Judges 20:22
“And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.”
And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.
And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.
(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until even, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the Lord said, Go up against him.)
And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.
Counter-Arguments
The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.
Cross-References
“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.”
“And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.”
“Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.”
“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”
“They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?”