211 And the men of Israel have sworn in Mizpeh, saying, 'None of us doth give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.' 2 And 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, 3 and say, 'Why, O Jehovah, God of Israel, hath this been in Israel—to be lacking to-day, from Israel, one tribe?' 4 And 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. 5 And 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.' 6 And the sons of Israel repent concerning Benjamin their brother, and say, 'There hath been to-day cut off one tribe from Israel, 7 what 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?' 8 And 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. 9 And the people numbered themselves, and lo, there is not there a man of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead. 10 And 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. 11 And this 'is' the thing which ye do; every male, and every woman knowing the lying of a male, ye devote.' 12 And 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. 13 And all the company send, and speak, unto the sons of Benjamin who 'are' in the rock Rimmon, and proclaim to them peace; 14 and 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. 15 And the people repented concerning Benjamin, for Jehovah had made a breach among 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.