Judges 21:10-20

10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the strongest, and they charged them, saying, Go ye and smite the inhabitants of Jabis Galaad with the edge of the sword.

11 And this shall ye do: every male and every woman that has known the lying with man ye shall devote , but the virgins ye shall save alive: and they did so.

12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabis Galaad four hundred young virgins, who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to Selom in the land of Chanaan.

13 And all the congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin in the rock Remmon, and invited them to peace.

14 And Benjamin returned to the children of Israel at that time, and the children of Israel gave them the women whom they save alive of the daughters of Jabis Galaad; and they were content.

15 And the people relented for Benjamin, because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

16 And the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for them that remain? for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin.

17 And they said, an inheritance of them that are escaped of Benjamin; and a tribe shall not be destroyed out of Israel.

18 For we shall not be able to give them wives of our daughters, because we swore among the children of Israel, saying, Cursed he that gives a wife to Benjamin.

19 And they said, Lo! now a feast of the Lord from year to year in Selom, which is on the north of Baethel, eastward on the way that goes up from Baethel to Sychem, and from the south of Lebona.

20 And they charged the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;

Judges 21:10-20 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. sons of strength.
• [b]. mouth.
• [c]. from, out of.
• [d]. it pleased them thus.
• [e]. See ver. 6.
• [f]. from days to days.