Judges 20:13
in Judges 20Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now therefore deliver up the men, the base fellows, that are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel.
KJV
Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:
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This verse in Judges 20
Commentary
9 notes on this verseDeliver us the men - Nothing could be fairer than this. They wish only to make the murderers answerable for their guilt. Benjamin would not hearken - Thus making their whole tribe partakers of the guilt of the men of Gibeah. By not delivering up those bad men, they in effect said: “We will stand by them in what they have done, and would have acted the same part had we been present.” This proves that the whole tribe was excessively depraved.
This site's exposition
And the tribes of Israel sent men
on Judges 20:12-13
The demand to “purge Israel of this evil” is worded out of the law at Deuteronomy 22:22, and Deuteronomy 13:13 speaks of wicked men who lead a city after other gods. That chapter lays sword and fire on such a city, as verse 48 carries out. Benjamin “refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites”, and so takes the crime of Gibeah as its own.
This site's exposition
Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah
Israel asks Benjamin to hand over the wicked men of Gibeah and no others. Clarke calls the terms fair. Henry sets beside it Joab's demand at Abel in 2 Samuel 20, where handing over one traitor would end a siege.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
When he realized that she was dead, he lifted her onto the mule and brought her home; then, dividing her limbs into twelve parts, he sent one to each of the tribes of Israel. In great distress over this, all the people met at Mizpah, and there, learning of the abominable deed from the Levite, desired to go to war, deciding that it was unlawful for anyone to go to his tent until vengeance was taken on the authors of this deed.
A proud retort was made, and plans for peace were changed to war.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Now, therefore, deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah,....
The Israelites were zealous against the wickedness that was committed, yet they were discreet in their zeal, and did not think it would justify them in falling upon the whole tribe of Benjamin unless they, by refusing to give up the criminals, and protecting them against justice, should make themselves guilty, ex post facto -- as accessaries after the fact.
Thus we have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness if we say A confederacy with those that have, and make ourselves guilty of other men's sins by countenancing and defending them. It seems there is no cause so bad but it will find some patrons, some advocates, to appear for it; but woe be to those by whom such offences come.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
all the people arose as one man--The extraordinary unanimity that prevailed shows, that notwithstanding great disorders had broken out in many parts, the people were sound at the core; and remembering their national covenant with God, they now felt the necessity of wiping out so foul a stain on their character as a people.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
To all the tribes of Binyomin. Their ten clans were considered ten families, so that twelve tribes would emanate from Rochel. 2 The ten clans and the tribes of Menashe and Efraim.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֡ה | veatah | and therefore | H6258 → | 433 times |
| תְּנוּ֩ | tenu | give up | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאֲנָשִׁ֨ים | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בְלִיַּ֜עַל | veliyaal | worthlessness | H1100 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בַּגִּבְעָה֙ | bagivah | [are] in <the> Gibeah | H1390 → | 45 times |
| וּנְמִיתֵ֔ם | unemitem | so we may put to death them | H4191 → | 839 times |
| וּנְבַעֲרָ֥ה | unevaarah | and let us remove | H1197 → | 94 times |
| רָעָ֖ה | raah | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | miyisrael | from Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְלֹ֤א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָבוּ֙בְּנֵ֣י | ʾavubenei | they were willing [the] descendants | H14 →H1121 → | 54 times |
| בִּנְיָמִ֔ן | binyamin | of Benjamin | H1144 → | 166 times |
| לִשְׁמֹ֕עַ | lishmoa' | to listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| בְּק֖וֹל | bekol | to [the] voice of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| אֲחֵיהֶ֥ם | ʾacheihem | brothers their | H251 → | 630 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וְעַתָּ֡הand therefore
veatahH6258 →433 times
תְּנוּ֩give up
tenuH5414 →2011 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאֲנָשִׁ֨יםthe men
haanashimH582 →566 times
בְּנֵֽי־sons of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
בְלִיַּ֜עַלworthlessness
veliyaalH1100 →
אֲשֶׁ֤רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בַּגִּבְעָה֙[are] in <the> Gibeah
bagivahH1390 →45 times
וּנְמִיתֵ֔םso we may put to death them
unemitemH4191 →839 times
וּנְבַעֲרָ֥הand let us remove
unevaarahH1197 →94 times
רָעָ֖הevil
raahH7451 →662 times
מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֑לfrom Israel
miyisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְלֹ֤אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
אָבוּ֙בְּנֵ֣יthey were willing [the] descendants
בִּנְיָמִ֔ןof Benjamin
binyaminH1144 →166 times
לִשְׁמֹ֕עַto listen
lishmoa'H8085 →1159 times
בְּק֖וֹלto [the] voice of
bekolH6963 →506 times
אֲחֵיהֶ֥םbrothers their
ʾacheihemH251 →630 times
בְּנֵֽי־[the] people of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Judges 19:22While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who…
it leads to
- Genesis 19:4–5
Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual…
- Judges 20:5
And during the night, the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house. They intended to kill me, but they abused my concubine, and she died.
- Romans 1:26–27
For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.
- Deuteronomy 13:13
that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),
- Genesis 19:4–5
Through
Deuteronomy 13:13that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),
it leads to
- 1 John 2:19
They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of…
- Deuteronomy 13:6
If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor…
- 1 John 2:19
Through
Deuteronomy 17:12But the man who acts presumptuously, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there to serve the LORD your God, or to the judge, must be put to death. You must purge…
it leads to
- Numbers 15:30
But the person who sins defiantly, whether a native or foreigner, blasphemes the LORD. That person shall be cut off from among his people.
- Numbers 15:30
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, LETTER 33; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.