Discovery BoxJudges 20:8-11 
Context20:8 All Israel rose up in unison 1 and said, “Not one of us will go home! 2 Not one of us will return 3 to his house! 20:9 Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will attack the city as the lot dictates. 4 20:10 We will take ten of every group of a hundred men from all the tribes of Israel (and a hundred of every group of a thousand, and a thousand of every group of ten thousand) to get supplies for the army. 5 When they arrive in Gibeah of Benjamin they will punish them for the atrocity which they committed in Israel.” 6 20:11 So all the men of Israel gathered together at the city as allies. 7
Judges 20:18
Context20:18 The Israelites went up to Bethel 8 and asked God, 9 “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?” 10 The Lord said, “Judah should lead.”
Judges 20:23
Context20:23 The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we 11 again march out to fight 12 the Benjaminites, our brothers?” 13 The Lord said, “Attack them!” 14
Judges 20:26-28
Context20:26 So all the Israelites, the whole army, 15 went up to 16 Bethel. 17 They wept and sat there before the Lord; they did not eat anything 18 that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace 19 to the Lord. 20:27 The Israelites asked the Lord (for the ark of God’s covenant was there in those days; 20:28 Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving the Lord 20 in those days), “Should we 21 once more march out to fight the Benjaminites our brothers, 22 or should we 23 quit?” The Lord said, “Attack, for tomorrow I will hand them 24 over to you.”
1 tn Heb “as one man.”
2 tn Heb “to his tent.”
3 tn Or “turn aside.”
4 tn Heb “against her by lot.” The verb “we will go up” (נַעֲלֶה, na’aleh) has probably been accidentally omitted before “against her” (עָלֶיהָ, ’aleha).
sn As the lot dictates. The Israelite soldiers intended to cast lots to determine which tribe would lead the battle charge (see v. 18).
5 tn Or “people.”
6 tn Heb “to do at their arrival in Geba of Benjamin according to all the disgraceful [thing] which he [collective = “Benjamin”] did in Israel.” Here “Geba” must be an error for “Gibeah.”
7 tn Heb “gathered at the city as one man, united.”
8 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
9 tn Heb “They arose and went up to Bethel and asked God, and the Israelites said.”
10 tn Heb “Who should go up for us first for battle against the sons of Benjamin?”
11 tn Heb “I” (collective singular).
12 tn Heb “approach for battle.”
13 tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular).
14 tn Heb “Go up against him” (collective singular).
15 tn Heb “and all the people.”
16 tn Heb “went up and came [to].”
17 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
18 tn Traditionally, “fasted.”
19 tn Or “peace offerings.”
20 tn Heb “standing before him.”
21 tn Heb “I” (collective singular).
22 tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular).
23 tn Heb “I” (collective singular).
24 tn Heb “him” (collective singular).
