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“As seen in this verse, the community of Israel was not passive in this situation, and found the rape to be unacceptable. It may be argued that only the Israelite community intended to resist the rape instead of God himself, but Judges chapter 20 contradicts that claim; in Judges chapter 20, the other 11 tribes of Israel sent a message to the tribe of Benjamin, asking the tribe to turn in the men who committed the rape. When the Bejamites refused to listen to the request [Judges 20:13], God himself desired for the other 11 tribes to fight against Benjamin due to the denial of this request, as seen in Judges 20:23: “They [the other tribes of Israel] said, ‘Shall we go up again to fight against Benjamin, our fellow Israelites?’ The LORD answered, ‘Go up against them.’” With this, God definitely did not approve Benjamin’s inability to listen to the tribes’ request, which means that he cannot have approved of this rape.” — Lucy Carter