But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
But the people of Benjamin came together from all their cities and gathered at Gibeah, preparing to fight against the other tribes of Israel.
The tribe of Benjamin united and prepared for war against the rest of Israel rather than surrendering the guilty men from Gibeah.
📚 Historical Context
This verse occurs during a civil war within Israel after a horrific crime in Gibeah where a woman was brutally assaulted and killed. The other eleven tribes demanded that Benjamin hand over the perpetrators for justice, but Benjamin refused and chose to defend their fellow tribesmen instead. This led to one of the darkest periods in Israel's early history, showing how far the nation had fallen from God's ways during the time of the judges.
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