211 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah , saying , "None e of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage ." 2 So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening , and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly e . 3 They said , "Why , O Lord , God of Israel , has this come about in Israel , so that one tribe should be missing today in Israel ?" 4 It came about the next day that the people arose early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings . 5 Then the sons of Israel said , "Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who 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 at Mizpah , saying , "He shall surely be put to death ." 6 And the sons of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin and said , "One tribe is cut off from Israel today . 7 "What shall we do for wives for those who are left , since we have sworn by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters in marriage ?" 8 And they said , "What one is there of the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the Lord at Mizpah ?" And behold , no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead e to the assembly . 9 For when the people were numbered , behold , not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead e was there . 10 And the congregation sent 12,000 e e of the valiant warriors there , and commanded them, saying , "Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead e with the edge of the sword , with the women and the little ones . 11 "This is the thing that you shall do : you shall utterly destroy every man and every woman who has lain e with a man ." 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead e 400 e 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 . 13 Then the whole congregation sent word and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon , and proclaimed peace to them. 14 Benjamin returned at that time , and they gave them the women whom they had kept alive from the women of Jabesh-gilead e ; yet they were not enough for them. 15 And the people were sorry for Benjamin because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Judges 21:1-15
Chapter Contents
The Israelites lament for the Benjamites.
Israel lamented for the Benjamites, and were perplexed by the oath they had taken, not to give their daughters to them in marriage. Men are more zealous to support their own authority than that of God. They would have acted better if they had repented of their rash oaths, brought sin-offerings, and sought forgiveness in the appointed way, rather than attempt to avoid the guilt of perjury by actions quite as wrong. That men can advise others to acts of treachery or violence, out of a sense of duty, forms a strong proof of the blindness of the human mind when left to itself, and of the fatal effects of a conscience under ignorance and error.