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Judges Chapter
Twenty-one
Judges 21
Outlines
New King James Version (NKJV)
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, Judges 21:1 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, Judges 21:8, 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, Judges 21:16-25.
Judges 21:1 Now
the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give
his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”
YLT
1And the men of Israel have
sworn in Mizpeh, saying, `None of us doth give his daughter to Benjamin for a
wife.'
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh,.... Where
they were there convened, before the war began; after they had heard the
account the Levite gave of the affair, which brought them thither; and after
they had sent messengers to Benjamin to deliver up the men of Gibeah, that had
committed the wickedness; and after they perceived that Benjamin did not
hearken to their demand, but prepared to make war with them; then, as they
resolved on the destruction of Gibeah, and of all the cities that sent out men
against them, even all the inhabitants of them, men, women, and children,
entered into an oath, that they would use those men that remained as Heathens,
and not intermarry with them, as follows:
saying, there shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin
to wife; seeing those that used the wife of the Levite in such a base
manner, and those that protected and defended them, deserved to have no wives.
Judges 21:2 2 Then the people came to
the house of God,[a] and
remained there before God till evening. They lifted up their voices and wept
bitterly,
YLT
2And the people come in to
Beth-El, and sit there till the evening before God, and lift up their voice,
and weep -- a great weeping,
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.
Judges 21:3 3 and said, “O Lord God of Israel,
why has this come to pass in Israel, that today there should be one tribe missing
in Israel?”
YLT
3and say, `Why, O Jehovah,
God of Israel, hath this been in Israel -- to be lacking to-day, from Israel,
one tribe?'
And said, O Lord God of Israel,.... Jehovah, the only
living and true God, the Being of beings, eternal, immutable, omnipotent and
omnipresent, the God of all Israel, of the twelve tribes of Israel, their
covenant God and Father; who had shown favour to them in such a peculiar and
gracious manner, as he had not to other nations, and therefore hoped he would
still have a kind regard unto them, and suffer them to expostulate with him in
the following manner:
why is this come to pass in Israel; expressing, as Abarbinel
thinks, a concern for the 40,000 men of Israel which fell in the two first
battles; but it manifestly refers to the case in the next words:
that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel; meaning the
tribe of Benjamin, which was all destroyed, excepting six hundred men, and
these had no wives to propagate the tribe; and therefore, unless some provision
could be made for that, it must in a short time be totally extinct; for which
they express great concern, it not being their intention when they made the
above oath to extirpate them; but such were now the circumstances of things in
Providence, that it must perish unless some way could be found to relieve it,
and which their oath seemed to preclude; and this threw them into great perplexity.
Judges 21:4 4 So it was, on the next
morning, that the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt
offerings and peace offerings.
YLT
4And it cometh to pass on
the morrow, that the people rise early, and build there an altar, and cause to
ascend burnt-offerings and peace-offerings.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early,.... 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.
Judges 21:5 5 The children of Israel
said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up
with the assembly to the Lord?”
For they had made a great oath concerning anyone who had not come up to the Lord at Mizpah,
saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”
YLT
5And the sons of Israel say,
`Who [is] he that hath not come up in the assembly out of all the tribes of Israel
unto Jehovah?' for the great oath hath been concerning him who hath not come up
unto Jehovah to Mizpeh, saying, `He is surely put to death.'
And the children of Israel said,.... One to another,
after they had offered their sacrifices, and while they were together in
Shiloh:
who is there among all the tribes of Israel, that came not up with
the congregation unto the Lord? when they were summoned to come to Mizpeh,
to consult together about the affair of the Levite's concubine, as appears by
what follows:
for they had made a great oath; in a very awful and
solemn manner, with a curse annexed to it, as that about not giving a wife to
Benjamin, Judges 21:18.
concerning him that came not up to the Lord to Mizpeh: not about him
who did not go out to battle against Benjamin, nor about every individual that
did not come to consult about it; but every city that did not send their proper
representatives or quota to assist in that affair:
he shall surely be put to death; this was sent along with
the summons, in order to quicken their attention to them.
Judges 21:6 6 And the children of Israel
grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel
today.
YLT
6And the sons of Israel
repent concerning Benjamin their brother, and say, `There hath been to-day cut
off one tribe from Israel,
And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their
brother,.... Not that they went to war with them, as if their cause was
not good; but for the severity they had exercised towards them, especially in
destroying their women and children, and for the fatal consequences like to
follow here after, particularly the dissolution of the whole tribe:
and said, there is one tribe cut off from Israel this day; that is,
there is a likelihood or great danger of it.
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 our daughters as wives?”
YLT
7what do we do for them --
for those who are left -- for wives, and we -- we have sworn by Jehovah not to
give to them of our daughters for wives?'
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 21:8 8 And they said, “What one is
there from the tribes of Israel who did not come up to Mizpah to the Lord?” And, in
fact, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh Gilead to the assembly.
YLT
8And they say, `Who is
[that] one out of the tribes of Israel who hath not come up unto Jehovah to
Mizpeh?' and lo, none hath come in unto the camp from Jabesh-Gilead -- unto the
assembly.
And they said, what one is there of the tribes of Israel that came
not up to Mizpeh to the Lord?.... This is asked not only to bring them to
justice, and put them to death, according to their oath, who should be found
guilty, Judges 21:5 but as
an expedient to find wives for the surviving Benjaminites; since these, as they
came not to Mizpeh, so consequently swore not that they would not give their
daughters to Benjaminites; wherefore from among them wives might be given to
them, without the violation of an oath:
and, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the
assembly; this was observed by some upon the question put, which caused an
inquiry to be made as after related. This city was in the land of Gilead, from
whence it had its name, on the other side Jordan, and is placed by AdrichomiusF1Theatrum
Terrae S. p. 90. in the half tribe of Manasseh; and JeromF2De loc.
Heb. fol. 88. K. & fol. 93. L. says it was a village in his time six miles
from the city Pella, upon a mountain, as you go to Gerasa.
Judges 21:9 9 For when the people were
counted, indeed, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead was there.
YLT
9And the people numbered
themselves, and lo, there is not there a man of the inhabitants of
Jabesh-Gilead.
For the people were numbered,.... To know who did come
up, and who did not, and particularly to know whether the inhabitants of
Jabeshgilead did or not, against whom an information was brought:
and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead
there; for as yet none that came had returned home; all came to Shiloh
first, to pay their devotion to the Lord; and as none were found among the
living, it did not appear they were among the slain; and very probably the
muster roll was taken before they went to battle, and they were not on that.
Judges 21:10 10 So the congregation sent
out there twelve thousand of their most valiant men, and commanded them,
saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the
sword, including the women and children.
YLT
10And the company send there
twelve thousand men of the sons of valour, and command them, saying, `Go -- and
ye have smitten the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead by the mouth of the sword,
even the women and the infants.
And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the
valiantest,.... That were in their army; in the Vulgate Latin version it is
only 10,000; but the Targum, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, and
JosephusF3Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 2. sect. 10.) , agree with the
Hebrew text. This place, according to Bunting, to which this army was sent, was
fifty two miles from ShilohF4Travels, &c. p. 121. :
and commanded them, saying; these were the orders
they gave them, when they marched out:
go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the
sword, with the women and the children; which it seems was
according to the oath they had made, Judges 21:5.
Judges 21:11 11 And this is the
thing that you shall do: You shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman
who has known a man intimately.”
YLT
11And this [is] the thing
which ye do; every male, and every woman knowing the lying of a male, ye
devote.'
And this is the thing that ye shall do,.... Which
they gave them in charge to execute:
ye shall utterly destroy every male; without any reserve,
young or old, married or unmarried:
and every woman that hath lain by man; whether
lawfully or unlawfully, in a married or unmarried state.
Judges 21:12 12 So they found among the
inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known a man
intimately; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land
of Canaan.
YLT
12And they find out of the
inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead four hundred young women, virgins, who have not
known man by the lying of a male, and they bring them in unto the camp at
Shiloh, which [is] in the land of Canaan.
And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred
young virgins,.... Or damsel virginsF5נערה
בתולה "puellam viginem", Montanus;
"puellas virgines", Pagninus, Tigurine version, Drusius, Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator. ; damsels that were virgins: that had known no man by
lying with any male: which was judged of by their age, and by their unmarried
state, and by common report, unless it can be thought they were examined by
matrons; but how it was that they were not obliged, or did not think themselves
obliged by their oath to put these to death, as well as others, is not easy to
say; whether they thought the necessity of the case would excuse it, or they
had a dispensation from the Lord for it, on consulting him; however, so it was:
and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the
land of Canaan; this is observed because that Jabeshgilead was not in the land
of Canaan, from whence they were brought, but in the land of Og king of Bashan;
only what was on this side Jordan was the land of Canaan, and in that Shiloh
was, to which they were brought; and this shows that not the city Bethel, but
Shiloh, was the place whither the people or army of Israel came to offer
sacrifice after the war was ended.
Judges 21:13 13 Then the whole
congregation sent word to the children of Benjamin who were at
the rock of Rimmon, and announced peace to them.
YLT
13And all the company send,
and speak, unto the sons of Benjamin who [are] in the rock Rimmon, and proclaim
to them peace;
And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of
Benjamin,.... Sent some messengers to them, to call them, and desire them
to come to them:
that were in the rock Rimmon; the six hundred men who
had hid themselves in a cave in it, of which the people of Israel were
informed:
and to call peaceably unto them; to proclaim peace to
them, and assure them of it, and to let them know that they had no ill design
against them, that they might come safely to them, and would be kindly received
and protected by them.
Judges 21:14 14 So Benjamin came back at
that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women
of Jabesh Gilead; and yet they had not found enough for them.
YLT
14and Benjamin turneth back
at that time, and they give to them the women whom they have kept alive of the
women of Jabesh-Gilead, and they have not found for [all of] them so.
And Benjamin came again at that time,.... The six
hundred Benjaminites returned with the messengers at the same time to the
people of Israel, putting confidence in the assurances they had given them of
peace and safety:
and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women
of Jabeshgilead; in doing which they supposed they had not violated their oath,
since though they had sworn that they would not give their own daughters, they
had not sworn they would not give the daughters of others; and besides, as the
men of Jabeshgilead were not at Mizpeh when the oaths were made, they had taken
none, and so their daughters might be given in marriage to the Benjaminites,
notwithstanding that oath:
and yet so they sufficed them not; there were not wives
enough for them all; for they were six hundred men, whereas the daughters of
the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead were but four hundred, so that there were two
hundred more wanting. Abarbinel interprets the word we render "so" in
a different manner, by "right", as in Numbers 27:7 and
gives the sense thus, that it was not a point of justice and judgment to do
this to the daughters of Jabeshgilead, namely, to save and give them in
marriage; but they did this because the people repented for Benjamin, as
follows.
Judges 21:15 15 And the people grieved for
Benjamin, because the Lord
had made a void in the tribes of Israel.
YLT
15And the people repented
concerning Benjamin, for Jehovah had made a breach among the tribes of Israel.
And the people repented them for Benjamin,.... That they
had destroyed all their women, and that they had saved no more of the daughters
of Jabeshgilead, not a sufficient number to be wives to the Benjaminites:
because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel; by almost
destroying one of them; for though this was done by the Israelites, yet by the
permission and according to the will of God, and through his overruling
providence.
Judges 21:16 16 Then the elders of the
congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the
women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”
YLT
16And the elders of the
company say, `What do we do to the remnant for wives -- for the women have been
destroyed out of Benjamin?'
Then the elders of the congregation said.... This being
the case, that there were not wives enough for them, they were obliged to
consult again, and consider of another expedient to provide for them; and this
motion came from the elders of the people, not only in years, but in office:
how shall we do for wives for them that remain: the other two
hundred, who had none:
seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin? and so no
wives to be had there; and as for the Israelites which came to Mizpeh, who were
of all the tribes of Israel, they had solemnly sworn that they would not give
any of their daughters to them, and therefore it was a very difficult thing to
provide wives for them.
Judges 21:17 17 And they said, “There
must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe may not
be destroyed from Israel.
YLT
17And they say, `A possession
of an escaped party [is] to Benjamin, and a tribe is not blotted out from
Israel;
And they said, there must be an inheritance for them that be
escaped Benjamin,.... The escaped are the six hundred men in the rock Rimmon; four
hundred of them were supplied with wives, the other two wanted; and as there
was an inheritance divided by lot to the tribe of Benjamin, to that tribe and
to that only it belonged, and they must have it and no other; it now of right
devolved on these six hundred men, and them only, and therefore provision must
be made to increase their number, that they may occupy the inheritance they
have a right to, rebuild their cities, till their land, cultivate their
vineyards and oliveyards, and enjoy all the advantages of their possessions:
that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel; but the full
number of the tribes be preserved, and their inheritances belonging to them,
according to the predictions of Jacob and Moses, and the assignment of them by
lot unto them by Joshua.
Judges 21:18 18 However, we cannot give
them wives from our daughters, for the children of Israel have sworn an oath,
saying, ‘Cursed be the one who gives a wife to Benjamin.’”
YLT
18and we -- we are not able
to give to them wives out of our daughters, for the sons of Israel have sworn,
saying, Cursed [is] he who is giving a wife to Benjamin.'
Howbeit, we may not give them wives of our daughters,.... Though
their case was so very necessitous and desperate:
for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, cursed be he that
giveth a wife to Benjamin, Judges 21:1 and
therefore without the violation of their oath could not give any of their
daughters in marriage to them: wherefore some other way must be devised to help
them.
Judges 21:19 19 Then they said, “In fact, there
is a yearly feast of the Lord in Shiloh, which is
north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to
Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”
YLT
19And they say, `Lo, a
festival of Jehovah [is] in Shiloh, from time to time, which [is] on the north
of Beth-El, at the rising of the sun, by the highway which is going up from
Beth-El to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.'
Then they said,.... Some of the elders that sat in council
debating this matter, and considering of ways and means to assist their brethren
the Benjaminites, and preserve their tribe from being lost:
behold, there is a feast of the Lord in Shiloh yearly; where the
tabernacle then was, and before which the males of Israel were obliged to
appear three times of the year; and this was one of them, as is clear by its
being called a feast of the Lord; and therefore cannot design any civil
festival or fair kept for trade and commerce. Some have thought of the feast of
the passover, but it is most likely to be the feast of tabernacles, as Abarbinel
takes it to be; which in Jewish writings is emphatically called "the
feast"; and the time of year when that was kept was a time of great
rejoicing, on account of the fruits of the earth being gathered in, and the
reading of the law and especially at the tithe of drawing of water at this
feast; insomuch that it is saidF5Misn. Succah, c. 5. sect. 1, 4.
Vid. Maimon. Hilchot Lulab, c. 8. sect. 13. that he who never saw the rejoicing
at drawing of water never saw rejoicing in his life, which was attended with piping,
and dancing, and singing. It is pretty strange what Kimchi notes, that this may
be either one of the above feasts, or the day of atonement, at which, he says,
the daughters of Israel used to go and dance in the vineyards, according to the
words of the Rabbins; when though that is reckoned among the feasts, Leviticus 23:1 it
was properly a fast, as it is called, Acts 27:9 and all
tokens of festivity and joy were forbidden on it; and where these words of
their Rabbins are to be met with, he says not: in a place
which is on the north side of Bethel; we rightly
supply "in a place": for the intention is not to describe the
situation of Shiloh, which was well known, but a place not far from it, where
at this festival the daughters of Shiloh used to dance:
on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to
Shechem; this place lay to the east of a public road, that led from
Bethel to Shechem:
and on the south of Lebonah; which Mr. MaundrellF6Journey
from Aleppo, p. 63. takes to be a place now called Kane Leban, which stands on
the east side of a delightful vale, having a village of the same name standing
opposite to it on the other side of the vale; one of these places, either that
Kane or the village, is supposed to be the Lebonah mentioned Judges 21:19 to
which both the name and situation seem to agree.
Judges 21:20 20 Therefore they instructed
the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go, lie in wait in the vineyards,
YLT
20And they command the sons
of Benjamin, saying, `Go -- and ye have laid wait in the vineyards,
Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin,.... The two
hundred men of the tribe that wanted wives; they ordered them as follows, and
which they spake with authority, being the elders of the congregation, Judges 21:16.
saying, go and lie in wait in the vineyards; which might
belong to Shiloh, or it may be to Lebonah, which perhaps is the same with
Bethlaban, famous for its wine with the Misnic writers; who sayF7Misn.
Menachot, c. 8. sect. 6. the second places for wine are Bethrimah and
Bethlaban; and I suspect that Bethrimah is the same with Bethrimmon, near which
was the rock Rimmon these men were in; now this being the time of year when the
vintage was just over, the vines were full of branches and leaves, under which
the men might the better hide themselves; and the grapes being gathered, there
were no men in the vineyards, and so might lie in wait safely, and under cover.
Judges 21:21 21 and watch; and just when
the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, then come out from
the vineyards, and every man catch a wife for himself from the daughters of
Shiloh; then go to the land of Benjamin.
YLT
21and have seen, and lo, if
the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances -- then ye have gone out
from the vineyards, and caught for you each his wife out of the daughters of
Shiloh, and gone to the land of Benjamin;
And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance
in dances,.... As they used to do at this festival, not along with men, but
by themselves; and so might the more easily be taken and carried off; and
though only males were obliged to appear from all parts at this feast, yet
females might come if they would; and, no doubt, from neighbouring places, at
least many did; however, the daughters of Shiloh, who dwelt where the
tabernacle was, these always attended the feast with demonstrations of joy, and
among the rest with dancing, and that as expressive of spiritual and religious
joy, as in the case of Miriam, and the Israelitish women, Exodus 15:20 and as
in latter times the most religious men used to express their joy at this feast;
now the two hundred men in the vineyards, which lay near the field where these
virgins used to dance at this time, were to watch and observe when they came
out of the city thither, and were engaged in such an exercise:
then come ye out of the yards, and catch you every man his wife of
the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin; they are
directed to rush out at once upon them, as they were dancing, secure, as they
thought, from molestation and danger; and they were to take everyone one, not
more, and go off directly with them to their own tribe.
Judges 21:22 22 Then it shall be, when
their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, that we will say to
them, ‘Be kind to them for our sakes, because we did not take a wife for any of
them in the war; for it is not as though you have given the women
to them at this time, making yourselves guilty of your oath.’”
YLT
22and it hath been, when
their fathers or their brethren come in to plead unto us, that we have said
unto them, Favour us [by] them, for we have not taken [to] each his wife in
battle, for ye -- ye have not given to them at this time [that] ye are guilty.'
And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us
to complain,.... Of this rape of their daughters or sisters, or to bring an
action against them, and desire they might be summoned before them, the elders
of the people, and be tried and judged according to law for what they had done;
or to put them upon going to war with them again for such treatment of them:
that we will say unto them, be favourable unto them for our sakes; for the sake
of the elders, who advised them to do what they did; or for the sake of us
Israelites, your sake and ours, who were too severe upon them, and prosecuted
the war with too much vigour, which made what they have done necessary, or
otherwise a tribe must have been lost in Israel:
because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war; either in the
war with Benjamin, which they carried on with such wrath and fury as to destroy
all the women, so that there were no wives left for the men that remained,
which they now repented of; or in the war with Jabeshgilead, they did not
reserve enough of the women taken, only four hundred virgins, whereas there
were six hundred men: but the first seems best:
for ye did not give unto them at this time, that you should be
guilty; the meaning is, that if they had any uneasiness upon their minds
about the oath which they had taken, not to give any of their daughters in
marriage to Benjamin, they need not be disturbed at that, since they did not
"give" them to them, but these "took" them by force; which
was the scheme these elders contrived to secure from the violation of the oath.
This they proposed to say to quiet them, and make them easy, to which other
things might have been added as that these were their brethren, and not
strangers they were married to, and not to mean men, but to men of large
estates, having the whole inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin devolved upon
them; and their daughters would be the original mothers of the posterity of
that tribe in succeeding ages.
Judges 21:23 23 And the children of
Benjamin did so; they took enough wives for their number from those who danced,
whom they caught. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and they
rebuilt the cities and dwelt in them.
YLT
23And the sons of Benjamin do
so, and take women according to their number, out of the dancers whom they have
taken violently away; and they go, and turn back unto their inheritance, and
build the cities, and dwell in them.
And the children of Benjamin did so,.... Went and laid wait
in the vineyards, and when the daughters of Shiloh came out to dance, they
rushed upon them:
and took them wives according to their number; two hundred
of them, each man a wife, and no more; for though polygamy was in use in those
times, and if at any time necessary, and could be excused, it might seem now;
yet it was not indulged to, neither by the elders, nor by the children of
Benjamin:
of them that danced whom they caught; the rape of
the Sabine virgins by Romulus, at the arena plays and shows, mentioned by
various authorsF8Liv. Hist. l. 1. p. 7,8. Flor Hist. Rom. l. 1. c.
1. Aurel. Victor. de Vir Illustr. c. 2. Valer. Maxim. l. 1. c. 4. , and the
carrying off of fifteen Spartan virgins from the dances by Aristomenes the
MessenianF9Hierop adv. Jovinian. l. 1. fol. 17. B, C. , are
sometimes observed as parallel cases to this, and justified by it, particularly
that of RomulusF11Vid. Albericum Gentil. de armis Roman l. 2. p.
114. :
and they went and returned unto their inheritance; the six
hundred Benjaminites, with their wives, returned to their own tribe, which was
their inheritance by lot; and these, being the only survivors, had a right to
the whole:
and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them: in process of
time they rebuilt the cities the Israelites had burnt in the late war, and
repeopled them as their posterity increased. And the Jewish writers say, that in
later times they were allowed to marry with other tribes as before, since the
oath only bound those present at Mizpeh; for they observe, that it ran only:
there shall not any of us, &c. not any of our
sons; they might give wives to Benjamin, and so in time they became numerous
again.
Judges 21:24 24 So the children of Israel
departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family; they went
out from there, every man to his inheritance.
YLT
24And the sons of Israel go
up and down thence at that time, each to his tribe, and to his family; and they
go out thence each to his inheritance.
And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man
to his tribe and to his family,.... The war being ended, and things settled
as well as circumstances would admit of, for the preservation of the tribe of
Benjamin, who were the cause of it, and had suffered so much in it; the
Israelites that had met at Mizpeh, and who had not fallen in the war, returned
to their respective countries, to their wives and children, and the business of
their callings:
and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance; divided by
lot to them, to their estates and possessions, which each had a right unto.
Judges 21:25 25 In those days there was
no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
YLT
25In those days there is no
king in Israel; each doth that which is right in his own eyes.
In those days there was no king in Israel,.... No
supreme magistrate, Joshua being dead, and as yet no judge in Israel had risen
up; for all related in the five last chapters of this book were done between
the death of Joshua and the time of the judges:
every man did that which was right in his own eyes; there being
none to restrain him from it, or punish him for it; and this accounts for the
many evil things related, as the idolatry of Micah and the Danites, the base
usage of the Levite's concubine, the extreme rigour and severity with which the
Israelites treated their brethren the Benjaminites, the slaughter of the
inhabitants of Jabeshgilead, and the rape of the daughters of Shiloh.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)