Judges 21:2-12

2 The people came to Beit-El, and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore.

3 They said, the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, why has this happened in Yisra'el, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Yisra'el?

4 It happened on the next day that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace-offerings.

5 The children of Yisra'el said, Who is there among all the tribes of Yisra'el who didn't come up in the assembly to the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn't come up to the LORD to Mitzpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

6 The children of Yisra'el repented them for Binyamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Yisra'el this day.

7 How shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?

8 They said, What one is there of the tribes of Yisra'el who didn't come up to the LORD to Mitzpah? Behold, there came none to the camp from Yavesh-Gil`ad to the assembly.

9 For when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gil`ad there.

10 The congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the most valiant, and commanded them, saying, Go and strike the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gil`ad with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.

11 This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain by man.

12 They found among the inhabitants of Yavesh-Gil`ad four hundred young virgins, who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Kana`an.

Judges 21:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 21

This chapter relates how that when the Israelites calmed down, and seriously to reflect on what had passed, they were sore grieved, and much lamented the case of Benjamin, and were particularly concerned what they should do for wives for those few men that remained, that the tribe might be built up again, Jud 21:1-7 and for these they provided wives, partly out of Jabeshgilead, the inhabitants of which came not up to the convention at Mizpeh, and therefore they smote them, men, women, and children, only reserved four hundred virgins, whom they gave to the men of Benjamin, Jud 21:8-15, and partly from among the daughters of Shiloh, taken at a yearly feast there, the taking of whom was connived at, the other number not being sufficient, Jud 21:16-25.