Judges 21

The children of Israel mourn for the destruction of the tribe of Benjamin, v.1.etc. Find out a way to help the residue that remained unto wives, without breach of their oath; The Inhabitants of Jabes in Gilead, for not coming up to this battle are all destroyed, excepting four hundred damsels, whom the children of Israel bestow on a part of the remaining Benjamites, 8. For the others, they find good, to grant them leave, to seize upon the dancing maidens at the feast in Silo, and to carry them away, as many as they have need of, 10, bethinking themselves, with what kind of answer they might pacific their lamenting friends, 22.

1. Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpa, [See above chapter.20. on v.1.] saying: None of us shall gave unto the Benjamites his daughter to wife.

2. So the people came unto the house of God, [Or, Bethel] and they continued there until the evening, before the face of God: [see above chapter.20. on v.23.] and they lifted up their voice, and wept with great weeping.

3. And said; O Lord, God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that this day there is a tribe lacking in Israel? [Had they considered this before, and used their victory more moderately, they might easily have avoided all these troubles and grievances.]

4. And it came to pass the next day, that the people rose up early, and built there an altar: [Understand, an extraordinary Altar, Besides the ordinary one, which was done by reason of the great number of sacrifices of all the people. Compare 1 King.8.64.] and they offered burnt-offerings and thank-offerings.

5. And the children of Israel said; who is there out of all the tribes of the Israel, that came not up into the congregation unto the LORD? [see above chapter.20. on v 1.] for there was a great oath made concerning him that came not unto the LORD at Mizpa, saying; he shall certainly be put to death. [Hebrew. he shall dying be put to death: or, dying he shall be made to die.]

6. And it represented the children of Israel concerning their brother Benjamin: and they said, this day is one tribe cut off from Israel. [Or, should we this day cut off one tribe from Israel?]

7. What shall we do concerning wives, [i.e. That they may get wives, and that the tribe may be preserved] to those that remain? For we have sworn by the LORD, that we will give them none of our daughters to wives.

8. And they said; is there any one of the tribes of Israel that came not unto the Lord at Mizpa? And behold, there came none up from Jabes [Which lieth beyond the Jordan, where the same runneth thorough the sea of Genesareth, toward the East. See also 1 Samuel.11. verse 1,3,9 & c. and 31.11, &c.] in Gilead up into the camp unto the congregation.

9. For the people were numbered, and behold, therewas none of the inhabitants of Jabes in Gilead.

10. Then the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men, of the most warlike: [Hebrew, of the children or sons of war likeness, or, of the army,] and they commanded them, saying; Go forth, and smite with the edge of the sword the inhabitants of Jabes in Gilead, with the women, and the little children.

11. But this is the thing which ye shall do: all that is male, and all women, that have known the lying with a man, shall ye ban. [i.e. Destroyed, kill, see Duet.2. on v.34.]

12. And they found among the inhabitants of Jabes in Gilead four hundred damsels, that were virgins, which had known to man by lying with the male; and they brought them to the camp at Silo [see Josua.18.1.] which [viz. Silo, or, which camp] is [or, which (viz.camp) was, &c.] in the land of Canaan.[beyond the Jordan toward the West accounting from Gilead, which lay on the other side Jordan toward the East.]

13. Then all the congregation sent forth and spake [Hebrew both verbs are put in the plural number, that is, they sent some, and by them did speak with them] unto the children of Benjamin, that were in the rock of Rimmon: and they cryed peace to them.

14. So the Benjamites came again at the same time: and they gave them the women which they had saved alive [The other being all bound or killed, as was enjoyed v. 10.] of the women of Jabes in Gilead, but yet so there were not enough for them. [Hebrew. they found not for them. See of this phrase, Number.11. on v.22. and Josua.17.16,etc.]

15. Then it repented the people concerning Benjamin: [Because there seemed no means to be left to provide wives for the rest] because the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

16. And the Eldest of the congregation said; what shall we, touching wives, do to those that are left? [Meaning the other, which were yet two hundred in number] for the women are destroyed] out of Benjamin.

17. They said further; The inheritance of these that are escaped, is Benjamin; [Hebrew. of the escaping; that is, of those that are escaped. The meaning is, those that are escaped must keep the whole inheritance, which was allowed to the tribe of Benjamin, in the time of Joshua: no part thereof may be given to any other tribe. Now forasmuch as those that remain are few in number, therefore they ought to be provided of wives, that the tribe being enlarged, might continue in being, and might occupy and inhabit his inheritance. Oth. those that are escaped of Benjamin, (must keep their) possession: that no tribe, etc.] and there must be no tribe destroyed out of Israel.

18. But we may not give them any wives, out of our daughters? For the children of Israel have sworn, saying cursed be he that giveth a wife to the Benjamites.

19. Then said they; behold, there is a feast of the LORD at Silo, [What kind of feast this was, is uncertain and doubtful. Some guess that it was the feast of leaf- huts, or of Tabernacles] from year to year, [Hebrew. from days to days; that is, from year to year: the meaning is, every year, or yearly. See this signification of the word days, Leviticus.25.9. and the annotation there] which is kept toward the North (part) of the house of God, [This is by, most Expositors held to be a description of the places where the people, coming up in great multitudes, from all quarters, were went to spread, and recreate themselves, in regard that they had not room enough for that purpose in Silo. This description of the place was of use to the Benjamites, to make them heed the same, as followeth, of the house of God. Oth. Bethel] toward the sun-rising, at the high-way, which goeth up from the house of God toward Sichem, and toward the south of Lebona.

20. And they commanded the children of Benjamin saying: Go your ways, and lie in the vineyards.

21. And give good heed; and behold when the daughters of Silo shall be gone forth to dances, [Or, to pipe with pipes, or, to flute with flutes] then come ye forth out of the vineyards, and snatch [or, take, steal] unto yourselves, every one his wife, out of the daughters of Silo: and go your ways into the land of Benjamin. [unto the places, which they formerly inhabited, to build them up again, see v.23.]

22. And it shall come to pass, when their fathers, or their brethren, shall come to plead before us, that we will say unto them, be gracious unto them for our sakes, [The meaning is, Grant us these Benjamites favorably, that we may favor them at this once (according to the opinion of some) grant us these daughters for this once, give, yield them to us freely, out of meer grace and favour, for the following reasons or grounds. Oth. Be gracious unto them (viz. these Benjamites) for our sakes, or, have compassion on them for our sakes, or, have compassion on us for them] because we took not a wife for every one of them in this war: [i.e. because we took no heed to reserve wives enough for all the remaining Benjamites, out of the inhabitants of the city of Jabes in Gilead. See above, v.11,12. so they take upon themselves the guilt of having dealt inconsiderately and imprudently] for ye gave them not, that ye should be guilty at this time. [But they took themselves, so that ye are not in any wise guilty of the breach of the oath that ye have taken, see above verse.1,7,18.]

23. And the children of Benjamin did so, and carried away according to their number, wives, of the dancing maidens, whom they took: and they went their ways, and returned to their ways, and returned to their inheritance, and built the cities again, [which were burnt with fire, above chapter.20.48.] and dwelt in them.

24. Also the children of Israel departed thence that time, every man to his tribe, and to his family: So they went out from thence, every man to his inheritance.

25. In those days there was no King in Israel, [see above chapter.17. on v.6] every one did what was right in his (own) eyes. [i.e. what seemed right to him, not what was right in the eyes of the Lord.]