Judges 21:10

“And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, etc.] That were in their army; in the Vulgate Latin version it is only 10,000; but the Targum, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, and Josephus f437, agree with the Hebrew text. This place, according to Bunting, to which this army was sent, was fifty two miles from Shiloh f438: and commanded them, saying; these were the orders they gave them, when they marched out: go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children; which it seems was according to the oath they had made, (<072105>Judges 21:5).”

“And the congregation sent 12,000 men - A thousand from each tribe; they followed the precedent of Numbers 31:4. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Go and smite: As they had sworn to destroy those who would not assist in the war ( Jdg 21:5), they determined to destroy the men of Jabesh, and to leave none except the virgins; and to give these to the 600; Benjamites who had escaped to the rock of Rimmon. The whole account is dreadful. The crime of the men of Gibeah was of the deepest dye; the punishment involving both the guilty and innocent, was extended to the most criminal excess, and their mode of remedying the evil they had occasioned was equally abominable. Jdg 21:5, Jdg 5:23; Deu 13:15; Jos 7:24; Sa1 11:7, Sa1 15:3 Judges 21:11”