Judges 20:47-48
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This isn't just a footnote to the battle; these 600 survivors, hiding in the rock, represent the last flicker of Benjamin's existence. Their prolonged refuge, lasting four months, emphasizes how the entire tribe was almost completely wiped out, leaving only this small, desperate remnant to literally weather the storm of Israel's judgment.
But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. And the men of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns that they found they set on fire.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Israelites have just carried out a brutal and nearly total annihilation of the tribe of Benjamin, vowing to eradicate anyone who sided with Gibeah. This horrific campaign, aimed at avenging the atrocity committed against the Levite and his concubine, culminates in the pursuit of the last remaining Benjamites who fled into the wilderness. This verse describes the fate of the 600 men who escaped the final slaughter and found refuge in a remote rocky area called Rimmon.
When all seemed lost and an entire tribe faced annihilation, a small group found a desperate hiding place. What does this tell us about survival and the nature of God's judgment?
The final verses of Judges 20 describe the brutal aftermath of a devastating civil war within Israel. The tribe of Benjamin had been decimated. While the vast majority of the men were killed in battle or in the subsequent purging of cities, a remnant of 600 men escaped.
They fled "to the rock of Rimmon," a place identified by scholars as a significant natural fortress, possibly containing large caves. This wasn't a victory celebration; it was a desperate, last-ditch survival. They remained in this refuge for four months, living in the shadow of their defeat and the annihilation of their people.
Why did God allow such extreme devastation? What does the lingering presence of these 600 men reveal about the consequences of rebellion?
The nearly complete destruction of Benjamin was a direct consequence of their unrepentant rebellion against God's people and His appointed way. The text in Judges 20 leaves no doubt that this was a divinely sanctioned, though horrific, judgment.
The four months spent hiding in the rock of Rimmon wasn't a time of peace, but a stark reminder of their tribe's near extinction. It was a period of living in the shadow of God's wrath, separated from the rest of Israel, and likely filled with regret and uncertainty. This remnant survived, but their survival was a somber testament to the severity of sin and the justice of God.
Ask a follow-up
Even in the darkest moments of defeat and judgment, God's plans often hold a hidden promise. What future hope can be found in this chapter's conclusion?
While Judges 20 details a brutal purging, it doesn't end with utter annihilation. The very existence of these 600 men becomes crucial for the continuation of the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites, having carried out their vow to punish Benjamin, now faced a new dilemma: they had essentially eliminated one of the twelve tribes.
The survival of these men in the rock of Rimmon, though a consequence of their flight from judgment, paradoxically preserved the lineage. This sets the stage for the restoration of Benjamin in the following chapter (Judges 21), where specific measures are taken to ensure the tribe's continuation. It shows God's faithfulness to His promises to Israel, even when His justice demands severe correction.
Understand the original words
midbar · Hebrew Noun
A barren or desolate area, often symbolizing a place of refuge, testing, or separation from society. In biblical narrative, it is frequently a place where the marginalized or survivors hide.
sela · Hebrew Noun
A high, prominent place or a natural formation used for defense. Symbolically, it often represents stability, protection, or a refuge provided by God, though here it is a physical location for survival.
pi cherev · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A phrase denoting the lethal edge of a weapon, symbolizing total destruction or divine judgment carried out through military action. It reflects the finality and severity of the judgment enacted against the target.
The desperate flight of these 600 men to the Rock Rimmon highlights the terrible cost of the civil war and sets the stage for the Israelites' subsequent efforts to preserve the tribe of Benjamin.
Mid-11th Century BC
Tribal Civil War Erupts
A devastating civil war breaks out between the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of the Israelite tribes over a heinous crime committed in Gibeah. The Israelites swear an oath not to give their daughters in marriage to any Benjamite.
Mid-11th Century BC
Initial Battles Fail
The other tribes launch three separate assaults on Gibeah, but are repeatedly repulsed by the fierce warriors of Benjamin. The total Israelite losses amount to approximately 40,000 men.
Mid-11th Century BC
Israelite Strategy Change
The Israelites change tactics, setting an ambush outside Gibeah while another force feigns retreat. This allows the main army to draw out the Benjamites and then surround them.
Mid-11th Century BC— this verse
Near Extermination of Benjamin
The ambush is sprung, leading to the near annihilation of the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites pursue the remaining Benjamites, killing all except 600 men.
Mid-11th Century BC
Survivors Flee to Rock Rimmon
The 600 surviving Benjamites escape into the wilderness and find refuge in the caves of a rock formation called Rimmon. They remain hidden there for four months.
Mid-11th Century BC
Provision for Benjamin
While in hiding, the 600 men are able to venture out for supplies when the immediate threat has passed and the other tribes are less zealous in their pursuit.
This passage describes a similar desperate situation where 600 men sought refuge in a cave at Michmash, highlighting a recurring theme of remnant groups finding refuge in rocky terrain during times of conflict.
1 Samuel 22:1-2Here, David also gathered a company of distressed and indebted men who became his followers, showing a parallel to how a group of survivors, like these 600 Benjamites, could become the nucleus of a future force.
Jeremiah 4:29This prophetic imagery of fleeing to the wilderness and hiding in caves resonates with the desperate flight of the Benjamites, illustrating how such perilous retreats were understood in biblical times as a consequence of disobedience.
Joshua 8:12-26This chapter details the stratagem used to capture Ai, which mirrors the tactics employed against Gibeah in Judges 20, including a similar ambush, emphasizing the deliberate and planned nature of Israel's retribution.
gillJudges 20:47: "But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months."
But six hundred men,.... Who were all that were left of 26,700 turned and fled to the wilderness; turned out of the highway or common road, and being swift of foot, got to a wilderness; what wilderness is not certain: unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months; very probably in a cave of that rock, which might be large enough to hold such a nu…
pooleJudges 20:47: "But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months."
In a cave within that rock, where they fortified themselves and fetched in provision as they had opportunity; which they could easily do, when the heat of the battle was over, and the Israelites were not solicitous to pursue them farther.
This isn't just a footnote to the battle; these 600 survivors, hiding in the rock, represent the last flicker of Benjamin's existence. Their prolonged refuge, lasting four months, emphasizes how the entire tribe was almost completely wiped out, leaving only this small, desperate remnant to literally weather the storm of Israel's judgment.
The Israelites have just carried out a brutal and nearly total annihilation of the tribe of Benjamin, vowing to eradicate anyone who sided with Gibeah. This horrific campaign, aimed at avenging the atrocity committed against the Levite and his concubine, culminates in the pursuit of the last remaining Benjamites who fled into the wilderness. This verse describes the fate of the 600 men who escaped the final slaughter and found refuge in a remote rocky area called Rimmon.
The Israelites have just carried out a brutal and nearly total annihilation of the tribe of Benjamin, vowing to eradicate anyone who sided with Gibeah. This horrific campaign, aimed at avenging the atrocity committed against the Levite and his concubine, culminates in the pursuit of the last remaining Benjamites who fled into the wilderness. This verse describes the fate of the 600 men who escaped the final slaughter and found refuge in a remote rocky area called Rimmon.
"But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. And the men of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city,…" — This isn't just a footnote to the battle; these 600 survivors, hiding in the rock, represent the last flicker of Benjamin's existence. Their prolonged refuge, lasting four months, emphasizes how the…
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Last reviewed October 2026
