Judges 20 23

Judges 20:23 kjv

(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)

Judges 20:23 nkjv

Then the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, "Shall I again draw near for battle against the children of my brother Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against him."

Judges 20:23 niv

The Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and they inquired of the LORD. They said, "Shall we go up again to fight against the Benjamites, our fellow Israelites?" The LORD answered, "Go up against them."

Judges 20:23 esv

And the people of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until the evening. And they inquired of the LORD, "Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against them."

Judges 20:23 nlt

For they had gone up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the LORD until evening. They had asked the LORD, "Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again?" And the LORD had said, "Go out and fight against them."

Judges 20 verses

Judges 20 23 Meaning

Judges 20:23 describes a pivotal moment during Israel's civil war against Benjamin. After suffering two significant defeats, the united tribes of Israel ascend to Bethel (or Gilgal where the Ark was located) and mourn deeply before the LORD until evening. Overwhelmed by their losses and the continuation of the conflict, they seek divine counsel, asking if they should persevere in battle against their Benjaminite brethren. The LORD's concise response is a reaffirmation of His earlier command to "Go up," signifying that despite their painful setbacks, His will was still for them to engage the Benjaminite army. This verse highlights Israel's profound distress, their continued reliance on God's guidance, and God's consistent but initially unexplained directive amidst their national trauma.

Judges 20 23 Context

Judges 20 details a tragic civil war initiated by the united tribes of Israel against the tribe of Benjamin. The conflict stemmed from a heinous crime committed by men of Gibeah in Benjamin – the gang rape and murder of a Levite's concubine, an atrocity depicted in Judges 19. All Israel, outraged by this wickedness, gathered at Mizpah, resolving to exact justice. After seeking the LORD's counsel, they were initially told in Judges 20:18 to "Go up" to battle. Despite this divine command, Israel suffered a devastating defeat, losing 22,000 men (Judges 20:21). Undeterred yet confused, they renewed their commitment to battle and inquired again of the LORD, leading to the current verse. After the inquiry in verse 23, they engaged Benjamin once more, suffering an even greater defeat, losing 18,000 men (Judges 20:25). It is only after these two bitter failures, profound weeping, fasting, and offering burnt and peace offerings (Judges 20:26-27), that the LORD gives them a different response in Judges 20:28, promising deliverance on the third day. This verse (20:23) falls within the critical interim period where Israel is deeply distressed but still resolute, having endured one defeat and before experiencing the second. It highlights their wrestling with God's mysterious plan and the immense cost of fighting their own brethren.

Judges 20 23 Word analysis

• Then: Marks a sequence in events, specifically following their initial defeat (Judges 20:21). It emphasizes that this seeking of counsel is a reaction to, and in the immediate aftermath of, their painful setback.
• the children of Israel: Represents the collective body of the eleven tribes acting together. This underscores the national unity and corporate responsibility in dealing with Benjamin's transgression, despite their own suffering.
• went up: Implies ascending to a designated place of worship, likely Bethel, where the Ark of the Covenant was situated at this time (Judges 20:26). Going up symbolized approaching God's presence.
• wept: Hebrew bakah (בָּכָה). This is a strong word for deep, mournful lamentation. It signifies intense sorrow, anguish, and a state of utter desperation following their significant loss. This was not mere tears but an outpouring of grief and contrition.
• before the LORD: Hebrew lipne YHWH (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה). This indicates seeking God in His direct presence, implying a sanctuary or where the Ark of the Covenant, representing His presence, was. It highlights their humility and reliance on divine authority, acknowledging Him as their ultimate commander and judge.
• until evening: Specifies the duration and intensity of their mourning and supplication. It implies a day-long process of grieving and seeking God, demonstrating their earnestness and the depth of their predicament.
• asked counsel of the LORD: Hebrew sha'al et YHWH (שָׁאַל אֶת־יְהוָה). This was a customary method of discerning God's will for crucial decisions, particularly in military strategy. It demonstrates their understanding that victory was not solely dependent on their might, but on God's direction, even when His previous directives seemed to lead to defeat.
• saying: Introduces the direct inquiry they posed to God.
• "Shall I again go up": Hebrew ha-l'osiph la-lahet (הַאֹסִיף לָלֶחֶם). The crucial word "again" (אֹסִיף - osiph, 'to add, continue') reflects their bewilderment and the trauma of the previous defeat. They were questioning if they should persist in the face of what appeared to be divine disapproval or an incomprehensible plan. This signifies a test of faith and obedience.
• "to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?": The phrase "my brother" is laden with pathos. It underscores the immense pain of this internecine conflict, the tragic nature of kin fighting kin. It expresses their grief not just over their losses, but over the tearing apart of the nation. It highlights the profound ethical dilemma and human cost of divine judgment on sin.
• And the LORD said: A direct, unequivocal divine response. It signals God's immediate answer to their inquiry.
• "Go up against him.": This concise command reaffirms His earlier directive (Judges 20:18). It indicates God's unwavering purpose, even when His people are struggling to comprehend His methods. It was a call to persistent obedience, a step in His larger plan, although without the promise of immediate victory yet, which would only come after further repentance (Judges 20:28).

• "Then the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening": This phrase highlights Israel's collective humility and desperation. After a stunning defeat, their first instinct was not to strategize militarily, but to turn to God in deep lament. Their prolonged weeping (until evening) signifies the gravity of their national crisis and the earnestness of their appeal. It's an act of national repentance, acknowledging their utter dependence on God.
• "and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, 'Shall I again go up to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?'": This question encapsulates Israel's profound distress and confusion. They were grappling with the apparent contradiction of a divine command ("Go up" in v. 18) leading to utter failure, and now faced with a conflict against their own kin, referred to agonizingly as "my brother." Their question reveals a genuine spiritual wrestling – obedience in the face of painful setbacks and the internal conflict between God's will and their human sorrow over the bloodshed.
• "And the LORD said, 'Go up against him.'": The brevity of God's response is striking. It offers no explanation for their prior defeat, no sympathy for their mourning (yet), and no promise of victory. Instead, it is a straightforward reiteration of the original command. This tested Israel's faith further, forcing them to obey solely on God's word, regardless of immediate consequences or understanding. It suggests that God had a deeper lesson to impart through their continued struggle.

Judges 20 23 Bonus section

The narrative progression in Judges 20:18, 20:23, and 20:28 reveals God's pedagogical method.

1. "Go up!" (20:18): A command for obedience, but perhaps given to expose Israel's reliance on their own might rather than on God. They suffered because their hearts were not sufficiently humbled or penitent, despite having God's permission.
2. "Go up against him." (20:23): A reiteration after weeping, still without an explicit promise of victory. This tested their perseverance and deeper dependence. They again suffered a greater loss, suggesting their repentance, while expressed in tears, was not yet complete enough to unlock the full divine favor of victory.
3. "Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver him into your hand." (20:28): This definitive promise came only after prolonged, agonizing weeping, fasting, and offering burnt and peace offerings. This complete surrender, self-abasement, and fervent supplication demonstrated their true and full repentance. It's at this point that God promises the outcome, not just the command to act. This suggests that divine blessing often accompanies thorough repentance and humble reliance, rather than just initial obedience. The losses served to purify Israel's motives and draw them closer to God in absolute dependence, turning their focus from merely punishing Benjamin to seeking God's ultimate justice and restoring His presence fully among them.

Judges 20 23 Commentary

Judges 20:23 reveals Israel's wrestling with God's enigmatic will in the midst of a devastating civil war. Having already suffered a catastrophic defeat despite God's initial instruction to "Go up," their renewed inquiry demonstrates both their desperation and their continued commitment to seeking divine counsel. Their collective weeping signifies deep anguish and possibly a nascent sense of repentance, yet their question still hints at a lack of full understanding regarding their situation. The explicit mention of Benjamin as "my brother" emphasizes the tragic familial dimension of this conflict, making their losses even more painful and incomprehensible to them.

God's concise answer, "Go up against him," is a direct re-affirmation of His earlier command without explanation. This short response highlights several critical divine principles. Firstly, God's will is unwavering; His initial command for Israel to confront Benjamin for their grave sin still stood. Secondly, God uses difficulty and defeat as a means of teaching and refining His people. Their initial presumptuousness (going up relying perhaps on numbers or righteous cause) was stripped away through suffering. God was allowing them to fail not to condemn, but to deepen their humility, drive them to more profound repentance, and reveal their absolute dependence on Him, not on their strength or perceived righteousness. It required them to persist in obedience even when the path seemed counterintuitive or agonizing, teaching them true faith in His mysterious providence.

Examples of God using repeated challenges to deepen faith:

• Israel's numerous wanderings and battles in the wilderness before entering the promised land (Deut 8:2-3).
• Peter being told to cast nets again after a fruitless night (Luke 5:5).
• Persistent prayer despite delayed answers (Luke 11:5-8, Luke 18:1-8).