703 - Israel Destroys Benjamin

Israel Destroys Benjamin 

The warriors of Benjamin shouted, 

“We’re defeating them, as we did before!” 

But, the Israelites had planned, in advance, to run away, so that the men of Benjamin would chase them, along the roads …and be drawn away,  from the town. 

When the main group of Israelite warriors reached Baal-tamar, they turned and took up their positions. 

Meanwhile, the Israelites, who were hiding in ambush, to the west of Gibeah, jumped up to fight. 

There were 10,000 elite Israelite troops, who advanced against Gibeah. 

The fighting was so heavy, that Benjamin didn’t realize the impending disaster. 

So, the Lord helped Israel defeat Benjamin, and that day, the Israelites killed 25,100 of Benjamin’s warriors, all of whom were experienced swordsmen. 

Then, the men of Benjamin saw that they were beaten. 

The Israelites had retreated from Benjamin’s warriors, in order to give, those hiding in ambush, more room to maneuver, against Gibeah. 

Then, those, who were hiding, rushed in, from all sides, and killed everyone in the town. 

They had arranged to send up a large cloud of smoke, from the town, as a signal. 

When the Israelites saw the smoke, they turned and attacked Benjamin’s warriors. 

By that time, Benjamin’s warriors had killed about thirty Israelites, and they shouted, 

“We’re defeating them, as we did in the first battle!” 

But, when the warriors, of Benjamin, looked behind them, and saw the smoke rising into the sky, from every part of the town, the men of Israel turned and attacked. 

At this point, the men of Benjamin became terrified, because they realized disaster was close at hand. 

So, they turned around and fled, before the Israelites, toward the wilderness. 

But, they couldn’t escape the battle, and the people, who came out of the nearby towns, were also killed. 

The Israelites surrounded the men of Benjamin …and chased them relentlessly, …finally, overtaking them east of Gibeah. 

That day 18,000 of Benjamin’s strongest warriors died in battle. 

The survivors fled into the wilderness, toward the rock of Rimmon, but Israel killed 5,000 of them, along the road. 

They continued the chase, until they had killed another 2,000 near Gidom. 

So, that day, the tribe of Benjamin lost 25,000 strong warriors armed with swords, leaving only 600 men, who escaped to the rock of Rimmon, where they lived for four months. 

And the Israelites returned, and slaughtered every living thing, in all the towns—the people, the livestock, and everything they found. 

They also burned down all the towns, that they came to. 

Judges 20:32–48 (NLT)

Praise be to God!