Richtere 21:4

4 En het geschiedde des anderen daags, dat zich het volk vroeg opmaakte, en bouwde aldaar een altaar; en zij offerden brandofferen en dankofferen.

Richtere 21:4 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 21:4

And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early,
&c.] The day after their fasting and prayer, and a sense of their present case and circumstances being deeply impressed upon their minds, they rose early in the morning to acts of devotion, and exercises of religion, hoping that being in the way of their duty, the difficulties with which they were perplexed would be removed:

and built there an altar;
if this place was Bethel, as Kimchi reasons, there Jacob had built an altar; but that in such a course of years might have been demolished: and if it was Shiloh, there was the tabernacle, and so the altar of the Lord there; wherefore this either signifies the repairing of that, being in ruins, which is not likely, since it was but lately used, ( Judges 20:26 ) or the building of a new one, which to do in the tabernacle was not unlawful, especially when the number of sacrifices required it, which it is highly probable was the case now, as it was at the dedication of the temple, ( 1 Kings 8:64 ) though the above mentioned writer thinks, that building an altar signifies, as in many places, only seeking the Lord; but the use for which it was built is expressed:

and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings;
both to atone for the sins they had been guilty of in the prosecution of the war, and to return thanks for victory given, and to implore fresh favours to be bestowed upon them.

Richtere 21:4 In-Context

2 Zo kwam het volk tot het huis Gods, en zij bleven daar tot op den avond, voor Gods aangezicht; en zij hieven hun stem op en weenden met groot geween.
3 En zeiden: O HEERE, God van Israel! Waarom is dit geschied in Israel, dat er heden een stam van Israel gemist wordt?
4 En het geschiedde des anderen daags, dat zich het volk vroeg opmaakte, en bouwde aldaar een altaar; en zij offerden brandofferen en dankofferen.
5 En de kinderen Israels zeiden: Wie is er, die niet is opgekomen in de vergadering uit al de stammen van Israel tot den HEERE? Want er was een grote eed geschied aangaande dengene, die niet opkwam tot den HEERE te Mizpa, zeggende: Hij zal zekerlijk gedood worden.
6 En het berouwde den kinderen Israels over Benjamin, hun broeder; en zij zeiden: Heden is een stam van Israel afgesneden.
The Dutch Staten Vertaling translation is in the public domain.