The story of the tribe of benjamin – बिन्यामीन के गोत्र की कहानी

The story of the tribe of Benjamin’s near destruction is a dramatic and tragic account found in the Book of Judges, specifically in chapters 19–21. It takes place during the period when Israel had no king, and “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).

The story begins with a Levite who had a concubine from Bethlehem. The concubine had left him and returned to her father’s house. After four months, the Levite went to bring her back. After staying several days with her father, they eventually began their journey home. On their way back, they stopped in the town of Gibeah, which belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, to spend the night.

In Gibeah, an old man offered them hospitality for the night. But during the night, some wicked men from the town surrounded the house and demanded that the Levite be handed over to them so they could sexually assault him. Instead, the Levite gave them his concubine to protect himself. The men of Gibeah abused her throughout the night, and by morning, she was found dead at the doorstep.

Grieved and outraged, the Levite cut his concubine’s body into twelve pieces and sent the pieces throughout the tribes of Israel as a call to action against this evil. The Israelites, shocked by the horror of the crime, gathered as one nation to confront the tribe of Benjamin and demand justice. The Israelites called for the people of Benjamin to hand over the wicked men of Gibeah who had committed the atrocity, but the Benjaminites refused.

This refusal led to a civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of Israel. Despite Benjamin’s initial military success, the Israelite forces eventually overwhelmed them.

The war resulted in the near-total destruction of the tribe of Benjamin. After several battles, the Israelites killed about 25,000 Benjaminite warriors, leaving only 600 men alive who fled to the wilderness for safety. The cities of Benjamin, including Gibeah, were burned, and the Israelite army slaughtered the women, children, and livestock of the tribe.

Although the Israelites had been victorious, they soon regretted their actions. They had sworn an oath not to give their daughters in marriage to the Benjaminites, which threatened the survival of the tribe. To solve this, they devised a plan to provide wives for the remaining 600 Benjaminite men without breaking their vow.

First, they discovered that the people of Jabesh Gilead had not joined the assembly of Israel in the battle against Benjamin. So, the Israelites attacked Jabesh Gilead and took 400 young virgins to give as wives to the Benjaminites. However, there were still not enough women for all the remaining men.

To solve this, the Israelites allowed the Benjaminites to abduct women during a festival in Shiloh, where young women would be dancing. The Benjaminites took wives from among these women, and the tribe was spared from extinction.

The story of the tribe of Benjamin’s near destruction highlights the chaotic and violent period of the judges, where lawlessness and tribal conflicts often led to brutal consequences. It serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers of moral decay and the breakdown of justice. The tribe of Benjamin did eventually recover and continued to play a significant role in the history of Israel, with notable figures like King Saul coming from this tribe.

The story of the tribe of benjamin – बिन्यामीन के गोत्र की कहानी