What is the meaning of Judges 20:23? They went up and wept before the LORD until evening • Israel’s armies, already bloodied by an unexpected defeat (Judges 20:21), respond not with rash revenge but with broken hearts. Like Samuel’s call for fasting and repentance at Mizpah, “They fasted that day and said, ‘We have sinned against the LORD’” (1 Samuel 7:6), this prolonged weeping shows genuine sorrow, not mere frustration. • Their tears echo God’s invitation: “Return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning” (Joel 2:12-13). Grief over sin always precedes true guidance. • By remaining “until evening,” they give God the whole day—an acknowledgment that divine counsel is worth lingering for, as Jehoshaphat did when “all Judah stood before the LORD” (2 Chronicles 20:3-4). • The LORD draws near to the contrite: “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18). Their posture invites His answer. inquiring of Him • Sorrow turns into earnest petition. Earlier they asked simply, “Who shall go up first?” (Judges 20:18). After defeat, they recognize they need more than strategy—they need assurance. • Scripture consistently links seeking with finding: “David inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall I go and attack?’ … and the LORD said, ‘Go’” (1 Samuel 23:2). • This pattern models Proverbs 3:5-6—trusting the LORD and acknowledging Him in all their ways. Their inquiry reflects James 1:5: the God who gives wisdom “generously and without reproach.” Should we again draw near for battle against our brothers the Benjamites? • The question exposes inner tension: these are fellow covenant people, “our brothers.” Civil war is never entered lightly (cf. 2 Samuel 2:26, “Must the sword devour forever?”). • Yet love for brother does not cancel justice. Israel had sworn to purge the evil described in Judges 19. Deuteronomy 13:12-18 commands decisive action against wickedness inside the community. • The word “again” reveals perseverance. Although disciplined by defeat, they refuse to quit; they want to be sure they are aligned with God, not personal vendetta (Romans 12:19). And the LORD answered, “Go up against them.” • God gives a clear, affirmative directive. His silence would have halted them, but His voice authorizes continued action, guaranteeing that righteousness, not revenge, motivates the campaign. • Divine justice sometimes requires severe measures: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay” (Deuteronomy 32:35). Here He chooses to act through Israel’s army. • The answer also reassures that earlier loss was not abandonment but preparation. By the third day (Judges 20:28-35), victory will come, displaying that success flows from obedience, not numbers or might (cf. Joshua 6:2-5 at Jericho). summary Israel’s second approach to God moves from tactical curiosity to heartfelt repentance. Their tears invite His nearness; their inquiry reflects humble dependence; their question wrestles with fraternal bonds and moral duty; and God’s answer authorizes continued pursuit of justice. Judges 20:23 teaches that genuine sorrow, patient seeking, and obedient response draw clear guidance from the LORD—even when the path leads into hard, costly righteousness. |
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