Judges 21
Overview
Judges 21 is the final chapter in the Book of Judges and deals with the aftermath of the civil war against the tribe of Benjamin. It focuses on the Israelites' efforts to restore Benjamin, preventing the tribe’s extinction. This chapter reflects on the consequences of conflict and the complexities of community restoration. Key aspects include:
Israel’s Oath at Mizpah: The Israelites had sworn at Mizpah not to give their daughters in marriage to Benjamites. Realizing the tribe is near extinction, they lament the potential loss of one of their tribes.
No Wives for the Surviving Benjamites: Only 600 Benjamite men survived the war, and they lacked wives due to the oath. The Israelites seek a solution that honors their oath but helps the Benjamites.
Attack on Jabesh-Gilead: The Israelites strike Jabesh-Gilead for not joining the assembly at Mizpah. They spare 400 young virgins and give them as wives to the Benjamites. However, this still leaves 200 Benjamite men without wives.
Plan to Obtain Wives from Shiloh: To find additional wives, the Israelites instruct the Benjamites to hide in the vineyards of Shiloh and seize wives for themselves during the annual festival of the LORD when the young women of Shiloh come out to dance.
Benjamites Seize Wives at Shiloh: The Benjamites follow this plan, kidnapping enough women for the remaining men. The Israelites then release the Benjamites from their oath.
Restoration of the Tribe of Benjamin: The chapter ends with the tribe of Benjamin restored, though significantly reduced. The Israelites return to their homes and territories.
Conclusion of the Book of Judges: The book concludes with a reflection on the state of Israel during this time, noting that there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes.
Judges 21 concludes a book marked by cycles of disobedience, deliverance, and moral ambiguity. This final chapter showcases the Israelites' struggle with justice and mercy, attempting to rectify a wrong while adhering to their vows. It highlights the challenges faced by a community lacking central leadership and grappling with the consequences of its actions.
Israel’s Oath at Mizpah: The Israelites had sworn at Mizpah not to give their daughters in marriage to Benjamites. Realizing the tribe is near extinction, they lament the potential loss of one of their tribes.
No Wives for the Surviving Benjamites: Only 600 Benjamite men survived the war, and they lacked wives due to the oath. The Israelites seek a solution that honors their oath but helps the Benjamites.
Attack on Jabesh-Gilead: The Israelites strike Jabesh-Gilead for not joining the assembly at Mizpah. They spare 400 young virgins and give them as wives to the Benjamites. However, this still leaves 200 Benjamite men without wives.
Plan to Obtain Wives from Shiloh: To find additional wives, the Israelites instruct the Benjamites to hide in the vineyards of Shiloh and seize wives for themselves during the annual festival of the LORD when the young women of Shiloh come out to dance.
Benjamites Seize Wives at Shiloh: The Benjamites follow this plan, kidnapping enough women for the remaining men. The Israelites then release the Benjamites from their oath.
Restoration of the Tribe of Benjamin: The chapter ends with the tribe of Benjamin restored, though significantly reduced. The Israelites return to their homes and territories.
Conclusion of the Book of Judges: The book concludes with a reflection on the state of Israel during this time, noting that there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes.
Judges 21 concludes a book marked by cycles of disobedience, deliverance, and moral ambiguity. This final chapter showcases the Israelites' struggle with justice and mercy, attempting to rectify a wrong while adhering to their vows. It highlights the challenges faced by a community lacking central leadership and grappling with the consequences of its actions.
Judges 21
1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
3 And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?
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4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that 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 Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh 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.
10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.
11 And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.
12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.
14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.
15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.
19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21 And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.
23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
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End of Judges 21
1 Year Plan: Apr 19 - Jdg 20, Jdg 21, Ps 45
2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
3 And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?
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4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that 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 Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh 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.
10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.
11 And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.
12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.
14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.
15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.
19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21 And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.
23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
🔑→Devotion
End of Judges 21
1 Year Plan: Apr 19 - Jdg 20, Jdg 21, Ps 45
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