Judges 20:26 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →All Israel goes up to the house of God, weeping and fasting until evening and offering sacrifices before the LORD.
What Does Judges 20:26 Mean?
After two defeats, Israel's seeking deepens into full humility. The whole people go up to the house of God and not only weep but sit before the LORD, fast until evening, and offer burnt offerings and peace offerings. This is more than the earlier inquiries. Now there is fasting, sacrifice, and stillness, the marks of a people brought low and pouring themselves out before God.
The progression through this chapter is telling: from asking who should lead, to weeping, to this day of fasting and sacrifice. Suffering has driven Israel from confidence to contrition. The burnt offering spoke of full surrender, the peace offering of restored fellowship; together they show hearts seeking not merely victory but God himself. The verse teaches that God often uses our defeats to bring us to genuine repentance and dependence, where we stop trusting our own strength and cast ourselves wholly upon his mercy.
Judges 20:26 in the Original Language
olah (עֹלָה), 'burnt offering' -- the offering wholly consumed on the altar, signifying complete surrender to God.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 20:26
What does Judges 20:26 mean?
All Israel goes up to the house of God, weeping and fasting until evening and offering sacrifices before the LORD.