King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
¶ 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?
Complete Jewish Bible:
The leaders of the assembly asked, "What are we to do for those who still don't have wives, inasmuch as all the women of Binyamin have been killed?"
Berean Standard Bible:
Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”
American Standard Version:
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?
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Then the elders{H2205} of the congregation{H5712} said{H559}, How shall we do{H6213} for wives{H802} for them that remain{H3498}, seeing the women{H802} are destroyed{H8045} out of Benjamin{H1144}?
Cross-References (KJV):
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Commentary for Judges 21:16
Judges 21:16 is a verse set within the broader narrative of the tribe of Benjamin's near annihilation in the final chapters of the Book of Judges. This period in Israel's history is characterized by moral decline, idolatry, and intermittent cycles of oppression and deliverance. The verse reflects a particular incident where the tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out due to a civil war sparked by the gang rape and murder of a Levite's concubine by men from the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 19-20).
In response to this atrocity, the other tribes of Israel waged war against Benjamin, leading to a significant loss of life on both sides. The tribe of Benjamin was decimated, and the Israelites took an oath not to give their daughters in marriage to the surviving Benjamites (Judges 21:1). This oath complicated the situation, as the preservation of the tribe was at stake.
In Judges 21:16, the elders of the congregation are depicted grappling with the consequences of their actions. They recognize the necessity of finding wives for the remaining men of Benjamin to prevent the tribe's extinction. The mention of women being destroyed out of Benjamin indicates the dire situation where not only were the men vastly reduced in number, but the women, too, were few, likely due to the war.
The elders' concern highlights the tension between their desire to punish the tribe for the sin of some of its members and the need to maintain the integrity of the Israelite tribes. The verse underscores the themes of tribal loyalty, the importance of continuity and lineage in ancient Israelite society, and the complexities of justice and mercy in the aftermath of communal judgment and punishment. The elders' question sets the stage for the extreme measures they will take in the following verses to secure wives for the Benjamites, including the sanctioning of what could be considered questionable means to ensure the survival of the tribe.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H2205
There are 171 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זָקֵן
Transliteration: zâqên
Pronunciation: zaw-kane'
Description: from זָקֵן; old; aged, ancient (man), elder(-est), old (man, men and...women), senator. - Strong's Number: H5712
There are 140 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֵדָה
Transliteration: ʻêdâh
Pronunciation: ay-daw'
Description: feminine of עֵד in the original sense of fixture; a stated assemblage (specifically, a concourse, or generally, a family or crowd); assembly, company, congregation, multitude, people, swarm. Compare עֵדָה. - Strong's Number: H559
There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָמַר
Transliteration: ʼâmar
Pronunciation: aw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. - Strong's Number: H6213
There are 2286 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָשָׂה
Transliteration: ʻâsâh
Pronunciation: aw-saw'
Description: a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application; accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use. - Strong's Number: H802
There are 729 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִשָּׁה
Transliteration: ʼishshâh
Pronunciation: ish-shaw'
Description: feminine of אִישׁ or אֱנוֹשׁ; irregular plural, נָשִׁים;(used in the same wide sense as אֱנוֹשׁ); a woman; (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English. - Strong's Number: H3498
There are 101 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָתַר
Transliteration: yâthar
Pronunciation: yaw-thar'
Description: a primitive root; to jut over or exceed; by implication, to excel; (intransitively) to remain or be left; causatively, to leave, cause to abound, preserve; excel, leave (a remnant), left behind, too much, make plenteous, preserve, (be, let) remain(-der, -ing, -nant), reserve, residue, rest. - Strong's Number: H8045
There are 86 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁמַד
Transliteration: shâmad
Pronunciation: shaw-mad'
Description: a primitive root; to desolate; destory(-uction), bring to nought, overthrow, perish, pluck down, [idiom] utterly. - Strong's Number: H1144
There are 156 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בִּנְיָמִין
Transliteration: Binyâmîyn
Pronunciation: bin-yaw-mene'
Description: from בֵּן and יָמִין; son of (the) right hand; Binjamin, youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; Benjamin.