phrase occurs 1 8nm. xiv. 88, nnd Isa. xix. the word nu,'aleh, wo will go up, which ha:, 13 (the stay of the tribes, A. V.). 'fhe num- since (perchance) fallen out of the Hebrew bers (400,000) are of course those of the text from its resemblance to the following whole congrogntion. The assembly of the word 'alelut against it. The sense will then people of God. So, Numb. xvi. 3; xx. 4, be, Not one of us will shrink from the Israel is called the congregation of the Lord; dangers of the war ; but we will cast lots nnd Neh. xiii. 1, the congregation of God. who shall go up against Gibeah, and who Not dissimilar was the first grent council of sh1\II be employed in collecting victuals for the Church, consisting of the Church (11 lnX71- the army, 40,000 having to be told off for the 111a, i. e. the o.ssembly of disciples) and the latter service. And exactly in the same spirit apostles and elders (who were the corner- (if indeed the answer was not actually given stones, the lapides angulares, thereof). See by lot) they inquired of the Lord who should Acts xv. 4, 6, 12. Four hundred thouae.nd. go up first (in ver. 18), and, we may presume See ver. 17. The enumeration in the wil- also, who should follow in the subsequent derness gave 603,560 (Numb. ii. 82; xi. attacks, though this is omitted for brevity. 21), and at the second numbering 601,730 Others, however, think the words against (Numb. :x.xvi. 61). In 1 Sam. xi. 8 a general it by lot are purposely abrupt, and that the assembly of the whole people, summoned meaning is that Israel would deal with by sending a piece of the flesh of a yoke of Gibeah as they had done with the Canaanites, oxen "throughout all the coasts of Israel," viz., destroy their city, and divide its terri- amounted to 330,000. David's numbering tory by lot among the other tribes, after gave of Israel 800,000, and of Judah 500,000, the analogy of Josh. xviii. 8-10. But this in all 1,300,000 ; but these were not as- interpretation is not borne out by what sembled together, but numbered at their own actually happened, nor ill the phrase a. likely homes. Jehoshaphat's men of war amounted one to have been used. to 1,160,000 according to 2 Chron. xvii. 14- Ver. 12.-Tribeof Benjamin. The Hebrew 18. In the time of A.maziah there were of has tribes, meaning probably families, as the Judah alone 300,000 men able to go forth to word ill used Numb. iv. 18. Vice versa, war (2 Chxon. xxiv. 6). family is used for tribe, eh. xvii. 7 ; xviii. Ver. 3.-The children of Benjamin heard, 11. What wickedness, &c. The message &c. This seems to be mentioned to show was perhaps too sharp and peremptory to be that the absence of the Benjamites from the snccessful. It ronsea the pride and tribal national council was not from ignorance, but independence of the Benjamites to resist. from contumacy. Tell us, &c. Thls was We mast suppose the message to have pre- addressed to all whom it might concern. ceded in point of time the hostile gathering The Levite answered. recorded in ver. 11. It was probably sent Ver. 6.-A.nd thought to have slain me. before the council broke up (see above, eh. Thill was so far true that it is likely he was vii. 25; viii 4, and note). in fear -0f his life; but he doubtless shaped Ver. 13.-Children of Belial. See eh. hill narrative so as to conceal his own coward- xix. 22, note. There seems to be n reference ice in the transaction. We ho.ve a similar here to Deut. xiii. 12-15. example of an unfaithful narration of facts in Ver. 14.-But the children of Benjamin. the letter of Claudius Lysias to Felix (Acts It should be And the diildren, &c. It is not xxiii. 27). The men of Gibeah.. The masters, dependent upon the preceding verse, but as in eh. ix. 2, meaning the citizens. begins a new head of the narrative. From Ver. 7.-Ye are all children of Israel. the cities, i. e. the different cities of the tribe He appeals to them as men bound to wipe of Benjamin, enumerated in Josh. xviii. 21- awny the shame and disgrace of their common 28, twenty-six in number. country. He speo.ks with force and dignity Ver. 15.-Twenty and six thousand. The under the sense of a grievous wrong and a numbers of Benjamin in the wilderness were crushing sorrow. at the first numbering 35,400, and at the Ver. 8.-The people-with the emphatic second 45,600 (Numb. i. 36; ii. 23; xxvi. meaning of the whole people of Israel, the 41). It ill impossible to account with cer- assembly of the people of God, as in ver. 2. tainty for the falling off in the numbers by so As one man. There was but one resolve, and manynsnear 20,000; but perhapsmanywer" one sentiment, and one expression of opinion, slnin in the wars of Canaan, and the unsettle,! in that vast multitude. Not one would go times were unfavourable to early marriages. home till due punishment had been inflicted For the whole of Israel there wns, as appearecl upon Gibeah of Benjamin. To his tent, i. e. by ver. 2, note, a falling off of nearly 200,000 home, as in eh. xix. 9. men, or, to speak exactly (601, 730-400,000 Ver. 9.-Wewill go up by lot against it. +26,700), of 175,030. Which were num- I The words we will go up nre not in the bered. There is some obscurity in this latter Hebrew, but nre supplied by the Scptungint, clause; but, in spite of the accents being who very likely found in their Hebrew ropy opposed to it, the A. V. seems certainly right. :100 THE BOOK OF JUDGES. [cH. XX, 1-17.
rhe rendering according to the accents, "they jamite was a man 'left-handed (eh. iii. 15; see (the Bcnjamites) were numbered, besides the also l Chron. xii. 2). The Roman name inhahitants of Gibeah, seven hundred chosen Srmvola means left-handed. For the uso of nwn," makes no sense, and does not explain the sling see l Sam. xvii. 40, 49. Diodorue ,-·ho the iOO were. The population of Gibeah Siculus (quoted by Rosenmiiller) mentions would be about 5 x 700, i. e. 3/i00, according the remarkable skill of the inhnbitanta of the to this stR ternent. Balearic Islands in the use of the sling, ndd- Ver. 16.-Seven hundred . . men left- ing, in terms very similar to those of the handed. It is curious that the tribe of text, that they seldom miss their aim. Benjamin, which means son of tlw right hand, Ver. 17.-A repetition of the statement in should have this peculiar institution of a ver. 2. corps of left-handed men. Ehud the Ben-