Giudici 21:4

4 Il giorno seguente, il popolo si levò di buon mattino, costruì quivi un altare, e offerse olocausti e sacrifizi di azioni di grazie.

Giudici 21:4 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 21:4

And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early,
&c.] The day after their fasting and prayer, and a sense of their present case and circumstances being deeply impressed upon their minds, they rose early in the morning to acts of devotion, and exercises of religion, hoping that being in the way of their duty, the difficulties with which they were perplexed would be removed:

and built there an altar;
if this place was Bethel, as Kimchi reasons, there Jacob had built an altar; but that in such a course of years might have been demolished: and if it was Shiloh, there was the tabernacle, and so the altar of the Lord there; wherefore this either signifies the repairing of that, being in ruins, which is not likely, since it was but lately used, ( Judges 20:26 ) or the building of a new one, which to do in the tabernacle was not unlawful, especially when the number of sacrifices required it, which it is highly probable was the case now, as it was at the dedication of the temple, ( 1 Kings 8:64 ) though the above mentioned writer thinks, that building an altar signifies, as in many places, only seeking the Lord; but the use for which it was built is expressed:

and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings;
both to atone for the sins they had been guilty of in the prosecution of the war, and to return thanks for victory given, and to implore fresh favours to be bestowed upon them.

Giudici 21:4 In-Context

2 E il popolo venne a Bethel, dove rimase fino alla sera in presenza di Dio, e alzando la voce, pianse dirottamente, e disse:

3 "O Eterno, o Dio d’Israele, perché mai è avvenuto questo in Israele, che oggi ci sia in Israele una tribù di meno?"

4 Il giorno seguente, il popolo si levò di buon mattino, costruì quivi un altare, e offerse olocausti e sacrifizi di azioni di grazie.

5 E i figliuoli d’Israele dissero: "Chi è, fra tutte le tribù d’Israele che non sia salito alla raunanza davanti all’Eterno?" Poiché avean fatto questo giuramento solenne relativamente a chi non fosse salito in presenza dell’Eterno a Mitspa: "Quel tale dovrà esser messo a morte".

6 I figliuoli d’Israele si pentivano di quel che avean fatto a Beniamino loro fratello, e dicevano: "Oggi è stata soppressa una tribù d’Israele.