Judges 21:23

23 And the sons of Benjamin did as it was commanded to them, and by their number they ravished wives to them, each man one wife, of them that led (the) dances. And they went into their possession, and builded cities, and dwelled in those. (And the Benjaminites did as it was commanded to them, and by their number they seized wives for themselves, each man one wife, out of those who led the dances. And then they went back to their possessions, and builded cities, and lived in them.)

Judges 21:23 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 21:23

And the children of Benjamin did so
Went and laid wait in the vineyards, and when the daughters of Shiloh came out to dance, they rushed upon them:

and took them wives according to their number;
two hundred of them, each man a wife, and no more; for though polygamy was in use in those times, and if at any time necessary, and could be excused, it might seem now; yet it was not indulged to, neither by the elders, nor by the children of Benjamin:

of them that danced whom they caught;
the rape of the Sabine virgins by Romulus, at the arena plays and shows, mentioned by various authors ^F8, and the carrying off of fifteen Spartan virgins from the dances by Aristomenes the Messenian ^F9, are sometimes observed as parallel cases to this, and justified by it, particularly that of Romulus ^F11:

and they went and returned unto their inheritance;
the six hundred Benjaminites, with their wives, returned to their own tribe, which was their inheritance by lot; and these, being the only survivors, had a right to the whole:

and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them:
in process of time they rebuilt the cities the Israelites had burnt in the late war, and repeopled them as their posterity increased. And the Jewish writers say, that in later times they were allowed to marry with other tribes as before, since the oath only bound those present at Mizpeh; for they observe, that it ran only,

there shall not any of us
not any of our sons; they might give wives to Benjamin, and so in time they became numerous again.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 Liv. Hist. l. 1. p. 7, 8. Flor Hist. Rom. l. 1. c. 1. Aurel. Victor. de Vir Illustr. c. 2. Valer. Maxim. l. 1. c. 4.
F9 Hierop adv. Jovinian. l. 1. fol. 17. B, C.
F11 Vid. Albericum Gentil. de armis Roman l. 2. p. 114.

Judges 21:23 In-Context

21 and when ye see [the] daughters of Shiloh go forth by custom to lead dances, go ye out of the vineries suddenly, and ravish ye them, each man one wife, and go ye into the land of Benjamin. (and when ye see the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance, quickly go ye out of the vineyards, and seize ye them, each man one wife, and then go ye back to the land of Benjamin.)

22 And when the fathers and brethren of them shall come, and begin to complain and plead against you, we shall say to them, Have ye mercy of them; for we took not from a man his wife in battle, neither ye gave (them) to them, (so) why ye shall be blamed in time. (And when their fathers and their brothers shall come to you, and begin to complain and plead against you, ye shall say to them, Have ye mercy on us; for we did not take a wife from any man in battle, nor did ye give them to us, and so ye shall not be blamed for breaking the oath.)

23 And the sons of Benjamin did as it was commanded to them, and by their number they ravished wives to them, each man one wife, of them that led (the) dances. And they went into their possession, and builded cities, and dwelled in those. (And the Benjaminites did as it was commanded to them, and by their number they seized wives for themselves, each man one wife, out of those who led the dances. And then they went back to their possessions, and builded cities, and lived in them.)

24 And the sons of Israel turned again, by their lineages and families, into their tabernacles. (And the Israelites returned, by their tribes and families, to their inheritances, or their possessions.)

25 In those days was no king in Israel, but each man did that thing, that seemed rightful to himself. (In those days there was no king in Israel, but each person did what seemed right to himself.)