earlier defeat. The war was fought over the murder of the Levite's concubine at Gibeah of Benjamin and nearly exterminated the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin became involved in the conflict because the tribe identified itself with the people of Gibeah who committed the crime at Gibeah. Gibeah lies on the route past Mizpeh toward Jerusalem, within an hour's walk of Jerusalem, opposite Anathoth and near Nob, about 2,690 feet above the sea and about 200 feet higher than Jerusalem, commanding a view beyond the Dead Sea far into the mountains of Moab.
At this time the ark of the covenant was at Bethel, where the people came to inquire of the Lord during Israel's troubled days. The events of Judges 17-21, to which the verse belongs, occurred early in the history of the judges, while the book's main story ends with chapter 16. The closing chapters of Judges to which the verse belongs record Israel's backsliding and the disgrace and punishment that followed, showing the low state and low condition into which Israel had fallen before the call of Samuel the prophet.
Israel was defeated again on this second day, being twice defeated before prevailing, but the Lord sent them a third time, when they conquered. In Judges 20 Benjamin was reduced to the least and nearly extinct tribe in Israel, and divine wisdom chose Israel's king from that low tribe to remove all grounds of jealousy among the other tribes. The account shows that neither customary hospitality nor loyalty to one's tribe excuses sin or takes precedence over justice.
The eventual victory after two defeats shows that temporary defeat and shame do not prevent ultimate success. The low condition in these last chapters of Judges stands in mighty contrast to the goodness and mercy of God seen in the miracles and teaching of Jesus in Luke, yet together they speak of the goodness and mercy of God.