Wesley Corpus

Were numbered - "How does this agree with the following numbers For all that were slain of Benjamin were twenty - five thousand and one hundred men, ver.35, and there were only six hundred that survived, ver.47, which make only twenty - five thousand and seven hundred." The other thousand men were either left in some of their cities, where they were slain, ver.48, or were cut off in the two first battles, wherein it is unreasonable to think they had an unbloody victory: and as for these twenty - five thousand and one hundred men, they were all slain in the third battle. Not miss - An hyperbolical expression, signifying, that they could do this with great exactness. And this was very considerable and one ground of the Benjamites confidence. Men of Israel - Such as were here present, for it is probable they had a far greater number of men, being six hundred thousand before their entrance into Canaan. Children of Israel - Some sent in the name of all. House of God - To Shiloh, which was not far from Mizpeh. Which - This was asked to prevent emulations and contentions: but they do not ask whether they should go against them, or no, for that they knew they ought to do by the will of God already revealed: nor yet do they seek to God for his help by prayer, and fasting, and sacrifice, as in all reason they ought to have done; but were confident of success, because of their great numbers, and righteous cause. Destroyed, &c. - Why would God suffer them to have so great a loss in so good a cause Because they had many and great sins reigning among themselves, and they should not have come to so great a work of God, with polluted hands, but should have pulled the beam out of their own eye, before they attempted to take that out of their brother Benjamin's eye: which because they did not, God doth it for them, bringing them through the fire, that they might he purged from their dross; it being probable that the great God who governs every stroke in battle, did so order things, that their worst members should be cut off, which was a great blessing to the whole common - wealth.