Commentaria in Judices
1. Then all the children of Israel went out, and were gathered together, as one man, from Dan to Bersabee, and the land of Galaad, to the Lord in Maspha; 2. and all the corners of the people, and all the tribes of Israel, met together in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen fighting men (3. And it was not hidden from the children of Benjamin that the children of Israel were gone up to Maspha). The Levite, husband of the woman that was murdered, being asked how so great a wickedness had been committed, 4. answered: I came into Gabaa of Benjamin with my wife, and lodged there: 5. and behold the men of that city surrounded in the night the house wherein I abode, desiring to kill me, and they vexed my wife with incredible fury of lust, and at last she died. 6. And I took her and cut her into pieces, and sent the parts into all the borders of your possession; because never was there so great a wickedness and so heinous a crime committed in Israel. 7. You are all here, ye children of Israel, determine what you ought to do. 8. And all the people standing, as if it were by the word of one man, answered: We will not go back to our tents, neither shall any man enter into his own house; 9. but let us do this in common against Gabaa: 10. Let ten men be chosen out of every hundred of all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the army, and that we may fight against Gabaa of Benjamin, and render to it the punishment it deserves. 11. And all Israel met together against the city, as one man, with one mind and one counsel. 12. And they sent messengers to all the tribe of Benjamin, to say: Why is so great a wickedness found among you? 13. Deliver up the men of Gabaa that have committed this crime, that they may die, and the evil may be removed out of Israel. But they would not hearken to the commandment of their brethren the children of Israel: 14. but out of all the cities that were of their lot, they assembled together at Gabaa, to give them aid, and to fight against all the people of Israel. 15. And there were found of Benjamin twenty-five thousand men that drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gabaa. 16. Who were seven hundred men, most valiant, fighting with the left hand as well as with the right, and slinging stones so surely that they could strike even a hair, and the stroke of the stone would not be carried to either side. 17. Of the men of Israel also, besides the children of Benjamin, there were found four hundred thousand that drew the sword, and were ready for battle. 18. Who rising up came to the house of God, that is, to Silo; and they consulted God, and said: Who shall be the leader of our army in the fight against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord answered them: Let Juda be your leader. 19. And the children of Israel, rising in the morning, encamped near Gabaa. 20. And going forth from thence to fight against Benjamin, they began to besiege the city. 21. And the children of Benjamin coming out of Gabaa, slew of the children of Israel that day twenty-two thousand men. 22. Again the children of Israel, trusting in their strength and number, set their army in array in the same place where they had fought before. 23. Yet so that first they went up and wept before the Lord until night, and consulted him, saying: Shall I go any more to fight against the children of Benjamin my brethren, or not? And he answered them: Go up against them, and join battle. 24. And when the children of Israel the next day went forth to battle against the children of Benjamin, 25. the children of Benjamin rushed out of the gates of Gabaa; and meeting them, raged against them with so great a slaughter, that they laid low eighteen thousand men that drew the sword. 26. Wherefore all the children of Israel came to the house of God, and sitting they wept before the Lord; and they fasted that day until the evening, and offered to him holocausts and peace victims, 27. and asked concerning their state. At that time the ark of the covenant of God was there, 28. and Phinees, the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron, was the head of the house. They consulted therefore the Lord and said: Shall we go out any more to fight against the children of Benjamin our brethren, or shall we cease? And the Lord said to them: Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hands. 29. And the children of Israel set ambushes round about the city of Gabaa; 30. and the third time, as once and twice, they brought the army out against Benjamin. 31. But the children of Benjamin also boldly sallied out of the city, and pursued the adversaries who fled to a greater distance, so that they wounded some of them as on the first day and the second, and slew them as they turned their backs by two paths, of which one led to Bethel, and the other to Gabaa, and laid low about thirty men; 32. for they thought to slay them in the usual manner. But they, feigning flight by art, took counsel to draw them away from the city, and as if flying to bring them to the paths aforesaid. 33. Then all the children of Israel rising up out of their places, set themselves in battle array in a place which is called Baalthamar. The ambushes also, that were about the city, began by little and little to show themselves, 34. and to come forth from the west of the city. But other ten thousand men of all Israel provoked the inhabitants of the city to battle. And the battle grew heavy against the children of Benjamin; and they understood not that destruction was at hand on every side. 35. And the Lord defeated them in the sight of the children of Israel, and they slew of them in that day twenty-five thousand and one hundred men, all fighters and that drew the sword. 36. But the children of Benjamin, seeing themselves to be the weaker, began to flee. Which the children of Israel perceiving, gave them place to flee, that they might come to the ambushes that were prepared, which they had laid near the city. 37. And they rising suddenly out of their lurking places, and Benjamin turning his back to those that slew them, they entered into the city, and smote it with the edge of the sword. 38. Now the children of Israel had given a sign to those whom they had placed in ambush, that, after they had taken the city, they should kindle a fire; that the smoke going up on high might show the city to be taken. 39. Which when the children of Israel saw, being in the very battle (for the children of Benjamin thought they fled, and pursued them more earnestly, having slain thirty men of their army), 40. and saw as it were a pillar of smoke rising up from the city; Benjamin also looking back, when he saw the city taken, and the flames carried up on high; 41. they who before had feigned flight, turning their faces, resisted more stoutly. Which when the children of Benjamin had seen they turned their backs, 42. and began to go toward the way of the desert, their adversaries pursuing them there also; but they also that had set the city on fire met them. 43. And so it came to pass that they were slain on both sides by the enemies, neither was there any rest for the dying. They fell and were laid low on the east side of the city of Gabaa. 44. And they that were slain in the same place were eighteen thousand men, all most robust fighters. 45. Which when they that remained of Benjamin had seen, they fled into the wilderness; and they went on to the rock, the name of which is Remmon. In that flight also, as they straggled and went diverse ways, five thousand men were slain. And as they went farther, they pursued them, and killed also two thousand more. 46. And so it came to pass that all that fell of Benjamin in divers places, were twenty-five thousand, fighters most ready for war. 47. And there remained of all the number of Benjamin, who could escape and flee into the wilderness, six hundred men, and they sat in the rock Remmon four months. 48. But the children of Israel returning, put all the remains of the city to the sword, from men to beasts, and a devouring flame consumed all the cities and villages of Benjamin.
1. (all who could conveniently be away from home and go out) TO THE LORD IN MASPHA,—There were four cities in Judea called Maspha, that is, a watch-tower, says Abulensis, who here understands the Galaaditic. Better others take that which was on the border of the tribes of Juda and Benjamin; for this was near Gabaa, which they wished to punish, as also to the city Silo, where was the tabernacle of the covenant with the ark, which could be seen from Maspha. For Maspha was in a high place like a watch-tower; whence they are said there to be “gathered together to the Lord,” who from afar sat in the tabernacle above the ark. Add that in the whole Synagogue gathered together for a pious cause, as this was, God was present, and presided over it. Whence those who met in it were said to be “gathered to the Lord.” Hence the Hebrews elsewhere also often held assemblies in chap. xi, 11, and 1 Mach. iii, 46, where the reason is also added when it is said: “The place of prayer was in Maspha before in Israel,” as if to say: Although the tabernacle with the ark was in Silo, yet in Maspha was the Synagogue, or place of prayer, and therefore the Israelites met there as at a Synagogue or proseucha. Whence the Rabbis trace the origin of Synagogues to the famous and chief Synagogue which was in Maspha.