Judges 21:16

16 The elders of the congregation said, "How can we get wives for the rest of the men, since all the Benjaminite women have been killed?

Judges 21:16 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 21:16

Then the elders of the congregation said
&c.] This being the case, that there were not wives enough for them, they were obliged to consult again, and consider of another expedient to provide for them; and this motion came from the elders of the people, not only in years, but in office:

how shall we do for wives for them that remain:
the other two hundred, who had none:

seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
and so no wives to be had there; and as for the Israelites which came to Mizpeh, who were of all the tribes of Israel, they had solemnly sworn that they would not give any of their daughters to them, and therefore it was a very difficult thing to provide wives for them.

Judges 21:16 In-Context

14 And Benjamin came. They gave them the women they had let live at Jabesh Gilead. But even then, there weren't enough for all the men.

15 The people felt bad for Benjamin; God had left out Benjamin - the missing piece from the Israelite tribes.

16 The elders of the congregation said, "How can we get wives for the rest of the men, since all the Benjaminite women have been killed?

17 How can we keep the inheritance alive for the Benjaminite survivors? How can we prevent an entire tribe from extinction?

18 We certainly can't give our own daughters to them as wives." (Remember, the Israelites had taken the oath: "Cursed is anyone who provides a wife to Benjamin.")