IS But now this ſhall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah, we will go xp by lot againſt it: to And we will take ten men of an hundred through- out all the tribes of Iſrael,and an hundred ot a chouſand, and a thouſand out of ten thouſand, to fetch vidual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gi- beah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought /in Iſrael z.
hat we may puniſh them as ſuch a, wickedneſs deſerves, e This 25 ts: as an ctavetions that they ſhould do that in Iſrael, or a-
G E S.
mong GOD'S peculiar People, which was eſteemed abominable e. ven among the Heathen.
11 SO all the menof Iſrael were gathered againſt the city, Þ knit together as one man.
12 4 And the tribes of Iſrael ſent men through all ;; the tribe « of Benjamin, ſaying, What wickedneſs s this that 1s done among you ?
« Hb. tribes : Either the Plural Number for the Singular : or ra. ther tribe is put for family, as was noted befare, as jamilies are elfe= where put for tribes. They take a wiſe and a juſt courſe, in ſending to all tic parts and families of the tribe, to ſeparate the Innocent tram the Guilty, and to give them a fair opportunity of preventing their ruine, by doing nothing but what their Duty, Honoury and Intereſt obliged them to; even by delivering up thoſe vile Male- factors, whom they could not keep without horrid guilt and ſhame and bringing the curſe of God upon themſelves. :
13 Now therefore deliver the men, the children of Belial which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil x from Iſrael : but the chil- dren of Benjamin would not hearken y to the voice of their brethren the children of Iſrael.
x Both the Guilt and the Puniſment, wherein all Iſrael will be Involved, if they do not puniſh ir, y Partly from the pride of their Hearts, which made them ſcorn to ſubmit to their Brethren, or to ſuffer them to meddle in their Territory ; partly from a conceir of their own Valour and Military kill ; and partly from GOD'S juſt Judgement. :
14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themſelves rogether out of che cities, unto Gibeah, to go out to battel againſt the children of Iſrael.
15 And the children of Benjamin were numbred at that time our of the city, twenty and ſix thouſand men that drew {word ; beſide the inhabitants of . Gibeah, which were numbred ſeven hundred choſen men z.
z Objc#, This agrees not with the following numbers: for all thar were ſlain of Benjamin were 25100 men, v. 35- and there were on. ly 600 thar ſurvived, v. 47. which make only 25700» Avſ, The other thouſand 'men were eirher left in ſome of their Cities, where they were ſlain, v. 48. or were cut off in the two firſt Battels, wherein it is unreaſonable to think they had an unbloody ViRtory: and as for theſe 25100 men, they were all flain in that day, i. e the day of the third Battel, as is affirmed wv. 35. :
16 Among all this people, there were ſeven hundred choſen men * left-handed a,every one could ſling ſtones + at an hairs bregdtb, and not mils 6b.
a Heb. ſbur up on their right hand, i. e. uſing their left hand inflead of their right. 4 An Hyperbolical expreſſion, ſignifying, that they could do this with great exa&neſs. There are many parallel] Inſtances in Hiſtorians, of Perſons that cc.uld throw Stones, or ſhoot Arrows with great certainty ſo as ſeldon1 or never to miſs Of which ſee my Latin Synopſis. And this was very confiderabley and one ground - the Berjamites confidence, becauſe in thoſe times they tad no
uns.
17 And the men of Iſrael c, beſide Benjamin, were numbred four hundred thouſand men that drew ſword, all theſe were men of war.
c Towir, ſuchos were herepreſent, v. 2. for otherwiſe ic is moſt probable they had a far greater number of men, being 600000 bee foro their entrance into Canaan, Numb. I. 2.
18 4 And the children of Iſrael 4 aroſe, and went up tothe houſe of God e, and * asked counſel of God, , Oar and ſaid, Which of us ſhal go up firſt to the battel f a- FP gainſt the children of Benjamin? Ard the LORD ſaid, Judah ſhall go up firſt.
d 1. e- Some ſent in the name of all, e To wit, to $Shileh which was not far from Mizpeh, where they were. f This they ask to prevent Emulations.and contenricns ; but rhey do nor ask whether 6 they ſhould go againſt them, or no, for that they knew they evght to do by the will of God already revealed : Nor yer do they {eck to GOD for his help by Prayer and Faſting, and Sacrifice. as in all reaſon they ought ro have done; but were confident of Succeſs,be- cauſe of their great Numbers, and Righteous Cauſe.
19 And the children of Ifrael roſe up in the morn- ing, and encamped againſt Gibeah.
20 And the men of Iſrael went out to battel againſt Benjamin, and the men of Ifrae] putthemſelves in aray to fight againſt them at Gibeah;
21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and deſtroyed down to the ground of the Ifra- elites that day, twenty and two thouſand men Fg.
g Queſt, Why would God ſuffer them to have ſo great a Joſs in ſo good a Cauſe ? 4vſ. Becauſe they had many and great Sins reigning amongſt themſelves, and they ſhould not þave come to fo great a work of God as this, with polluted hands, but ſhould have pulled the Beam our of their own Eye, before they attempred to tzke that out of their Brother Benjamin's Eye: which becauſe they did not, God doth it for them, meking them by this loſs more clearly to ſee their own fins, and their need of God's help, without which their great Numbers were inſignificant ; and bringing them through the Fire, that they might be purged from their Droſs; ir being probable that the great God who governs every ſtroke in Battels, did ſo order things, that their worſt and rotten Members ſhould be cut off, which was a great Bleſſing to the whole Common-wealth,
22 And the people,the men of Hrael encouraged them- ſelves h, and ſer their battel again in aray, in the place where they putthemſelves in aray the firſt day 3,
h Heb firengthned themſelves, partly by ſupporting themſelves
lows,
Chap: 3:15:
with the Conſcience of the Juſtice of their Cauſe, and the hopes ©
Chap. _ T
T Heb,
_— M4 +
* Chap!
> Yi TY _ y- way
»S 4 {OY iy
Chap: 15.
T Chap. XX.
55 He BOTS