Judges 20:18

Verse 18 of 48. The 20th of 21 chapters in Judges, in History.

14But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

15And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

16Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.

17And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.

18And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first.

19And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.

20And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.

21And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.

22And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

Read Judges 20

Judges 20:18 in the World English Bible

The children of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and asked counsel of God. They asked, “Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin?” The LORD said, “Judah first.”
Read Judges 20:18 in the WEB

Matthew Henry on Judges 20:18

They did not think it was proper to ask of God whether they should go up at all against Benjamin (the case was plain enough, the men of Gibeah must be punished for their wickedness, and Israel must inflict the punishment or it will not be done), but "Who shall go first?" (v. 18), that is, "Who shall be general of our army?" for, which soever tribe was appointed to go first, the prince of that tribe must be looked…

Read Matthew Henry on Judges 20:18–25

Pray Judges 20:18 with someone reading it aloud.

Start praying with Pray.com

King James Version. Public domain. Set as prose throughout, including the poetry, because the text is published to us without its lines.