Judges 20:3
(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?
Original Language Analysis
וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ֙
heard
H8085
וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ֙
heard
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
1 of 16
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
בְּנֵ֣י
Now the children
H1121
בְּנֵ֣י
Now the children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
2 of 16
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
בִנְיָמִ֔ן
of Benjamin
H1144
בִנְיָמִ֔ן
of Benjamin
Strong's:
H1144
Word #:
3 of 16
binjamin, youngest son of jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory
כִּֽי
H3588
כִּֽי
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
4 of 16
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
עָל֥וּ
were gone up
H5927
עָל֥וּ
were gone up
Strong's:
H5927
Word #:
5 of 16
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
בְּנֵ֣י
Now the children
H1121
בְּנֵ֣י
Now the children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
6 of 16
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
of Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
of Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
7 of 16
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
בְּנֵ֣י
Now the children
H1121
בְּנֵ֣י
Now the children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
10 of 16
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
of Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
of Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
11 of 16
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
דַּבְּר֕וּ
Tell
H1696
דַּבְּר֕וּ
Tell
Strong's:
H1696
Word #:
12 of 16
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
נִֽהְיְתָ֖ה
us how was
H1961
נִֽהְיְתָ֖ה
us how was
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
14 of 16
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
Historical Context
Benjamin's tribal territory was small but strategically located, including Jerusalem's hill country (still Jebusite at this time). The tribe's fierce reputation (Genesis 49:27, 'Benjamin is a ravenous wolf') and skilled warriors (20:16 mentions 700 left-handed slingers) made them formidable despite being outnumbered. Their refusal to attend Mizpah showed dangerous independence.
Questions for Reflection
- When do family, tribal, or denominational loyalties tempt you to defend the indefensible?
- How does absence or silence when wickedness is addressed constitute complicity?
- What does proper justice require—both hearing truth and acting on it?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh—the Benjamites' absence from this assembly is ominous. They were notified of the gathering but chose not to attend, signaling defiance and tribal solidarity with Gibeah's criminals rather than covenant loyalty to Israel. Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness? (וַיֹּאמְרוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל דַּבְּרוּ אֵיכָה נִהְיְתָה הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת)—the demand for testimony shows proper judicial procedure: hear the case before rendering judgment.
The question how was this wickedness? uses ra'ah (רָעָה, 'evil, wickedness'), the same term used throughout Genesis for grave sins. Israel recognizes that Gibeah's crime demands corporate response. Yet Benjamin's absence reveals the tribal fractures beneath Israel's surface unity. When tribal loyalty supersedes covenant loyalty, even God's people divide over justice. This foreshadows the coming civil war—not because Israel was wrong to address the crime, but because Benjamin chose clan over covenant. The verse demonstrates that remaining silent or absent when evil is exposed constitutes complicity.