Judges 20 7

Judges 20:7 kjv

Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.

Judges 20:7 nkjv

Look! All of you are children of Israel; give your advice and counsel here and now!"

Judges 20:7 niv

Now, all you Israelites, speak up and tell me what you have decided to do."

Judges 20:7 esv

Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here."

Judges 20:7 nlt

Now then, all of you ? the entire community of Israel ? must decide here and now what should be done about this!"

Judges 20 verses

Judges 20 7 Meaning

Judges 20:7 is the urgent plea from the Levite, whose concubine was violated and murdered by the men of Gibeah in Benjamin, to the assembled tribes of Israel. Having sent pieces of her body throughout the land, he now demands that the gathered nation, "all Israel," openly express their collective strategic thinking and deliberative plans to respond to this grave abomination. It is a direct call for a united and well-thought-out course of action to address the profound moral and covenantal breach committed.

Judges 20 7 Context

Judges 20:7 occurs at a pivotal moment after the most appalling acts of moral decay described in the book of Judges. Chapter 19 recounts the Levite's concubine's horrific rape and murder by the Benjaminites in Gibeah. In response, the Levite dismembered her body into twelve pieces, sending a piece to each of the twelve tribes of Israel (Judges 19:29). This grotesque act served as a dramatic, non-verbal summons, a stark symbol of the national outrage and the breaking of covenantal norms. The people of Israel, described as "all Israel," had already assembled at Mizpah (Judges 20:1-3), a historically significant location for national gatherings and covenant renewal, filled with indignation. The verse directly follows the Levite's recounting of the heinous crime. His question is not merely an inquiry but a demand for the assembly to decide the specific form of their collective retribution against this moral outrage, which had polluted the land and affronted every tribe. This desperate call for counsel underscores the state of the nation, operating without a king, where crises required an assembly of the entire people to deliberate on a unified course of action, often with grave consequences.

Judges 20 7 Word analysis

• Behold (הִנֵּה, hinneh): An interjection signaling attention, urgency, or the introduction of something significant or surprising. Here, it arrests the listeners, preparing them for a critical pronouncement or request, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
• you are all (כֻּלְּכֶם, kul-l’khem): Literally "all of you." This emphasizes the comprehensive assembly of the entire nation, signifying collective presence and shared responsibility. No one is exempt; the decision and its consequences belong to the whole.
• O children of Israel (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, b’nei Yisra’el): Refers to the collective twelve tribes, the covenant people of God. This addresses them by their foundational identity, highlighting that the offense at Gibeah was not merely against an individual, but against the fabric and purity of the entire Israelite community, thereby warranting a national response.
• here (הֵנָּה, hennah): Specifies their physical presence at Mizpah, underlining their readiness and immediate capacity to engage in the demanded deliberation. It anchors the verbal request to the assembled body.
• give here (תְּנוּ לָכֶם, t’nu lakhem): A direct, emphatic command ("give to yourselves" or "present among yourselves"). It is an invitation to active, shared participation, demanding rather than merely requesting input from each tribal representative present. The imperative suggests immediate action.
• your advice (עֵצָה, ‘etsah): Refers to strategic planning, wise deliberation, counsel, or a well-considered course of action. It points to a demand for prudence and foresight in handling a severe national crisis, a desire for a definitive solution.
• and counsel (וּמְזִמָּה, u-m'zimmah): Can denote careful planning, device, or purpose. While sometimes used in a negative sense (e.g., wicked schemes), here, in parallel with ‘etsah, it implies thorough consideration, judicious thought, and a definitive, resolute plan of action. It underscores the call for thoughtful strategy, not just casual opinion.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Behold, you are all, O children of Israel, here": This opening establishes the setting and audience. "Behold" commands attention, followed by "all, O children of Israel" emphasizing national unity and responsibility. Their collective presence "here" at Mizpah underlines the shared ownership of the crisis and the impending decision, underscoring that this is a matter for the entire covenant community, not just a localized concern.
• "give here your advice and counsel": This phrase directly states the purpose of the assembly and the demand made upon them. The dual terms "advice and counsel" (‘etsah u-m'zimmah) stress the need for not just opinions but concrete, well-thought-out, strategic planning to resolve the atrocity. The call for their specific, collective deliberation sets the stage for the dramatic national confrontation that follows.

Judges 20 7 Bonus section

• The assembly at Mizpah, often a place for seeking God's will (e.g., Judg 10:17), in this instance, makes rash decisions fueled by emotional outrage rather than consistent divine consultation from the outset.
• The Levite's "counsel" here is a highly effective, albeit potentially manipulative, rhetorical strategy, transferring the weight of the moral outrage directly onto the nation as a whole and demanding their complicity in the proposed response.
• The absence of a king (Judges 21:25) is implicitly underscored; while the people gather to counsel, the ensuing conflict demonstrates the chaos and severe misjudgments possible when unified leadership and righteous spiritual guidance are lacking.
• The terms "advice and counsel" would ideally lead to a calm, prayerful, and just solution in accordance with God's law. However, the subsequent events reveal that despite calling for counsel, the people's collective response was primarily one of vengeful indignation, demonstrating that mere assembly and collective thought do not automatically lead to Godly wisdom.

Judges 20 7 Commentary

Judges 20:7 serves as the direct catalyst for Israel's devastating internal war. The Levite, a seemingly weak figure from Chapter 19, here adopts the posture of a national prosecutor, appealing to the covenantal consciousness of "all Israel." His rhetoric is powerful, culminating in this direct command for the assembled nation to deliberate and form a concrete plan. The question "what shall we do concerning this matter?" (from the surrounding verses' context) underpins this call for "advice and counsel." It's a plea for collective wisdom in the absence of centralized royal authority, a search for a divinely approved response to the horrific abomination (nebalah). While seemingly noble, the outcome reveals that even "all Israel" acting together can make catastrophic decisions when fueled by unchecked righteous anger and failing to genuinely seek the Lord's full guidance (as shown later in the chapter). This verse highlights the weight of collective decision-making, the gravity of moral failure, and the intense desire within Israel for justice, even if poorly executed.