Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Judges Chapter 21 mean?

Immediately after Israel slaughters nearly the entire population of the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 20:47–48), the people seem to realize they have gone too far. This results in grief and threatens the extinction of the Benjaminites. The Lord instructed Israel to attack Benjamin at Gibeah (Judges 20:28), bringing judgment on that city for its heinous sins (Judges 20:11–13). Yet there is no hint that God commanded Israel to completely wipe out the entire tribe. Israel, acting on its own, seems to have gone beyond God’s judgment to, once again, do what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6).

Only six hundred men of the tribe of Benjamin remain alive. Women, children, and even cities have been destroyed. The tribe will quickly die out unless wives can be found for the surviving men. This is major problem, however, since the Israelites who gathered for battle took a hasty oath. They vowed to God they would not give their daughters as wives to the Benjaminites. Now that no women remain, however, the oath seems to guarantee than no more Benjaminites will ever be born. Marrying Canaanite women is not an option (Deuteronomy 7:1–5). The people mourn and offer sacrifices to God, but He seems prepared to let them suffer the consequences of their actions (Judges 21:1–4).

First, the leaders investigate to see if any clan did not send a representative to aid in the civil war. Israel had taken an oath to put any such clan to death. They soon identify that nobody from Jabesh-gilead in Manasseh came to the assembly. Israel sends soldiers to kill every man, married woman, and child in the clan. Unmarried young women are spared to give to the Benjaminite men as wives. This echoes the methods sometimes used against the depraved, evil Canaanites (Joshua 6:17), but not God’s own people. The other eleven tribes find the surviving men of Benjamin hiding in caves, fearful for their lives after the slaughter of the battle. Israel proclaims peace and gives to them the four hundred young women from Jabesh-gilead. Of course, two hundred more wives are needed to restore the tribe (Judges 21:5–15).

The leaders of Israel hatch another scheme that will allow them to keep their oath not to provide wives for Benjamin, while still allowing Benjamin to acquire Israelite wives. This plot involves twisting their vow, warping the intent of the promise by creating a loophole in its literal words. In short, Israel decides that women “taken” are not women “given,” so they stage a kidnapping and hasty negotiation. Israelite leaders tell the remaining unmarried men of Benjamin to hide near an upcoming feast. A group of young women are expected to participate in the dances there. The Benjaminites are to each grab one young woman to carry back to their territory as a wife. When the fathers and brothers of these young women object, the Israelites will assure them these young women are needed to save the tribe of Benjamin, convincing them to agree to the marriages (Judges 21:16–22).

In this way, the men of Benjamin begin to produce a new generation. They rebuild their towns and continue as one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The author makes a point of repeating the fact that Israel was without a king during this era (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1). The final echo of this point comes after stories of moral failure, violence, and chaos. Israel is not merely without a central government; the people are not following their Creator God, and the result has been death and misery (Judges 21:23–25).

The next major phase of Israel’s history will begin with the ministry of the judge-and-prophet Samuel. He will complete the work begun by judges like Samson (Judges 13:5; 1 Samuel 7:14–15) and oversee the nation’s transition into a monarchy (1 Samuel 8:19–22).

Chapter Context
Judges 21 finds the people of Israel reeling after they killed nearly every person in the tribe of Benjamin. This began as an effort to enact justice and turned into a wide-ranging massacre. To keep Benjamin from dying out, Israel’s leaders must work around their own mistakes and two ill-considered vows. The book ends with another reminder that Israel was without a king in this era. The nation was literally leaderless, and spiritually rebellious. Soon, the judge-and-prophet Samuel will rise to guide the people into the era of kings.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, “No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.”

Israel acted under God’s direction (Judges 20:27–28) to attack and wipe out the city of Gibeah, of the tribe of Benjamin, for the sinful abominations being practiced there (Judges 20:12–13). They killed all Gibeah’s inhabitants and burned the city to the ground. But the other eleven tribes did not stop there; the victorious armies then continued to obliterate every remaining person and city in the territory. Scripture gives no indication that this was part of God’s command. All but six hundred fighting men are dead; the rest are hiding in an area known as the “rock of Rimmon” (Judges 20:47).

To make matters worse for the tribe of Benjamin, the people of the other eleven tribes took an oath before the fighting started (Judges 21:18). They pledged that none of the other tribes of Israel would give their daughters in marriage to any of the men of Benjamin. The oath seems intended to isolate the evil being practiced in Benjamin from infecting the rest of Israel.

The motive behind making this promise may have been good, but it was not a command given by God. He told the Israelites not to intermarry with Canaanite people, to keep from becoming like them (Deuteronomy 7:1–5). By applying that command to their own people in the tribe of Benjamin—and slaughtering all women in the tribe—Israel may have guaranteed one of the twelve tribes would cease to exist.

Breaking an oath made before the Lord was understood to earn God’s wrath (Deuteronomy 23:21–23). The Israelites don’t seem to even consider breaking this one. Soon, Scripture will mention another oath made prior to the war which Israel is obligated to honor (Judges 21:5).

Context Summary
Judges 21:1–7 finds Israel mourning. After the other eleven tribes raged through the territory in a civil war, only six hundred men survive from the tribe of Benjamin. Cities, animals, women, and children have been wiped out. Beyond that, the Israelites made an unwise oath not to give wives to Benjamin. The people weep and make sacrifices to God, but He remains silent. Israel’s leaders investigate which clans did not send anyone to fight in the war. This might give them a way to honor their oath while sparing Benjamin from extinction.

Verse 2. And the people came to Bethel and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.

Eleven tribes of Israel have been victorious over the rebellious twelfth tribe of Benjamin (Judges 20:35–36). They overwhelmed Benjamin’s army and succeeded in purging Israel of the heinous sins taking place in the city of Gibeah (Judges 20:12–13). That much, at least, had been directed by the Lord (Judges 20:27–28), and He is credited with giving them the victory. What’s not recorded is any command from God compelling Israel to massacre all the women, children, and nearly all the men of Benjamin, as well (Judges 20:47–48). Only after the carnage is over does the nation realize what they have done.

No celebration followed this victory. Instead, slaughter was followed by bitter weeping. The people of the other eleven tribes of Israel travel once more to Bethel, where the Lord’s presence was represented by the ark of the covenant of God (Judges 20:26–27). They meet for the entire day, mourning the loss of the people of the tribe of Benjamin, whom they had just killed.

Verse 3. And they said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?”

Israel has slaughtered nearly the entire tribe of Benjamin. Only six hundred men of the tribe remain hiding in an area known as the “rock of Rimmon” (Judges 20:47–48). God directed Israel to fight against Benjamin (Judges 20:27–28) because of the depraved evils of the city of Gibeah (Judges 20:12–13). Nowhere did God command that Israel obliterate the entire tribe. And yet, the other eleven tribes appeal to God as if He is to blame for what has happened.

It’s common for people to make mistakes, then appeal to God, asking “why did this happen?” or “why did you do this to me?” Here, the immediate answer for “why” a tragedy has happened is extremely direct: because that’s what Israel chose to do. They clearly went well beyond what was necessary, or commanded, including making unwise promises (Judges 21:1). Yet now, they feel terrible about the looming extinction of one of the twelve tribes of their nation. They have spent the day following the slaughter weeping before the Lord at Bethel, where the ark of the covenant sits (Judges 20:26–27).

God does not answer their question, and the next day the people will convene again to work out a plan. That will be further complicated by a second oath which must be kept, as well (Judges 21:4–5).

Verse 4. And the next day the people rose early and built there an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

Eleven tribes of Israel came together and nearly wiped out the twelfth tribe, Benjamin. They have done so in a zeal to purge evil from the Promised Land (Judges 20:12–13). God commanded they attack, but did not indicate they should exterminate every man, woman, and child. Israel’s rage has left only six hundred men, barricaded and trapped, as the last of the tribe of Benjamin.

Making the situation even worse, the eleven tribes had made a foolish promise prior to the start of the war (Judges 21:1). This was a vow not to intermarry with the men of Benjamin. God gave such commands to Israel with respect to pagan Canaanites (Deuteronomy 7:1–5), but not among their own people. Yet vows made to God were taken very seriously (Deuteronomy 23:21–23).

This verse notes a second day of mourning and making sacrifices to God, seeking His will. On the first day, the people asked God “why” such a thing had happened, though they were the ones who chose to do it. Perhaps they hope that worshiping God will cause Him to break His silence and tell them how to save the tribe of Benjamin. God will not speak, leaving Israel to clean up their own mess, in this case.

The eleven tribes think of a partial solution, further complicated by yet another poorly-thought-out promise (Judges 21:5).

Verse 5. And the people of Israel said, “Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the Lord?” For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”

This verse reveals another oath pledged by the people of Israel before going into battle with Benjamin (Judges 20:12–13; 27–28). The first oath was that none of the eleven tribes would give daughters to marry the men of Benjamin. The other is that any clan or family group which did not participate in the assembly of tribes at Mizpah—a summit meant to bring judgment on Gibeah—would be put to death.

The intent of this oath seems to have been to unify Israel. The people intended to present a clear message that they were on the side of the Lord, and against the heinous atrocities happening in the Benjaminite city of Gibeah (Judges 19:22–28). Those who would not stand against such sin, or so the thinking seems to be, were guilty of enabling it. This oath may explain why Israel felt compelled to utterly wipe out all men, women, and children of Benjamin—despite no such command from God (Judges 20:47–48).

Only now does Israel investigate to see which groups, if any, didn’t send support for the war. The motive for asking this question in this moment becomes clear as the passage continues. In addition to fulfilling an oath, Israel is looking for some way to provide wives for the surviving men of Benjamin without breaking a different oath (Judges 21:6–7).

Verse 6. And the people of Israel had compassion for Benjamin their brother and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel this day.

The writer of Judges notes that the rest of Israel had compassion for the tribe of Benjamin. They were brokenhearted that the people of Benjamin were so near to extinction, leaving a gap in the twelve tribes of Israel. The words used here are poignant and interesting: Benjamin’s tribe is spoken of fondly as a “brother.” At the same time, what happened to them is described using a Hebrew word literally meaning “hacked” or “chopped.” Of course, it was the rage of the eleven tribes, in response to Benjamin’s resistance (Judges 20:12–13) which led them to nearly annihilate the entire region (Judges 20:47–48).

It’s natural to read this passage with a sense of confusion, or even irritation, at the Israelites’ thinking. In eagerness to purge evil, they seem to have taken two hasty oaths. They’d promised God to do seemingly foolish things, then gone well beyond His command to attack the guilty men of Gibeah (Judges 20:27–28). Scripture never indicates God intended them to wipe out every man, woman, and child of Benjamin. The only reason Benjamin has any hope at all is because six hundred men had escaped the slaughter and were hiding in caves. Yet the people have wept while asking, “how did this happen?” (Judges 21:1–3) and seeking a solution.

Now, a second day after the disaster, the eleven tribes are looking for a solution which will allow them to keep their vows, while also sparing the tribe of Benjamin from disappearing (Judges 21:4–5).

Verse 7. What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them any of our daughters for wives?”

First, Israel slaughters nearly the entire tribe of Benjamin (Judges 20:47–48) for defending their city of Gibeah (Judges 20:12–13), whose people were guilty of heinous crimes against the Lord. They seem relieved that several hundred Benjaminites escaped the carnage and were now hiding in nearby caves. They don’t want the tribe of Benjamin to become extinct. They don’t want the circle of the tribes of Israel to be broken.

However, before the fighting with Benjamin began, all eleven tribes took an oath not to marry their daughters to any men of Benjamin. They do not even consider breaking this oath, likely because it was well known the Lord would judge those who broke sacred oaths (Deuteronomy 21:21–23). Since all the Benjaminite women and children have been killed and marrying Canaanite women is also not allowed (Deuteronomy 7:1–5), the survivors of Benjamin have no hope to rebuild their tribe.

As it happens, the leaders of the Israelites have an idea for how they can find genuine Israelite wives for the men of Benjamin without breaking their oath (Judges 21:14).

Verse 8. And they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead, to the assembly.

Israel is looking for a creative way to find wives for the surviving six hundred men of the tribe of Benjamin. Imagination is needed to avoid violating the nation’s unwise oath, made before the recent civil war (Judges 21:1–7). That vow was not to give their daughters to Benjaminites as wives. Apparently, Israel also made another promise: to kill any clan who didn’t participate in the conflict against Benjamin. Any such group would not have made the promise about wives, so they would not be bound to it.

A search of all those present reveals that nobody came from Jabesh-gilead. This is good news for the tribe of Benjamin, since it means there are women in Israel not blocked from marrying them by a vow. It’s extremely unwelcome news for the people of Jabesh-gilead. All those who failed to come to the earlier assembly (Judges 20:11–13) were subject to death.

This is the first mention of Jabesh-gilead. The name means “well-drained soil of Gilead.” It is the name of a place in the territory of Manasseh on the east side of the Jordan River. Although Manasseh sent others to the assembly, none from this town came. No reason is given for why they failed to participate in the judgment of Benjamin.

Context Summary
Judges 21:8–25 closes the book of Judges by describing a convoluted process. Israel has made several ill-considered vows and gone too far in punishing the tribe of Benjamin. Without a creative way to find wives for the surviving men, the tribe will quickly die out. First, Israel destroys Jabesh-gilead for not joining in the war. The young women are spared and given to Benjaminites. The remaining two hundred men of Benjamin obtain wives through a staged kidnapping near Shiloh, so Israel can claim they never “gave” wives to Benjamin. The book ends with a reminder that Israel was without a king during this era.

Verse 9. For when the people were mustered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there.

In the prior chapter, eleven of the twelve tribes of Israel assembled to bring justice to the twelfth tribe, Benjamin (Judges 20:11–13). That conflict resulted in the near-extinction of the Benjaminites (Judges 20:47–48). To make things worse, those present at the assembly vowed never to give their daughters to men of Benjamin (Judges 21:1). With only six hundred males left alive, the tribe is doomed unless a loophole can be found.

One town of Israel, Jabesh-gilead, sent no men to the assembly. That was the subject of another vow, where Israel promised to kill anyone who failed to support the war. While this means the clan is subject to death, it also means they did not join in the vow about marrying their daughters to Benjaminites. This unique situation is an opportunity for the tribe of Benjamin to avoid dying off.

Verse 10. So the congregation sent 12,000 of their bravest men there and commanded them, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword; also the women and the little ones.

The Lord had commanded Israel to completely wipe out the Canaanites in the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 7:1–4). This was due to their heinous sins and pagan worship practices (Deuteronomy 12:29–31). Israel mostly failed to fully obey this command. At this point in the era of Judges, however, Israel seems intent on carrying out this command against some of its own people, without any command from the Lord to do so.

More directly, Israel is trying to wriggle around the consequences of oaths they took without careful thought, before bringing judgment against Gibeah and Benjamin (Judges 20:11–13). One oath was that they would put to death any peoples that did not send representatives to the assembly of the Lord at Mizpah (Judges 21:5).

Only one such group has been identified: those from Jabesh-gilead, east of the Jordan River. The decision is made to send a military force to annihilate the inhabitants, including the women and the “little ones,” meaning children. In and of itself, this is a dark decision. It’s made worse that it’s yet another slaughter of Israelite people by Israelite people. Unlike the recent fight against Benjamin, this action can’t even be justified as a “holy war” against a depraved city (Judges 20:22–28). It’s a self-justified moral compromise, intended to solve a problem created by making a hasty oath.

Verse 11. This is what you shall do: every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall devote to destruction.”

The terminology used by the Israelites here is specific, which makes it even more tragic. God had repeatedly commanded Israel to use this absolute, harsh approach against the Canaanite people of the Promised Land (Joshua 6:17–18; 10:28; 11:11, 20). This was not an issue of cruelty, but of purging deep evil from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–4; 12:29–31). Israel was to be God’s instrument of judgment for the wickedness practiced for so long in Canaan. Israel often failed to carry this duty out.

Here, the same language describe what Israel intends for the people of Jabesh-gilead, their own kinsmen. The city’s crime is failure to send anyone to the assembly against Gibeah and Benjamin (Judges 20:11–13; 21:5). Scripture gives no indication the Lord has directed Israel to do this. Everything in the passage indicates Israel is doing this to solve a problem they created. First, they were overly severe in punishing the Benjaminites (Judges 20:47–48). Second, they made foolish promises to God that put the tribe on the verge of extinction.

In summary, Israel seeks to solve a problem caused by too much killing with even more killing. A large force of soldiers are sent to kill every man, child, and married woman of the people of Jabesh-gilead (Judges 21:8–10).

Verse 12. And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known a man by lying with him, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

The Israelites have conducted another massacre of their own people. Like the previous bloodshed in Benjamin (Judges 20:47–48), this is not commanded by God; it’s Israel’s excessive attempt to correct their own mistakes. A force of soldiers were sent to slaughter every man, child, and married woman among the peoples of Jabesh-gilead. They kill everyone except four hundred unmarried young women. These are taken to Shiloh, to be given as brides to the surviving six hundred men of Benjamin. The justification for this is an oath made before the war with the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 20:11–13): to put to death whatever people did not send representatives to the assembly at Mizpah (Judges 21:5). The practical reason for this drastic step is partially explained in this verse.

The Israelites believe they have found a loophole in an unwise promise they made: to not marry any of their daughters to the men of Benjamin (Judges 21:1). The people of Jabesh-gilead did not attend the assembly and never took that oath. In that way, giving these young women to the Benjaminites is not a violation of that specific vow. Of course, the people of Israel are blatantly ignoring the moral contradiction at the heart of this decision. If they were right to destroy everyone in Jabesh-gilead, they should have also killed these young women. If those young women could be spared within the bounds of the oath, then all the people could have been spared.

The truth is that Israel wants to prevent the tribe of Benjamin from dying off because of their own poor decisions and unwise promises. None of this appears to have been directed by the Lord.

Verse 13. Then the whole congregation sent word to the people of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon and proclaimed peace to them.

Six hundred Benjaminite men have been hiding from the armies of Israel; they are the last people left alive from their entire tribe (Judges 20:47–48). Their sanctuary is the “rock of Rimmon,” sometimes called “Pomegranate Rock” because holes in the limestone cliffs resemble the seeds in the pomegranate fruit. It’s possible these men don’t yet realize they are the last of their people.

Whatever they knew, or didn’t, they were probably surprised when an Israelite delegation showed up. That message was one of peace; in the moment, it was probably as literal as shouting loudly that it was safe to come out. No threat remained. On the contrary, those who hunted these men now work under a plan to save them and their tribe from ending.

Verse 14. And Benjamin returned at that time. And they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead, but they were not enough for them.

The Israelites found the six hundred survivors of Benjamin (Judges 20:47–48), all men, and arranged an end to their civil war (Judges 21:13). More than that, the other eleven tribes have told the men of Benjamin they do not want their tribe to become extinct. Of course, the reason the tribe is in danger is because Israel chose to kill all of Benjamin’s husbands, wives, children, and family members. This was in addition to a foolish vow, made to God, that the other tribes would not give daughters in marriage to Benjaminites.

To keep the tribe from dying out, Israel has brought four hundred virgins to marry the surviving men. These women are the survivors of yet another morally bankrupt slaughter in Jabesh-gilead (Judges 21:8–12), involving yet another ill-considered oath (Judges 21:5).

Modern views on marriage and family make parts of this story more difficult to understand. Women being abruptly given in marriage to men they’ve never met is an idea alien to modern western culture. Yet that practice was neither unusual nor unexpected in that era. Other aspects of this incident would have been just as inappropriate in that era as in the modern world. Even in the bloody, brutal culture of the time, no indication is given that God sanctioned any part of Israel’s plan.

The moral contradictions pile up. Either the Lord wanted Israel to completely wipe out the tribe of Benjamin or He didn’t. If He did, then they should kill the six hundred survivors of the battle. If that was not God’s intent, they should not have wiped out all the women and children in the territory. If God’s will was that they never provide wives for Benjamin, that should be their conviction; if not, the promise never should have been made. Israel is twisting and bending, trying to find a way to declare themselves righteous before the Lord, but without the natural consequences of their choices. The Lord remains silent; what Israel does is according to their own plan.

Since the goal is to repopulate an entire tribe, four hundred brides for six hundred men is not enough. Leaving one third of the men single and childless would result in further chaos and unrest.

Verse 15. And the people had compassion on Benjamin because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

The people of eleven of Israel’s tribes do not want to lose the twelfth tribe, Benjamin. They have pity on its survivors (Judges 20:47–48). This emotion is inspired, so the text says, by God causing a gap in their people. This picture is of a wall with a section missing. The people saw each tribe as part of the structure of the entire nation. Taken out of context, this Scripture might imply God demanded the near extinction of the tribe of Benjamin. Yet the passage is clear this is not the case: the Lord is never quoted as saying Israel should completely wipe out the people of Benjamin. He is never referenced as telling the Israelites to withhold their daughters as brides from Benjamin or to “devote to destruction” any peoples that did not participate in the judgment of Benjamin.

While God didn’t intervene in what Israel has done, it does not seem to have been His command that they would create this breach in their own nation. Earlier verses showed the people asking God “why” such a thing had happened, though they themselves were the cause (Judges 21:3). This statement, in one sense, might be an echo of that attitude. It may also be a simple reminder that anything which happens must be allowed by God, even when He does not directly cause it.

Verse 16. Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”

The leaders of the Israelites speak as if they are separated from their own choices and actions (Judges 21:3, 15). Either in the heat of the moment or as a pre-determined act of vengeance, eleven of Israel’s tribes followed the destruction of Benjamin’s army with the slaughter of virtually the entire tribe (Judges 20:47–48). At no point was this said to be the will of the Lord. As far as context indicates, they went beyond God’s instruction, applying His commands regarding depraved Canaanites (Deuteronomy 7:1–5) to their own people. Rather than acknowledging their own role in the slaughter, Israel’s leaders use a passive expression, saying the women were destroyed.

Now that the recent civil war has ended, the Israelites also want to reverse the dire consequences of their choices. They have spared and made peace with the surviving six hundred men. They have committed more killings—to avoid breaking an unwise vow (Judges 21:1, 5, 8–12)—to secure four hundred wives to replace some of those they have killed. This only provides a future for two-thirds of the surviving men. Another two hundred suitable brides are needed to give the tribe of Benjamin the best chance for survival.

Once again, Israel will find themselves looking for loopholes and strained interpretations to avoid breaking their word.

Verse 17. And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.

In the previous chapter, not long before this moment, the leaders of Israel were deeply committed to wiping the tribe of Benjamin from the face of the earth. While God called on them to enact justice (Judges 20:28), He did not tell them to nearly obliterate the entire tribe (Judges 20:47–48). The other eleven tribes raged through the territory and eliminated all but six hundred men. They also made a foolish promise to never give their daughters as wives to Benjaminites. To work around that vow, the nation attacked the only clan who hadn’t supported the war, giving those women to the tribe of Benjamin. Guilt for protecting the sinful city of Gibeah (Judges 20:11–13) has been repaid many times over, but about one third of the surviving men still have no wives.

Benjamin’s inheritance of land and borders under the promise of God must be preserved for those who survived that terrible day of battle. Now—well after making foolish promises and wreaking excessive havoc—Israel wonders how Benjamin can possibly keep their own territory if their numbers remain so small? The Israelites are urgent to find more wives so the tribe can repopulate as quickly as possible.

Verse 18. Yet we cannot give them wives from our daughters.” For the people of Israel had sworn, “Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin.”

This provides more details about the oath which prevents the other eleven tribes from quickly and easily providing wives to prevent the tribe of Benjamin from becoming extinct. Before the battle against Gibeah (Judges 20:11–13), when they were the most outraged at Benjamin’s defense of the city, the Israelites had made a hasty oath (Judges 21:1). They had pledged themselves before God not to give their daughters to the men of Benjamin in marriage. The oath included the line that anyone who gives a wife to Benjamin will be cursed.

The Lord had instructed the people of Israel to take their oaths and His curses with deadly seriousness (Deuteronomy 23:21–23). They did not even consider breaking this oath, even after deciding that Benjamin must be saved instead of ended. No one bound by the oath can give a daughter to Benjamin. Neither can wives be taken from the Canaanites, or their children won’t be true sons and daughters of Israel (Deuteronomy 7:1–5).

To solve the dilemma, Israel has already punished a clan who didn’t support the war—and was not present to make the marriage oath—which provided wives for about two-thirds of Benjamin’s survivors (Judges 21:8–14). To account for the remaining two hundred wives (Judges 20:47–48), Israelites will look for loopholes in their self-made trap.

Verse 19. So they said, “Behold, there is the yearly feast of the Lord at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”

The leaders of Israel are committed to finding more wives for the men of the tribe of Benjamin. The other eleven tribes have killed every man, woman, and child of Benjamin other than six hundred surviving men (Judges 20:47–48). A hasty promise that they would never give daughters to Benjamin puts them in a dilemma: to keep the tribe from becoming extinct without violating their oath. One clan, from Jabesh-gilead, didn’t support the war or take the oath, so wives were first acquired there (Judges 21:8–14).

Since the war with Benjamin ended in excessive bloodshed, Israel’s path has been marked by twisted moral logic and excuses. Here, and as explained in further verses (Judges 21:20–22), the people think of another loophole in their vow. Wives cannot be “given” to Benjaminites (Judges 21:1, 18), but they can be “taken” by Benjaminites.

The idea arises to tell the remaining Benjaminite men to lurk near an annual feast. Specific directions are given to the Benjaminites, including where to go and where suitable women will be. The plan—which seems to come from the tribal leaders (Judges 21:16)—will be for these men to lie in wait, ambushing and kidnapping women (Judges 21:20–21). After the women are “taken,” their marriages will be formalized with the families so it can be said they were never “given” and the oath was not broken (Judges 21:22).

Verse 20. And they commanded the people of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in ambush in the vineyards

The leaders of Israel have committed themselves to two outcomes. The first is finding two hundred Israelite women to be wives to the remaining unwed Benjaminite men, so that tribe can survive and repopulate (Judges 20:47–48; 21:12–14). The second is to uphold the hasty oath made by nearly everyone in Israel not to give wives to Benjamin (Judges 21:1). The “solution” is a stunning example of preserving the letter of a law, while violating its intent. Israel chooses a method which strains even ancient perceptions of morality and decency.

To accomplish their goal, the leaders of Israel (Judges 21:16) command the remaining two hundred unmarried men of Benjamin to go to vineyards where an annual festival is being held. This is near the town of Shiloh. The Benjaminites must hide themselves and prepare to ambush the young women when the time comes. The logic of this moment sounds like something from a joke, or a work of satire. If the men of Benjamin take young Israelite girls, by surprise and without permission, nobody will have given them wives. Everyone will have kept their oath, and Benjamin will survive as a tribe in Israel.

At no point does God command or endorse this course of action. Even after the nation sacrificed and pleaded with Him, he remained silent as to their self-made dilemma (Judges 21:1). This is not His stated will for Israel.

Verse 21. and watch. If the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and snatch each man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

Scripture gives no details about the festival being held in Shiloh (Judges 21:19). The Israelite leaders called it a yearly feast of the Lord. It may be one of the three annual feasts commanded to be held by the Lord in Exodus 23 and Deuteronomy 16. The law required every male of Israel to be in attendance. That this festival is known to feature dancing women, however, leads commentators to speculate. Perhaps Canaan’s influence on the Israelites has changed the nature of this spiritual feast into more of regional celebration of food, wine, and dancing. It appears to be held near a vineyard, as well.

In any case, the Israelite leaders expect the daughters of Shiloh to come out during the festival and participate in the dances. Referring to them as the “daughters of Shiloh” may suggest that these young, unmarried women are part of a specific group of regional girls and not simply any daughters of any Israelites who attend the festival. They were a large group, apparently, since the Israelite leaders expected there to be enough for each of the two hundred unmarried Benjaminite men (Judges 21:12–14).

Israel commanded the men of Benjamin to wait in ambush. Each was to take a young lady while she is dancing and then carry her back to their territory in Benjamin as a wife. The Hebrew word translated “snatch” or “catch” literally means “to seize,” and is sometimes translated as “abduct.” The term implies force and violence, which of course this is. At the same time, Israel already plans to legitimize these as they would other arranged marriages—but after the women are “taken,” so they can claim they did not “give” wives in violation of their senseless promise (Judges 21:1).

Part of the irony in this moment is that the tribe of Benjamin was judged for the gang rape of an unwilling young woman (Judges 19:22–28; 20:11–13). Now Israel is solving the problem created by their excessive application of judgment (Judges 20:47–48) through forced abduction of young women. These women will be made legitimate wives, and physical violation is not part of what’s described here. However, the relationship begins without their consent or that of their fathers and families. That permission will be obtained after they are “seized,” as a loophole in Israel’s earlier vow (Judges 21:22).

Verse 22. And when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we did not take for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty.’”

The leaders of Israel (Judges 21:16) have produced a plan to secure two hundred Israelite wives for the remaining unwed survivors of the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 20:47–48). The goal is to save the tribe from extinction without violating a hasty oath that any who gives a wife to Benjamin will be cursed (Judges 21:1, 18).

Using blatantly legalistic arguments, the Israelite leaders have suggested there is a difference between “giving” a daughter to a Benjaminite, as opposed to a Benjaminite “taking” a daughter as a wife. Their plan is to have the remaining Benjaminite men capture unsuspecting women at a festival, then formalize their marriages among the families. The intent, of course, is the same. Rhetoric aside, this is a plan to “give” wives to these men (Judges 21:19–21).

Here, Scripture records the logic which will be presented to the fathers and brothers of these girls. The Israelites will ask the men of Shiloh to let the Benjaminites have their daughters as wives. They will explain how this serves as an escape from the nation’s oath. “Giving” wives would break the vow. Since they were “taken,” this solves the current problem.

It’s true that these women might well have been betrothed to the same men, in other circumstances. Marrying a man she had never meant was nothing scandalous or unusual for a woman in that culture. What’s bizarre—and unsettling—about this is that women aren’t being told what is happening. For all they know, they’re being kidnapped outright. It’s hard to imagine any father or brother accepting the Israelite’s defense. Even if everything is legitimized, their daughters will have been taken, traumatically and against their will, to become the wives of strange men.

This was not the Lord’s will for Israel, as nothing in the passage indicates He has commanded these actions. Rather, this is another example of Israel continuing to do whatever is convenient for them, at any given moment. At the very end of the book (Judges 21:26), the writer will again emphasize that such events were typical in the time before Israel had kings (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1).

Verse 23. And the people of Benjamin did so and took their wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off. Then they went and returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and lived in them.

The men of Benjamin carry out the plan given to them by the leaders of Israel (Judges 21:19–22). Their former wives, daughters, and mothers were recently slaughtered (Judges 20:47–48). As instructed, the men hide in a vineyard. They wait for a specific group of young women to start dancing. Then they jump out from the vineyard, each of them catching one of the young women for his wife and carrying her off by force back to their own territory. These women become Benjaminite wives and give birth to the next generation of Benjaminite citizens. The tribe survives its brush with extinction. They rebuild the towns and repopulate their land.

This is the end of an ugly episode in the history of Israel. The situation begins with a runaway concubine (Judges 19:1–2) and ends with the staged abduction of hundreds of young women. In between, Israel wavers between seeking God’s will and running out of control. The nation, at that time, seems to have some sense of worship of God and a desire to receive His direction. They hold people accountable for sin (Judges 20:11–13). Yet they repeatedly go beyond the will of the Lord in clumsy attempts to follow the law while also violating morality and virtue (Judges 21:10–14). As the final verse of this book notes, this is a time of spiritual anarchy in the Promised Land (Judges 21:25). Everyone does what is right according to their own preferences, with disastrous, tragic results.

Verse 24. And the people of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.

The Benjaminites have returned home with their wives, obtained in a staged form of kidnapping (Judges 21:19–23). The writer wraps up this episode in Israel’s history as the remaining tribes return to their territories and resume life as usual. This short series of events has included overt cowardice (Judges 19:22–25), gang rape (Judges 19:26–28), reliance on the Lord (Judges 20:1, 18, 23, 28), judgment for wickedness (Judges 21:11–13), the slaughter of tens of thousands of people (Judges 20:47–48), and more killing (Judges 21:10–11) and kidnapping (Judges 21:19–22) to satisfy the letter of hastily made oaths (Judges 21:18). In the end, everyone in Israel went back home and life went on. The scars remained, however, for generations to come.

Commentators say it is likely these events happened within a generation or so of the death of Joshua, before the later judges like Gideon and Samson. One example of evidence supporting this view is the mention of Phineas, grandson of Aaron (Judges 20:28) who was alive and serving as priest at the time. These events may have contributed to the willingness of Israel to tolerate the worship of the false gods of Canaan and nations around them. As seen in the other stories recorded in the book of Judges, God did not remain entirely silent. He brought judgment on His people repeatedly, giving them opportunity after opportunity to repent and be faithful to Him (Judges 2:16–19).

Eventually, Israel would enter a new era in their relationship with the Lord. This new phase will be marked by the ministry of the judge-and-prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 7:15–17) and the beginning of a monarchy (1 Samuel 8:19–22).

Verse 25. In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

God’s intent for His people was that He would provide leadership for them. So long as they followed His law and remained faithful to Him alone, He would provide all they needed. They would live in abundance and have victory over all their enemies without need of a king to control and lead them (Deuteronomy 30:15–20). As the book of Judges notes, this is not what happened.

The writer of Judges ends the book simply, under inspiration from the Lord. He sums up the general theme of every story told in the account so far: these were days when there was no king in Israel. This statement is literal; Israel had not yet formed a central monarchy. It is also symbolic: Israel is spiritually lawless, ignoring their Lord God and doing whatever they’d prefer to do.

Instead of everyone doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to His law, everyone acted according to their own preferences. The result was chaos, evil practices, idol worship, judgment from God, repentance, rescue through a deliverer, and then a repeat of the pattern (Judges 2:16–19). Eventually, the people demanded a king and God lets them suffer the consequences of that choice, as well (1 Samuel 8:19–22).

Book Summary
The Book of Judges describes Israel’s history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel’s first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God’s command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as “judge.” These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge’s death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).

End of Judges 21 and the Book of Judges.

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