The narrator presents this third and final inquiry in much more detail than the previous two. And everything about it portrays clearly the agony of indecision and reluctance that the Israelites now find themselves in. Everything is intensified.
1 It has already been noted that all the people of Israel, the whole army,
go up to Bethel, and not just the Israelites.
Furthermore, they do not merely weep
before the Lord, as before; they sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
And this is something they do before making their actual inquiry.
26 Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.