Judges 21:7

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

Judges 21:7 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 21:7

How shall we do for wives for them that remain
By which it seems, as well as by what is after related, that they knew of the six hundred men hid in the rock Rimmon:

seeing we have sworn by the Lord;
by the Word of the Lord, as the Targum; and such an oath with them was a sacred thing, and to be kept inviolable, even to their own hurt:

that we will not give them of our daughters to wives;
as in ( Judges 21:1 ) and therefore they must either marry among the Heathens, which was forbidden, or they must make void their oath, or the tribe in a little time would be extinct; these were difficulties they knew not how to surmount, and this was the object of their inquiry.

Judges 21:7 In-Context

5 And the children of Israel said, "Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who came not up with the congregation unto the LORD?" For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpah, saying, "He shall surely be put to death."

6 And the children of Israel repented for Benjamin their brother and said, "There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.

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

8 And they said, "What one is there of the tribes of Israel who came not up to Mizpah to the LORD?" And behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly.

9 For the people were numbered, and behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.