War Against Benjamin

Overview

  • Testament: Old
  • Book: Judges
  • Chapters: Judges 20-21
  • Summary: Israel nearly destroys the tribe of Benjamin after the atrocity at Gibeah.

Details

The tribes gather at Mizpah and demand justice, but Benjamin refuses to surrender the guilty men. Civil war follows, Benjamin is devastated, and Israel later devises troubling ways to preserve the tribe.

Key People Involved

  • Benjamin — Tribe nearly destroyed
  • Phinehas — Priest consulted during the war

Key Places

Important Verses

“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” — Judges 21:25

Cross-References

Notes

Judges ends without a clean resolution, forcing the reader to long for righteous leadership.