New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Judges 21
1
The men of Israel had taken an oath and made a promise at Mizpah. They had said, "Not one of us will give his daughter to be married to a man from Benjamin."
Reference
Parallel theme
Mark 6:23
Acts 23:12
Ecclesiastes 5:2
Judges 20:8
References Israel
Judges 20:1
Judges 21:18
2
The people went to Bethel. They sat there until evening in the sight of God. They sobbed loudly and bitterly.
Reference
3
"Lord, you are the God of Israel," they cried. "Why has this happened to Israel? Why is one tribe missing from Israel today?"
4
Early the next day the people built an altar. They brought burnt offerings and friendship offerings.
Reference
Sacrifice
2 Samuel 24:25
5
Then the people of Israel asked, "Has anyone failed to come here in the sight of the Lord? Is anyone missing from all of the tribes of Israel?" The people had made a promise with an oath. They had said that anyone who failed to come to Mizpah in the sight of the Lord should certainly be put to death.
Reference
References Lord
Judges 5:23
6
The people of Israel were very sad because of what had happened to the tribe of Benjamin. After all, they were their fellow Israelites. "Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel," they said.
Reference
Repentance
Judges 21:15
7
"How can we provide wives for the men who are left? We've made a promise with an oath in the sight of the Lord. We've promised not to give any of our daughters to be married to them."
Reference
Parallel theme
Judges 21:1
8
Then they asked, "Has any tribe of Israel failed to come here to Mizpah in the sight of the Lord?" They discovered that no one from Jabesh Gilead had come. No one from there had gathered together with the others in the camp.
📍 Jabesh-gilead
9
They counted the people. They found that none of the people of Jabesh Gilead had come to Mizpah.
📍 Jabesh-gilead
10
So the community sent 12,000 fighting men to Jabesh Gilead. They directed them to take their swords and kill those who were living there. That included the women and children.
Reference
📍 Jabesh-gilead
11
"Here is what you must do," they said. "Kill every male. Also kill every woman who is not a virgin."
12
They found 400 young women in Jabesh Gilead who had never made love to a man. So they took them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan.
Reference
📍 Jabesh-gilead
Parallel theme
Joshua 18:1
13
Then the whole community sent an offer of peace to the men of Benjamin. The men were at the rock of Rimmon.
Reference
14
So the men of Benjamin returned at that time. They were given the women of Jabesh Gilead who had been spared. But there weren't enough women for all of them.
📍 Jabesh-gilead
15
The people were very sad because of what had happened to the tribe of Benjamin. The Lord had left a gap in the tribes of Israel. They weren't complete without Benjamin.
Reference
Repentance
Judges 21:6
16
The elders of the community spoke up. They said, "All of the women of Benjamin have been wiped out. So how will we find wives for the men who are left?
17
The men of Benjamin who are still alive need to have children," they said. "If they don't, a tribe of Israel will be wiped out.
18
"But we can't give them our daughters to be their wives. We Israelites have taken an oath and made a promise. We've said, 'May anyone who gives a wife to a man from Benjamin be under the Lord's curse.'
Reference
References Israel
Judges 21:1
19
"Look, a feast is celebrated every year in Shiloh in honor of the Lord. Shiloh is north of Bethel. It's east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem. It's south of Lebonah."
📍 Lebonah
20
So they told the men of Benjamin what to do. They said, "Go. Hide in the vineyards
21
and watch. The young women of Shiloh will come out. They'll join in the dancing. When they do, run out of the vineyards. Each of you grab hold of a young woman from Shiloh to be your wife. Then go to the land of Benjamin.
Reference
22
"Their fathers or brothers might not be happy with what we're doing. If they aren't, we'll say to them, 'Do us a favor. Help the men of Benjamin. We didn't get wives for them during the battle. You aren't guilty of doing anything wrong. After all, you didn't give your daughters to them. They were stolen from you.' "
Reference
23
So that's what the men of Benjamin did. While the young women were dancing, each man caught one. He carried her away to be his wife. Then the men returned to their own share of land. They built the towns again. They settled down in them.
Reference
Parallel theme
Judges 20:48
24
At that time the men of Israel also left. They went home to their tribes and family groups. Each one went to his own share of land.
25
In those days Israel didn't have a king. The people did anything they thought was right.
Reference
Kingdom
Judges 17:6
Judges 19:1
Judges 18:1
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 12:8
Proverbs 3:5
Ecclesiastes 11:9
Proverbs 14:12
Summary of Judges 21
Judges chapter 21 provides a troubled ending to the book, following the civil war between Israel and the tribe of Benjamin and highlighting the consequences of this conflict. Almost all members of Benjamin had perished because the rest of the Israelites considered them responsible for what happened to the men of Gibeah, who had committed a crime. The Israelites now realized that one of the twelve tribes was on the verge of disappearing from the face of the earth.
The chapter begins with a reminder of the Israelites' vow at Mizpeh, which they had made before going to war with the tribe of Benjamin, vowing to bring none of their daughters to Benjamin men for marriage. A similar oath was taken concerning those who had refused to attend the meeting at Mizpeh. It was there that the Israelites learned that only six hundred Benjaminites had survived the war, having lost their families and all their relatives in the fighting.
Upon realizing what happened, the Israelites gathered at Bethel in prayer to God and wept over the tragedy that had befallen one of their tribes and asked themselves how they could prevent this from happening again in Israel. They remembered that some men of Jabeshgilead had refused to attend the assembly at Mizpeh. Pursuant to the vow, the Israelites sent twelve thousand soldiers to Jabeshgilead at the head of whom was a fighting force of ten thousand. They killed all the men and women in the city and took four hundred young women to Shiloh.
The Israelites did this to provide the surviving Benjaminites with women for marriage so that the tribe would not disappear from the face of the earth. However, since there were two hundred Benjaminites without wives, the Israelites had to find another solution to this problem.
Judges 21 reminds readers of the annual feast of the Lord at Shiloh and tells of how Israel told the remaining Benjaminites to hide in the vineyards and take the women dancing at the festival for their wives. Israel informed the women's families that the Benjaminites had not actually abducted them but had taken them for their wives, and the Israelites allowed the families to keep their daughters.
The events described in this chapter of the Book of Judges provide yet another illustration of the Israelites being at best indifferent to the plight of the Benjaminites and at worst determined to exact revenge on them. Nevertheless, this was not enough to restore the Benjaminite tribe to its former glory. Although the Israelites managed to save the remaining members of Benjamin from total destruction, they failed to prevent the tragedy of the entire tribe disappearing from the face of the earth.
Judges 21 ends with the words that there was no king in Israel in those days, and every man did what was right in his own eyes. These words summarize the situation described in this book most concisely. The people of Israel once again turned away from the Lord, suffered greatly because of their disobedience, cried out to the Lord, and were saved by him through the judges. However, this time, the Israelites could not return to the path of the Lord, and the entire nation found itself in great trouble. The Book of Judges shows that a lack of spiritual guidance leads to people being unable to cope even with minor problems on the material plane.
The events described in the chapter are most disturbing because the Israelites were trying to do what they considered right, although they were far from being perfect in their implementation of it. The whole nation suffered greatly from the Israelites' decision to wage war against Benjamin, which led to many more battles and battles, numerous deaths, and the loss of many cities and homes. Yet the Israelites did not reflect on their actions, for they had sworn to destroy anyone who refused to attend the assembly at Mizpeh. Having failed to do so, they had to find a way out of the impasse by agreeing to kidnap girls at Shiloh.
Although the Israelites thought they were doing the right thing by saving Benjamin, their actions led to an even more troubled period of time for them. The events described in this chapter highlight the Israelites' fatal tendency to rely on their judgment when making decisions that affect not only their own lives but the fate of the entire nation. Perhaps the most thought-provoking aspect of this story is that almost no one in Israel seemed to have opposed what happened. On the contrary, people were ready to resort to measures that most would consider morally wrong in order to solve a problem that, in their opinion, had already been resolved.
Benjamin's survival was crucial to ensuring the continued existence of the Israelites as a whole. Thus, although only six hundred men survived the war, the Israelites allowed the Benjaminites to restore their homeland and live among their people.
The book of Judges closes with one of its leitmotifs, the absence of a central authority in Israel. This formulation appears in the final chapter and serves as a kind of epilogue, describing the state of affairs in Israel at the time. Israel had a covenant with the Lord and received many commands from him, but the people of Israel failed to follow these commands.
The last few chapters of the Book of Judges present a far darker picture than the first few ones. The Israelites tried to conquer Canaan and then experienced internal divisions, which led to the death and suffering of countless people. The judges who saved Israel from the enemies who oppressed it were powerless against the internal troubles of the Israelites. The word of the Lord comes to people in times of both trouble and joy, but the Israelites were unable to turn to him when their minds were made up to do what they considered right.
It is not only the military confrontations and Israelites' inability to govern themselves that make the closing chapters of the Book of Judges so grim. The people of Israel had a choice, but they failed to make the right choice at a crucial moment. They did not see the necessity of turning to the Lord for help when facing serious problems. This failure was fatal for the entire nation. Even though the Israelites did not intend to annihilate Benjamin, their actions led to many more deaths and suffering.
The closing events of the Book of Judges set the stage for what happens next. The people of Israel willfully ignored the warnings of the Lord and his chosen servants, the prophets. They failed to heed the counsel of the judges as well, who served as Israel's generals, rulers, and priests at the same time. It is no wonder that the Lord allowed the Philistines to dominate Israel because the Israelites were unworthy of having a king like Saul, the first king of Israel.
The chapter begins with a reminder of the Israelites' vow at Mizpeh, which they had made before going to war with the tribe of Benjamin, vowing to bring none of their daughters to Benjamin men for marriage. A similar oath was taken concerning those who had refused to attend the meeting at Mizpeh. It was there that the Israelites learned that only six hundred Benjaminites had survived the war, having lost their families and all their relatives in the fighting.
Upon realizing what happened, the Israelites gathered at Bethel in prayer to God and wept over the tragedy that had befallen one of their tribes and asked themselves how they could prevent this from happening again in Israel. They remembered that some men of Jabeshgilead had refused to attend the assembly at Mizpeh. Pursuant to the vow, the Israelites sent twelve thousand soldiers to Jabeshgilead at the head of whom was a fighting force of ten thousand. They killed all the men and women in the city and took four hundred young women to Shiloh.
The Israelites did this to provide the surviving Benjaminites with women for marriage so that the tribe would not disappear from the face of the earth. However, since there were two hundred Benjaminites without wives, the Israelites had to find another solution to this problem.
Judges 21 reminds readers of the annual feast of the Lord at Shiloh and tells of how Israel told the remaining Benjaminites to hide in the vineyards and take the women dancing at the festival for their wives. Israel informed the women's families that the Benjaminites had not actually abducted them but had taken them for their wives, and the Israelites allowed the families to keep their daughters.
The events described in this chapter of the Book of Judges provide yet another illustration of the Israelites being at best indifferent to the plight of the Benjaminites and at worst determined to exact revenge on them. Nevertheless, this was not enough to restore the Benjaminite tribe to its former glory. Although the Israelites managed to save the remaining members of Benjamin from total destruction, they failed to prevent the tragedy of the entire tribe disappearing from the face of the earth.
Judges 21 ends with the words that there was no king in Israel in those days, and every man did what was right in his own eyes. These words summarize the situation described in this book most concisely. The people of Israel once again turned away from the Lord, suffered greatly because of their disobedience, cried out to the Lord, and were saved by him through the judges. However, this time, the Israelites could not return to the path of the Lord, and the entire nation found itself in great trouble. The Book of Judges shows that a lack of spiritual guidance leads to people being unable to cope even with minor problems on the material plane.
The events described in the chapter are most disturbing because the Israelites were trying to do what they considered right, although they were far from being perfect in their implementation of it. The whole nation suffered greatly from the Israelites' decision to wage war against Benjamin, which led to many more battles and battles, numerous deaths, and the loss of many cities and homes. Yet the Israelites did not reflect on their actions, for they had sworn to destroy anyone who refused to attend the assembly at Mizpeh. Having failed to do so, they had to find a way out of the impasse by agreeing to kidnap girls at Shiloh.
Although the Israelites thought they were doing the right thing by saving Benjamin, their actions led to an even more troubled period of time for them. The events described in this chapter highlight the Israelites' fatal tendency to rely on their judgment when making decisions that affect not only their own lives but the fate of the entire nation. Perhaps the most thought-provoking aspect of this story is that almost no one in Israel seemed to have opposed what happened. On the contrary, people were ready to resort to measures that most would consider morally wrong in order to solve a problem that, in their opinion, had already been resolved.
Benjamin's survival was crucial to ensuring the continued existence of the Israelites as a whole. Thus, although only six hundred men survived the war, the Israelites allowed the Benjaminites to restore their homeland and live among their people.
The book of Judges closes with one of its leitmotifs, the absence of a central authority in Israel. This formulation appears in the final chapter and serves as a kind of epilogue, describing the state of affairs in Israel at the time. Israel had a covenant with the Lord and received many commands from him, but the people of Israel failed to follow these commands.
The last few chapters of the Book of Judges present a far darker picture than the first few ones. The Israelites tried to conquer Canaan and then experienced internal divisions, which led to the death and suffering of countless people. The judges who saved Israel from the enemies who oppressed it were powerless against the internal troubles of the Israelites. The word of the Lord comes to people in times of both trouble and joy, but the Israelites were unable to turn to him when their minds were made up to do what they considered right.
It is not only the military confrontations and Israelites' inability to govern themselves that make the closing chapters of the Book of Judges so grim. The people of Israel had a choice, but they failed to make the right choice at a crucial moment. They did not see the necessity of turning to the Lord for help when facing serious problems. This failure was fatal for the entire nation. Even though the Israelites did not intend to annihilate Benjamin, their actions led to many more deaths and suffering.
The closing events of the Book of Judges set the stage for what happens next. The people of Israel willfully ignored the warnings of the Lord and his chosen servants, the prophets. They failed to heed the counsel of the judges as well, who served as Israel's generals, rulers, and priests at the same time. It is no wonder that the Lord allowed the Philistines to dominate Israel because the Israelites were unworthy of having a king like Saul, the first king of Israel.