Judges 20:7
Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.
Original Language Analysis
כֻלְּכֶ֖ם
H3605
כֻלְּכֶ֖ם
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
2 of 9
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
בְּנֵ֣י
Behold ye are all children
H1121
בְּנֵ֣י
Behold ye are all children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
3 of 9
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
of Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
of Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
4 of 9
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
הָב֥וּ
give
H3051
הָב֥וּ
give
Strong's:
H3051
Word #:
5 of 9
to give (whether literal or figurative); generally, to put; imperatively (reflexive) come
דָּבָ֥ר
your advice
H1697
דָּבָ֥ר
your advice
Strong's:
H1697
Word #:
7 of 9
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
Historical Context
National assemblies for judicial matters followed patterns from the Mosaic covenant, where elders gathered at city gates for legal proceedings (Deuteronomy 21:19; 22:15; 25:7). However, proper judicial process required multiple witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15), thorough investigation (Deuteronomy 13:14), and most importantly, consulting God through the priesthood (Numbers 27:21). Israel's process violated these standards by accepting the Levite's uncorroborated testimony and failing to adequately inquire of the LORD.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you use appeals to shared identity to manipulate group decisions?
- When do you seek human consensus without first seeking divine wisdom?
- What safeguards ensure that corporate deliberation rests on truth rather than emotional manipulation?
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Analysis & Commentary
Behold, ye are all children of Israel (הִנֵּה כֻלְּכֶם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, hineh chullchem benei yisra'el)—the Levite appeals to shared covenant identity. Give here your advice and counsel (הָבוּ לָכֶם דָּבָר וְעֵצָה, havu lachem davar ve'etzah)—he calls for deliberation and decision. The parallelism emphasizes both speech ('advice,' davar) and wisdom ('counsel,' etzah).
The Levite's appeal is rhetorically powerful but spiritually hollow. He invokes national identity and calls for corporate response, yet omits any appeal to seek God's direction. His summons to 'give advice' creates the illusion of democratic process while his manipulative presentation has already predetermined the outcome. The assembled masses will react with predictable outrage to his selective narrative. This illustrates how appeals to shared identity and democratic process can mask manipulation. True counsel requires full information and divine wisdom, not merely corporate deliberation based on emotionally charged, incomplete testimony. The question Israel should have asked first was not 'What shall we do?' but 'What does the LORD say?'