Judges 21:2

2 The people came to Beit-El and stayed there before God till evening crying out and weeping.

Judges 21:2 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 21:2

And the people came to the house of God
Not to the city Bethel, as the Targum, Septuagint, and other versions, but to Shiloh, where were the tabernacle and ark; and this is to be understood of the army after they had utterly destroyed the Benjaminites: hence we read of the camp in Shiloh, ( Judges 21:12 ) , here they came not so much to rejoice, and be glad, and to return thanks for the victory they had at last obtained, as to lament the unhappy case of the tribe of Benjamin, and to have counsel and advice, and consider of ways and means to repair their loss:

and abode there till even before God;
fasting and praying, instead of feasting and rejoicing:

and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
not so much, or at least not only for the 40,000 Israelites that were slain, but for the tribe of Benjamin, in danger of being lost, as follows.

Judges 21:2 In-Context

1 The men of Isra'el had sworn in Mitzpah that none of them would let his daughter marry a man from Binyamin.

2 The people came to Beit-El and stayed there before God till evening crying out and weeping.

3 They said: "ADONAI, why has this come about in Isra'el? Why should there be today in Isra'el one tribe missing?"

4 The next day the people got up early, built an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5 The people of Isra'el asked, "Who among the tribes of Isra'el did not come up to assemble before ADONAI? For they had made a great oath to put to death whoever didn't come up to ADONAI at Mitzpah.