Judges 20:13 (KJV)

What does Judges 20:13 mean?

Judges 20:13 describes how the other Israelite tribes demand that the tribe of Benjamin hand over the men from Gibeah, called "children of Belial," so they can be executed and evil can be removed from Israel. However, the Benjaminites refuse to listen to their fellow Israelites and do not surrender the men.

In this verse, the leaders of Israel are speaking to the tribe of Benjamin after a terrible crime was committed in the town of Gibeah. The Israelites want justice by punishing those responsible, but Benjamin chooses to protect their own people instead of cooperating. This refusal sets the stage for a larger conflict between Benjamin and the rest of Israel.

The Hebrew behind Judges 20:13

• "children of Belial" (בְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַל, b'nei beliya'al) means "worthless men" or "lawless men." The phrase emphasizes the deep moral corruption of those being accused.
• "deliver" (נָתַן, natan) means "to give" or "hand over." The Israelites are not asking for a trial but for the immediate surrender of the guilty men.
• "put away evil" (בָּעַר רָע, ba'ar ra) means "to burn out" or "remove evil." This is a strong phrase often used for purging wrongdoing from the community, showing the seriousness of the offense.

Why Judges 20:13 matters

• This verse clarifies that the conflict was not originally against the whole tribe of Benjamin, but against specific guilty individuals; the wider war only came because Benjamin refused to cooperate.
• The phrase "children of Belial" highlights the gravity of the crime and the expectation that the community should not tolerate such evil.
• The refusal of Benjamin to "hearken" (listen) to the rest of Israel shows how loyalty to one's own group can sometimes override justice, leading to tragic consequences for the whole nation.