War against Benjamin

20 All the Israelites from Dan to Beer-sheba(A) and from the land of Gilead came out, and the community assembled as one body before the Lord at Mizpah.(B) The leaders(C) of all the people and of all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people: 400,000 armed foot soldiers. The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.

The Israelites asked, “Tell us, how did this outrage occur?”

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Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah,(A) and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.”(B) When they gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out in the Lord’s presence.(C) They fasted that day,(D) and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.”(E) And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. When the Israelites heard about it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, so that He will save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

Then Samuel took a young lamb(F) and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on behalf of Israel, and the Lord answered him.(G) 10 Samuel was offering the burnt offering as the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel. The Lord thundered loudly(H) against the Philistines that day and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.(I) 11 Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines striking them down all the way to a place below Beth-car.

12 Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright(J) between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,[a] explaining, “The Lord has helped us to this point.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued(K) and[b] did not invade Israel’s territory again.(L) The Lord’s hand was against the Philistines all of Samuel’s life. 14 The cities from Ekron to Gath, which they had taken from Israel, were restored; Israel even rescued their surrounding territories from Philistine control. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15 Samuel judged Israel throughout his life.(M) 16 Every year he would go on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah and would judge Israel at all these locations.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 7:12 = Stone of Help
  2. 1 Samuel 7:13 LXX reads The Lord humbled the Philistines and they

Gedaliah Assassinated by Ishmael

41 In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family and one of the king’s chief officers, came with 10 men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. They ate a meal together there in Mizpah, but then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the 10 men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword; he killed the one the king of Babylon had appointed in the land. Ishmael also struck down all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Chaldean soldiers who were there.(A)

On the second day after he had killed Gedaliah, when no one knew yet, 80 men came from Shechem, Shiloh,(B) and Samaria(C) who had shaved their beards,(D) torn their garments, and gashed themselves, and who were carrying grain and incense offerings to bring to the temple of the Lord.(E) Ishmael son of Nethaniah came out of Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he came. When he encountered them, he said: “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam!” But when they came into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and threw them into[a] a cistern.

However, there were 10 men among them who said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us, for we have hidden treasure in the field—wheat, barley, oil, and honey!” So he stopped and did not kill them along with their companions. Now the cistern where Ishmael had thrown all the corpses of the men he had struck down was a large one[b] that King Asa had made in the encounter with Baasha king of Israel.(F) Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.

10 Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people of Mizpah including the daughters of the king—all those who remained in Mizpah over whom Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set off to cross over to the Ammonites.(G)

The Captives Rescued by Johanan

11 When Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies(H) with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done, 12 they took all their men and went to fight with Ishmael son of Nethaniah and found him by the great pool in Gibeon.(I) 13 When all the people with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the army with him, they rejoiced, 14 and all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and rejoined Johanan son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the Ammonites. 16 Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him then took from Mizpah all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam—men, soldiers, women, children, and court officials whom he brought back from Gibeon.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 41:7 Syr; MT reads slaughtered them in
  2. Jeremiah 41:9 LXX; MT reads down by the hand of Gedaliah

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