Judges 21:2

2 And the people of Bethel came and sat there until evening before God, and they lifted their voices and {wept 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 at Mizpah, saying, "None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife."

2 And the people of Bethel came and sat there until evening before God, and they lifted their voices and {wept bitterly}.

3 And they said, "Why, Yahweh, God of Israel, has it happened today in Israel that one tribe is lacking from Israel?"

4 On the next day the people rose early, and they built there an altar and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.

5 And the {Israelites} said, "Who in the assembly has not come up from all the tribes of Israel to Yahweh?" For a solemn oath was [taken] concerning whoever did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah, saying, "He will certainly be put to death."

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "they cried a great weeping"