Judges 21:3-13

3 They said, "Why, O LORD, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today in Israel?"

4 It came about the next day that the people arose early and built ¹an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5 Then the sons of Israel said, "Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up in the assembly to the LORD?" For they had taken a great oath concerning him ²who did not come up to the LORD at Mizpah, saying, "He shall surely be put to death."

6 And the sons of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, "One tribe is cut off from Israel today.

7 "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have ³sworn by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?"

Provision for Their Survival

8 And they said, "What one is there of the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the LORD at Mizpah?" And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead * to the assembly.

9 For when the people were numbered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead * was there.

10 And the congregation sent 12,000 * * of the valiant warriors there, and commanded them, saying, "Go and ⁴strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead * with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.

11 "This is the thing that you shall do: you ⁵shall utterly destroy every man and every woman who has lain * with a man."

12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead * 400 * young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13 Then the whole congregation sent word and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were ⁶at the rock of Rimmon, and ⁷proclaimed peace to them.

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Judges 21:3-13 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 7

1. Deuteronomy 12:5; 2 Samuel 24:25
2. Judges 5:23
3. Judges 21:1
4. Numbers 31:17; Judges 5:23; 1 Samuel 11:7
5. Numbers 31:17
6. Judges 20:47
7. Deuteronomy 20:10

Footnotes 4

[a]. Lit "there was a great oath"
[b]. Or "mustered"
[c]. Lit "known lying with"
[d]. Lit "a male"