Shofetim 21:14

14 And Binyamin came again at that time; and they gave them nashim which they had saved alive of the women of Yavesh-Gilead; but they sufficed not for them.

Shofetim 21:14 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 21:14

And Benjamin came again at that time
The six hundred Benjaminites returned with the messengers at the same time to the people of Israel, putting confidence in the assurances they had given them of peace and safety:

and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of
Jabeshgilead;
in doing which they supposed they had not violated their oath, since though they had sworn that they would not give their own daughters, they had not sworn they would not give the daughters of others; and besides, as the men of Jabeshgilead were not at Mizpeh when the oaths were made, they had taken none, and so their daughters might be given in marriage to the Benjaminites, notwithstanding that oath:

and yet so they sufficed them not;
there were not wives enough for them all; for they were six hundred men, whereas the daughters of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead were but four hundred, so that there were two hundred more wanting. Abarbinel interprets the word we render "so" in a different manner, by "right", as in ( Numbers 27:7 ) and gives the sense thus, that it was not a point of justice and judgment to do this to the daughters of Jabeshgilead, namely, to save and give them in marriage; but they did this because the people repented for Benjamin, as follows.

Shofetim 21:14 In-Context

12 And they found among the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gilead four hundred na’arah betulah, that had known no man by lying with any zakhar; and they brought them unto the machaneh at Shiloh, which is in Eretz Kena’an.
13 And the kol HaEdah sent some to speak to the Bnei Binyamin that were at the Rock of Rimmon, and to proclaim shalom unto them.
14 And Binyamin came again at that time; and they gave them nashim which they had saved alive of the women of Yavesh-Gilead; but they sufficed not for them.
15 And HaAm had compassion for Binyamin, because Hashem had made a breach in the Shivtei Yisroel.
16 Then the Ziknei HaEdah (Elders of the Congregation) said, How shall we do for nashim for them that remain, seeing the isha are destroyed out of Binyamin?
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.