Judges 21:5

5 The children of Yisra'el said, Who is there among all the tribes of Yisra'el who didn't come up in the assembly to the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn't come up to the LORD to Mitzpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

Judges 21:5 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 21:5

And the children of Israel said
One to another, after they had offered their sacrifices, and while they were together in Shiloh:

who is there among all the tribes of Israel, that came not up with the
congregation unto the Lord?
when they were summoned to come to Mizpeh, to consult together about the affair of the Levite's concubine, as appears by what follows:

for they had made a great oath;
in a very awful and solemn manner, with a curse annexed to it, as that about not giving a wife to Benjamin, ( Judges 21:18 )

concerning him that came not up to the Lord to Mizpeh:
not about him who did not go out to battle against Benjamin, nor about every individual that did not come to consult about it; but every city that did not send their proper representatives or quota to assist in that affair:

he shall surely be put to death;
this was sent along with the summons, in order to quicken their attention to them.

Judges 21:5 In-Context

3 They said, the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, why has this happened in Yisra'el, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Yisra'el?
4 It happened on the next day that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace-offerings.
5 The children of Yisra'el said, Who is there among all the tribes of Yisra'el who didn't come up in the assembly to the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn't come up to the LORD to Mitzpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
6 The children of Yisra'el repented them for Binyamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Yisra'el this day.
7 How shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.