Judges 21:2

2 So the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until evening. They wept loudly and bitterly,

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 Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah: "None of us will give his daughter to a Benjaminite in marriage."

2 So the people went to Bethel and sat there before God until evening. They wept loudly and bitterly,

3 and cried out, "Why, Lord God of Israel, has it occurred that one tribe is [missing] in Israel today?"

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

5 The Israelites asked, "Who of all the tribes of Israel didn't come to the Lord with the assembly?" For a great oath had been taken that anyone who had not come to the Lord at Mizpah would certainly be put to death.