Judges Chapter 20

“Then all the children of Israel went out, etc.] Of their tribes, cities, habitations, not every individual of them, but some of the chief of them, with a select company with them: and the congregation was gathered together as one man; with as much unanimity and ease met together in one place, at the same time, as if only one man had been pitched upon and deputed for that purpose: from Dan even to Beersheba, from the city Dan, lately built, which was in the most northern parts of the land of Canaan, to Beersheba, a city in the most southern part, which included all the tribes in the land of Canaan, who all,…”

“THE LEVITE, IN A GENERAL ASSEMBLY, DECLARES HIS WRONG. (Jdg 20:1-7) all . . . the congregation was gathered as one man--In consequence of the immense sensation the horrid tragedy of Gibeah had produced, a national assembly was convened, at which "the chief of all the people" from all parts of the land, including the eastern tribes, appeared as delegates. Mizpeh--the place of convention (for there were other Mizpehs), was in a town situated on the confines of Judah and Benjamin (Jos 15:38; Jos 18:26). Assemblies were frequently held there afterwards (Sa1 7:11; Sa1 10:17); and it was but a short distance from…”

“The “congregation” is the technical term for the whole community of the Israelite people. Its occurrence here is an indication of the early date of these transactions. From Dan to Beer-sheba - We cannot safely infer from this expression that the settlement of Dan, recorded in Judges 18:0 had taken place at this time. It only proves that in the writer’s time, from Dan to Beer-sheba was a proverbial expression for all Israel (compare the marginal reference). With the land of Gilead - Meaning all the trans-Jordanic tribes; mentioned particularly, both to show that the whole congregation of the children of Israel, in…”

“All - That is, a great number, and especially the rulers of all the tribes, except Benjamin, Jdg 20:3, Jdg 20:12. One man - That is, with one consent. Dan, &c. - Dan was the northern border of the land, near Lebanon; and Beersheba the southern border. Gilead - Beyond Jordan, where Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh were. To the Lord - As to the Lord's tribunal: for God was not only present in the place where the ark and tabernacle was, but also in the assemblies of the gods, or judges, Psa 82:1, and in all places where God's name is recorded, Exo 20:24, and where two or three are met together in his name. Mizpeh - A…”

“Then all: Jdg 20:2, Jdg 20:8, Jdg 20:11, Jdg 21:5; Deu 13:12-18; Jos 22:12 as one man: Sa1 11:7, Sa1 11:8; Sa2 19:14; Ezr 3:1; Neh 8:1 from Dan: Jdg 18:29; Sa1 3:20; Sa2 3:10, Sa2 24:2; Ch1 21:2; Ch2 30:5 with the: Num 32:1, Num 32:40; Jos 17:1; Sa2 2:9 unto the: Jdg 20:18, Jdg 20:26, Jdg 11:11 in Mizpeh: Jdg 10:17, Jdg 11:11; Jos 15:38, Jos 18:26; Sa1 7:5, Sa1 7:6, Sa1 10:17; Kg2 25:23; It does not appear that the Israelites on this occasion, were summoned by the authority of any one common head, but they came together by the consent and agreement, as it were, of one common heart, fired with a holy zeal for the…”

“War with Benjamin on the Part of All the Other Tribes. - The expectation of the Levite was fulfilled. The congregation of Israel assembled at Mizpeh to pass sentence upon Gibeah, and formed the resolution that they would not rest till the crime was punished as it deserved ( Jdg 20:1-10). But when the Benjaminites refused to deliver up the offenders in Gibeah, and prepared to offer resistance, the other tribes began to make war upon Gibeah and Benjamin ( Jdg 20:11-19), but were twice defeated by the Benjaminites with very great loss ( Jdg 20:20-28). At length, however, they succeeded by an act of stratagem in…”