Judges 21:3-13

3 And said , O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?

4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early , and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5 And the children of Israel said , Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying , He shall surely be put to death .

6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said , There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.

7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain , seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?

8 And they said , What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly.

9 For the people were numbered , and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.

10 And the congregation sent thither twelve * thousand men of the valiantest *, and commanded them, saying , Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.

11 And this is the thing that ye shall do , Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man .

12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead * four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. hath lain...: Heb. knoweth the lying with man
• [b]. young...: Heb. young women virgins
• [c]. to speak...: Heb. and spake and called