The Skeptics Annotated Bible

by Wells, Steve

  (20.26-28) Once again all of the Israelites sit and weep before God, and ask again (for the third time) if they should attack the Benjamites. God give them his usual answer: Attack. This time he promises (he was just kidding the last couple times) that he “will deliver them into thine hand.”

  26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

  (20.26) “Then all the children of Israel … came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD.”

  27 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

  (20.27) “And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD.”

  28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.

  (20.28) “Phinehas … saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.”

  29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

  30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.

  31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

  32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.

  33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.

  34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them.

  35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.

  (20.35) As usual in the Bible, the third time is a charm. God finally came through and helped the Israelites kill 25,100 Benjamites.

  (20.35) “And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men.”

  36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.

  37 And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

  (20.37) The Israelites kill everyone in the city of Gibeah with the edge of the sword.

  (20.37) “And the liers in wait … smote all the city with the edge of the sword.”

  38 Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.

  39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.

  40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.

  41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.

  42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.

  43 Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

  (20.44-46) Another 25,000 Benjamites are killed by the God-assisted Israelites.

  44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.

  45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.

  (20.44-45) “There fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men … and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men … and slew two thousand men of them.”

  46 So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.

  (20.46) “So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men.”

  47 But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.

  48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

  (20.48) The Israelites finish their massacre of the Benjamites by killing all the men, animals, and everything they could find in every Benjamite city. Then they burned the cities to the ground. (In this way God helped the Israelites make everything better after the rape and dismemberment of the concubine.)

  (20.48) “The men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.”

  JUDGES 21

  (21.1-23) The end of Judges: two genocides and 200 stolen virgins God’s 57th Killing

  (21.1-7) After the Israelites heard the Levite’s story (about chopping up his dead concubine and sending her body parts to each tribe of Israel) they vowed not to “give” their daughters to the Benjamites. So now they had a problem: they just finished killing all the Benjamite women and children (Jg 20.48) so there were no women for the surviving Benjamite men to marry. [There were 600 Benjamite men that survived the war with the Israelites. (Jg 20.47)]

  21 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.

  (21.1) “The men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.”

  2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;

  3 And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?

  4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

  5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

  6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.

  7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?

  (21.7) “How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”

  (21.8-11) But they find a great solution. They check their records and find that no one from Jabeshgilead came to the rotting-concubine-body-part meeting. So they go and kill everyone in Jabeshgilead
except for the virgin women and give them to the 600 surviving Benjamites.

  8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.

  (21.8) “What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead.”

  9 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there.

  10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.

  (21.10) “And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.”

  11 And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.

  (21.11) “Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.”

  (21.12-14) So the Israelites killed all the non-virgin women and children in Jabeshgilead, bringing back 400 virgin women to give to the Benjamites. But they were still 200 short. Damn!

  (21.12) “They found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins … and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh.”

  12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

  13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.

  14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.

  (21.14) “And they gave them [the Benjamites] wives … yet so they sufficed them not.”

  15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

  (21.16-23) So they come up with another brilliant plan. Have the Benjamites hide in the bushes and then catch the daughters of Shiloh when they come out to dance. So that’s what they did and everyone lived happily ever after.

  16 Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?

  (21.16) “Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”

  17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.

  18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.

  (21.18) “We may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin”

  19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.

  20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;

  (21.20) “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards.”

  21 And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

  (21.21) “If the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance … then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh.”

  22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.

  23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.

  (21.23) “And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives … of them that danced, whom they caught.”

  24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.

  25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

  RUTH

  I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid. — Ruth 3:9

  Most people when reading the book of Ruth must think something like this: “This is a nice story. What’s it doing in the Bible?”

  And it is a nice story. A young woman (Ruth) seduces an older, rich relative (Boaz) by sneaking into his bed while he slept. Her mother (Naomi) told her just how to do it, too. Wait until he is sufficiently drunk and then “uncover his feet.” The scheme worked, Boaz married Ruth, and everyone lived happily ever after.

  Here are the highlights:

  Naomi encourages Ruth to spend the night with Boaz. 3.3-4

  Ruth lies down next to Boaz after “uncovering his feet.” 3.7

  She tells Boaz to spread his skirt over her. 3.9

  She lies at “his feet” until morning. 3.14

  She is “purchased” by Boaz for a wife. 4.10

  Boaz “goes in unto” Ruth and she conceives a son (King David’s grandfather). 4.13

  RUTH 1

  1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

  2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

  3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

  4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

  (1.4) “They took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth.” Deuteronomy (23.3) says that no Moabite shall “enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation.” Yet Ruth was David’s great grandmother (Ru 4.13, 17), and she was also a Moabite.

  152 Has any Moabite ever entered the congregation of the Lord?

  5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

  6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.

  7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.

  8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

  9 The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

  10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.

  11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

  12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;

  13 Would ye tarry
for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.

  14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

  15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

  16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

  17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

  18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

  19 So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

  20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

  21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

  22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

  RUTH 2

  2 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

  2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

  3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

  4 And, behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.