Judges 20:18

And they rose up and went to the house of God, that is, to Shiloh. And they consulted God, and they said, “Who shall be, in our army, the first to contend against the sons of Benjamin?” And the Lord responded to them, “Let Judah be your leader.”

Catholic Public Domain Version

In The King James Version

And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.

In Context

17Then too, among the men of Israel apart from the sons of Benjamin, there were found four hundred thousand who drew the sword and who were prepared for battle.

19And immediately the sons of Israel, rising up in the morning, made camp near Gibeah.

Read all of Judges 20

Cross References

Genesis 49:8Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be at the necks of your enemies; the sons of your father will reverence you.

Numbers 27:21On his behalf, if anything is to be done, Eleazar the priest shall consult the Lord. He, and all the sons of Israel with him, and the rest of the multitude, shall go out and enter in at his word.”

Joshua 18:1And all the sons of Israel gathered together at Shiloh, and there they stationed the Tabernacle of the Testimony. And the land was subjected to them.

Judges 1:2And the Lord said: “Judah shall ascend. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hands.”

Judges 19:18He answered him: “We set out from Bethlehem of Judah, and we are traveling to our own place, which is beside mount Ephraim. From there we went to Bethlehem, and now we go to the house of God. But no one is willing to receive us under his roof.

Judges 20:23But first they also went up and wept before the Lord, even until night. And they consulted him and said, “Should I continue to go forth, so as to contend against the sons of Benjamin, my brothers, or not?” And he responded to them, “Ascend against them, and undertake the struggle.”

Matthew Henry on Judges 20:13-18

The War with the Benjamites. ( b. c. 1410.) 12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you? 13 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: 14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Judges 20:18