Judges 21:17-25

17 They said, "There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be blotted out from Israel.
18 "But we cannot * give them wives of our daughters." For the sons of Israel 1had sworn, saying, "Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin."
19 So they said, "Behold, there is a feast of the LORD from year to year in 2Shiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east * side * of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south side of Lebonah."
20 And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
21 and watch; and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to 3take part in the dances, then you shall come out of the vineyards and each of you shall catch his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 "It shall come about, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we shall say to them, 'Give them to us voluntarily, because we did not take for each man of Benjamin a wife in battle, 4nor * did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty.' "
23 The sons of Benjamin did so, and took wives according to their number from those who danced, whom they carried away. And they went and returned to their inheritance and 5rebuilt the cities and lived in them.
24 The sons of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and each one of them went out from there to his inheritance.
25 6In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Judges 21:17-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 21

This chapter relates how that when the Israelites calmed down, and seriously to reflect on what had passed, they were sore grieved, and much lamented the case of Benjamin, and were particularly concerned what they should do for wives for those few men that remained, that the tribe might be built up again, Jud 21:1-7 and for these they provided wives, partly out of Jabeshgilead, the inhabitants of which came not up to the convention at Mizpeh, and therefore they smote them, men, women, and children, only reserved four hundred virgins, whom they gave to the men of Benjamin, Jud 21:8-15, and partly from among the daughters of Shiloh, taken at a yearly feast there, the taking of whom was connived at, the other number not being sufficient, Jud 21:16-25.

Cross References 6

  • 1. Judges 21:1
  • 2. Joshua 18:1; Judges 18:31; 1 Samuel 1:3
  • 3. Exodus 15:20; Judges 11:34
  • 4. Judges 21:1, 18
  • 5. Judges 20:48
  • 6. Judges 17:6; Judges 18:1; Judges 19:1

Footnotes 3

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