Judges 21:8

8 Then they asked, "Which one of the tribes of Israel did not come here to Mizpah?" They found that no one from the city of Jabesh Gilead had come.

Judges 21:8 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 21:8

And they said, what one is there of the tribes of Israel that
came not up to Mizpeh to the Lord?
&c.] This is asked not only to bring them to justice, and put them to death, according to their oath, who should be found guilty, ( Judges 21:5 ) but as an expedient to find wives for the surviving Benjaminites; since these, as they came not to Mizpeh, so consequently swore not that they would not give their daughters to Benjaminites; wherefore from among them wives might be given to them, without the violation of an oath:

and, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the
assembly;
this was observed by some upon the question put, which caused an inquiry to be made as after related. This city was in the land of Gilead, from whence it had its name, on the other side Jordan, and is placed by Adrichomius ^F1 in the half tribe of Manasseh; and Jerom ^F2 says it was a village in his time six miles from the city Pella, upon a mountain, as you go to Gerasa.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F1 Theatrum Terrae S. p. 90.
F2 De loc. Heb. fol. 88. K. & fol. 93. L.

Judges 21:8 In-Context

6 The Israelites felt sorry for their relatives, the Benjaminites. They said, "Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel.

7 We swore before the Lord that we would not allow our daughters to marry a Benjaminite. How can we make sure that the remaining men of Benjamin will have wives?"

8 Then they asked, "Which one of the tribes of Israel did not come here to Mizpah?" They found that no one from the city of Jabesh Gilead had come.

9 The people of Israel counted everyone, but there was no one from Jabesh Gilead.

10 So the whole group of Israelites sent twelve thousand soldiers to Jabesh Gilead to kill the people with their swords, even the women and children.