(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
Judges 20:12–17, “And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you? Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel: But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel. And 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. Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss. And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.”
The Israelis were determined to get rid of this kind of evil from their nation. They knew what had happened to Sodom and they were also aware what might happen to Israel if this was allowed to go unpunished. The people from the other tribes realised that they had an obligation before the Lord to ensure that sin like this didn’t taint the whole nation. They sent to the leaders of Benjamin and asked them to hand over the people who had perpetrated this evil so that they could punished in the manner approved by the Law. The leaders of Benjamin responded by mustering the own army including some highly specialised soldiers. They made it clear that they wouldn’t hand over these wicked people.
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