Shofetim 21:2

2 And HaAm went to Beit-El, and abode there till erev before HaElohim, and lifted up their voices, and wept gadol;

Shofetim 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.

Shofetim 21:2 In-Context

1 1 Now the Ish Yisroel had taken an oath in Mitzpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his bat unto Binyamin as isha.

2 And HaAm went to Beit-El, and abode there till erev before HaElohim, and lifted up their voices, and wept gadol;

3 And said, Hashem Elohei Yisroel, why is this come to pass in Yisroel, that there should be today shevet echad lacking in Yisroel?

4 And it came to pass on the next day, that HaAm rose early, and built there a Mizbe’ach, and offered olot and shelamim.

5 And the Bnei Yisroel said, Who is there among kol Shivtei Yisroel that came not up with the Kahal unto Hashem? For they had made the shevuah hagedolah concerning him that came not up before Hashem to Mitzpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death.