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Commentary on Judges 21 verses 1–15
We may observe in these verses,
I. The ardent zeal which the Israelites had expressed against the wickedness of the men of Gibeah, as it was countenanced by the tribe of Benjamin. Occasion is here given to mention two instances of their zeal on this occasion, which we did not meet with before: - 1. While the general convention of the states was gathering together, and was waiting for a full house before they would proceed, they bound themselves with the great execration, which they called the Cherum, utterly to destroy all those cities that should not send in their representatives and their quota of men upon this occasion, or had sentenced those to that curse who should thus refuse (Jdg 21:5); for they would look upon such refusers as having no indignation at the crime committed, no concern for the securing of the nation from God's judgments by the administration of justice, nor any regard to the authority of a common consent, by which they were summoned to meet. 2. When they had met and heard the cause they made another solemn oath that none of all the thousands of Israel then present, nor any of those whom they represented (not intending to bind their posterity), should, if they could help it, marry a daughter to a Benjamite, Jdg 21:1. This was made an article of the war, not with any design to extirpate the tribe, but because in general they would treat those who were then actors and abettors of this villany in all respects as they treated the devoted nations of Canaan, whom they were not only obliged to destroy, but with whom they were forbidden to marry; and because, in particular, they judged those unworthy to match with a daughter of Israel that had been so very barbarous and abusive to one of the tender sex, than which nothing could be done more base and villainous, nor a more certain indication given of a mind perfectly lost to all honour and virtue. We may suppose that the Levite's sending the mangled pieces of his wife'[s body to the several tribes helped very much to inspire them with all this fury, and much more than a bare narrative of the fact, though ever so well attested, would have done, so much does the eye affect the heart.
II. The deep concern which the Israelites did express for the destruction of the tribe of Benjamin when it was accomplished. Observe,
1.The tide of their anger at Benjamin's crime did not run so high and so strong before but the tide of their grief for Benjamin's destruction ran as high and as strong after: They repented for Benjamin their brother, Jdg 21:6, Jdg 21:15. They did not repent of their zeal against the sin; there is a holy indignation against sin, the fruit of godly sorrow, which is to salvation, not to be repented of, Co2 7:10, Co2 7:11. But they repented of the sad consequences of what they had done, that they had carried the matter further than was either just or necessary. It would have been enough to destroy all they found in arms; they needed not to have cut off the husbandmen and shepherds, the women and children. Note, (1.) There may be over-doing in well-doing. Great care must be taken in the government of our zeal, lest that which seemed supernatural in its causes prove unnatural in its effects. That is no good divinity which swallows up humanity. Many a war is ill ended which was well begun. (2.) Even necessary justice is to be done with compassion. God does not punish with delight, nor should men. (3.) Strong passions make work for repentance. What we say and do in a heat our calmer thoughts commonly wish undone again. (4.) In a civil war (according to the usage of the Romans) no victories ought to be celebrated with triumphs, because, which soever side gets, the community loses, as here there is a tribe cut off from Israel. What the better is the body for one member's crushing another? Now,
2.How did they express their concern? (1.) By their grief for the breach that was made. They came to the house of God, for thither they brought all their doubts, all their counsels, all their cares, and all their sorrows. There was to be heard on this occasion, not the voice of joy and praise, but only that of lamentation, and mourning, and woe: They lifted up their voices and wept sore (Jdg 21:2), not so much for the 40,000 whom they had lost (these would not be so much missed out of eleven tribes), but for the entire destruction of one whole tribe; for this was the complaint they poured out before God (Jdg 21:3): There is one tribe lacking. God had taken care of every tribe; their number twelve was that which they were known by; every tribe had his station appointed in the camp, and his stone in the high priest's breast-plate; every tribe had his blessing both from Jacob and Moses; and it would be an intolerable reproach to them if they should drop any out of this illustrious jury, and lose one out of twelve, especially Benjamin, the youngest, who was particularly dear to Jacob their common ancestor, and whom all the rest ought to have been in a particular manner tender of. Benjamin is not; what then will become of Jacob? Benjamin is become a Benoni, the son of the right hand a son of sorrow! In this trouble they built an altar, not in competition, but in communion with the appointed altar at the door of the tabernacle, which was not large enough to contain all the sacrifices they designed; for they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, to give thanks for their victory, yet to atone for their own folly in the pursuit of it, and to implore the divine favour in their present strait. Every thing that grieves us should bring us to God. (2.) By their amicable treaty with the poor distressed refugees that were hidden in the rock Rimmon, to whom they sent an act of indemnity, assuring them, upon the public faith, that they would now no longer treat them as enemies, but receive them as brethren, Jdg 21:13. The falling out of friends should thus be the renewing of friendship. Even those that have sinned, if at length they repent, must be forgiven and comforted, Co2 2:7. (3.) By the care they took to provide wives for them, that their tribe might be built up again, and the ruins of it repaired. Had the men of Israel sought themselves, they would have been secretly pleased with the extinguishing of the families of Benjamin, because then the land allotted to them would escheat to the rest of the tribes, ob defectum sanguinis - for want of heirs, and be easily seized for want of occupants; but those have not the spirit of Israelites who aim to raise themselves upon the ruins of their neighbours. They were so far from any design of this kind that all heads were at work to find out ways and means for the rebuilding of this tribe. All the women and children of Benjamin were slain: they had sworn not to marry their daughters to any of them; it was against the divine law that they should match with the Canaanites; to oblige them to that would be, in effect, to bid them go and serve other gods. What must they do then for wives for them? While the poor distressed Benjamites that were hidden in the rock feared their brethren were contriving to ruin them, they were at the same time upon a project to prefer them; and it was this: - [1.] There was a piece of necessary justice to be done upon the city of Jabesh-Gilead, which belonged to the tribe of Gad, on the other side Jordan. It was found upon looking over the muster-roll (which was taken, Jdg 20:2) that none appeared from that city upon the general summons (Jdg 21:8, Jdg 21:9), and it was then resolved, before it appeared who were absent, that whatever city of Israel should be guilty of such a contempt of the public authority and interest that city should be an anathema; Jabesh-Gilead lies under that severe sentence, which might by no means be dispensed with. Those that had spared the Canaanites in many places, who were devoted to destruction by the divine command, could not find in their hearts to spare their brethren that were devoted by their own curse. Why did they not now send men to root the Jebusites out of Jerusalem, to avoid whom the poor Levite had been forced to go to Gibeah? Jdg 19:11, Jdg 19:12. Men are commonly more zealous to support their own authority than God's. A detachment is therefore sent of 12,000 men, to execute the sentence upon Jabesh-Gilead. Having found that when the whole body of the army went against Gibeah the people were thought too many for God to deliver them into their hands, on this expedition they sent but a few, Jdg 21:10. Their commission is to put all to the sword, men, women, and children (Jdg 21:11), according to that law (Lev 27:29), Whatsoever is devoted of men, by those that have power to do it, shall surely be put to death. [2.] An expedient is hence formed for providing the Benjamites with wives. When Moses sent the same number of men to avenge the Lord on Midian, the same orders were given as here, that all married women should be slain with their husbands, as one with them, but that the virgins should be saved alive, Num 31:17, Num 31:18. That precedent was sufficient to support the distinction here made between a wife and a virgin, Jdg 21:11, Jdg 21:12. 400 virgins that were marriageable were found in Jabesh-Gilead, and these were married to so many of the surviving Benjamites, Jdg 21:14. Their fathers were not present when the vow was made not to marry with Benjamites, so that they were not under any colour of obligation by it: and besides, being a prey taken in war, they were at the disposal of the conquerors. Perhaps the alliance now contracted between Benjamin and Jabesh-Gilead made Saul, who was a Benjamite, the more concerned for that place (Sa1 11:4), though then inhabited by new families.
What regard for virtue our forefathers had to avenge by a war the wrongs of one woman which had been brought on her by her violation at the hands of profligate men! No, when the people were conquered, they vowed that they would not give their daughters in marriage to the tribe of Benjamin! That tribe had remained without hope of posterity, had they not received leave of necessity to use deceit. And this permission does not seem to fail in giving fitting punishment for violation, since they were only allowed to enter on a union by a rape, and not through the sacrament of marriage. And indeed it was right that they who had broken another’s intercourse should themselves lose their marriage rites.
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SUMMARY
Judges 21:1 introduces the profound moral and existential crisis confronting the tribes of Israel after their devastating civil war against Benjamin. Following the near annihilation of Benjamin, with only 600 males surviving, the Israelites are immediately faced with the dire consequences of a solemn, yet rash, vow made prior to the conflict: that none of them would give their daughters in marriage to any man of Benjamin. This verse critically sets the stage for the desperate and ethically complex measures the Israelites would subsequently undertake to prevent the complete extinction of one of their twelve tribes.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Judges 21:1 serves as the crucial opening verse of the final chapter in the book of Judges, bringing to a head the narrative arc initiated by the horrific incident of the Levite's concubine in Gibeah, detailed in Judges 19. This atrocity escalated into a demand for justice, Benjamin's defiant refusal to surrender the culprits, and a subsequent civil war meticulously described in Judges 20. The war culminated in an overwhelming victory for the other Israelite tribes, but at a catastrophic cost, nearly eradicating Benjamin, with only 600 men remaining as a remnant, as recounted in Judges 20:47. The present verse immediately highlights the new and equally pressing dilemma arising from a pre-war vow, thereby establishing the narrative tension for the desperate and morally ambiguous solutions pursued throughout the remainder of the chapter to ensure Benjamin's survival and prevent the loss of a tribal inheritance.
Historical & Cultural Context: The era of the Judges was characterized by profound political fragmentation, pervasive spiritual apostasy, and widespread moral decay, famously encapsulated by the recurring refrain, "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). Within this chaotic and decentralized environment, tribal identity and the preservation of all twelve tribes were not merely cultural preferences but fundamental pillars of Israel's national and covenantal identity. Oaths and vows, particularly those made publicly and collectively before God at significant national gathering places like Mizpeh (Judges 20:1), were considered exceptionally serious and legally binding. Breaking such a vow was not only a social transgression but a grave religious offense, often believed to invite divine judgment, as outlined in passages like Numbers 30:2. The Israelites' predicament in Judges 21:1 thus stems from the irreconcilable clash between the sanctity of their self-imposed vow and the existential threat to a brother tribe, forcing them to navigate an impossible situation within their established cultural and religious framework.
Key Themes: This verse immediately introduces several critical themes that resonate throughout the chapter and the broader book of Judges. Firstly, it underscores the danger of rash vows, powerfully demonstrating how solemn oaths made in haste or anger, without adequate foresight or divine consultation, can lead to unforeseen and devastating consequences. The Israelites' vow, initially intended as a punitive measure against Benjamin, now paradoxically threatens its very existence. Secondly, it highlights the deep-seated commitment to the preservation of God's people and the twelve tribes. Despite the horrific and internecine civil war, the other tribes felt a profound, almost covenantal, responsibility to prevent the extinction of Benjamin, recognizing the imperative of maintaining the integrity and completeness of the covenant nation. Finally, the narrative starkly exposes the pervasive moral ambiguity and human failure characteristic of the Judges period. The Israelites, acting without clear divine guidance, a righteous king, or a unified spiritual authority, repeatedly find themselves in morally compromising situations, attempting to rectify their own mistakes through flawed human wisdom rather than humbly seeking and submitting to God's perfect will.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Judges 21:1 employs several powerful literary devices to immediately establish the chapter's central conflict, emotional tone, and thematic depth. Foreshadowing is prominently featured, as the explicit statement of the vow immediately sets up the profound dilemma that the rest of the chapter will seek to resolve: how to uphold a binding oath while simultaneously preventing the annihilation of a brother tribe. This creates significant narrative tension and suspense from the outset. There is also a strong element of Irony, as the very act intended to punish Benjamin (the solemn vow made in righteous indignation) now becomes a source of immense distress and a new, self-inflicted moral quandary for the other tribes. Their attempt to enforce justice has led them into a self-made trap. Finally, the verse evokes Pathos, immediately bringing to light the desperate and tragic situation the Israelites find themselves in, having nearly destroyed one of their own and now facing the devastating, long-term consequences of their rash actions. The reader is invited to feel the weight of their despair and the moral quagmire they have created.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Judges 21:1 powerfully illustrates the theological principle of the seriousness of vows before God and the far-reaching, often unintended, consequences of human folly and rash decisions. While God is faithful to His covenant promises, human beings, particularly in a period marked by moral and spiritual decline, often act impulsively, creating complex ethical dilemmas that highlight their profound need for divine wisdom and guidance. The Israelites' predicament underscores the inherent tension between human-made commitments and God's overarching plan for His people, which unequivocally included the preservation of all twelve tribes as foundational to His covenant. This chapter, therefore, serves as a stark reminder that even actions taken with seemingly good intentions (like punishing evil or upholding an oath) can lead to unintended and destructive outcomes if not tempered by foresight, humility, and a deep, prayerful reliance on God's counsel rather than self-reliance.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Judges 21:1 offers a timeless and sobering lesson on the critical importance of thoughtful deliberation, patience, and prayer before making significant commitments, especially those with binding implications. The Israelites, in their grief and anger over the atrocities committed by Benjamin, made a vow that they later deeply regretted, finding themselves trapped between the sanctity of their oath and the tragic consequence of tribal extinction. This narrative challenges us to consider the long-term ramifications of our words and actions, particularly when made in moments of intense emotion or perceived crisis. It encourages us to cultivate self-control and seek divine wisdom diligently, rather than yielding to impulsive reactions that can lead to unforeseen and painful dilemmas. Our integrity is deeply tied to the promises we make, and this verse reminds us that true wisdom involves foresight, a humble recognition of our limited understanding, and a willingness to pause and seek God's perspective before committing ourselves.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was the vow against Benjamin considered so serious, and why did the Israelites regret it?
Answer: The vow against Benjamin was considered extremely serious for several reasons deeply rooted in ancient Israelite culture and theology. Firstly, oaths made, especially in a public assembly like Mizpeh and before God, were regarded as sacred and absolutely binding. Breaking such a vow was not merely a social faux pas but a grave offense against God and the community, carrying significant spiritual and communal consequences. Secondly, the Israelites regretted it because, after their devastating civil war with Benjamin, only 600 men of the tribe survived (Judges 20:47). If the vow forbidding intermarriage was strictly upheld, these men would have no wives, and the tribe of Benjamin, one of the twelve foundational tribes of Israel, would inevitably die out. This threatened the integrity and completeness of the twelve-tribe nation, which was foundational to God's covenant with Israel and His promise to Abraham. The prospect of losing an entire tribe, despite their recent conflict, filled the Israelites with deep remorse and led them to desperately seek a way to preserve Benjamin without directly breaking their solemn oath, as detailed throughout Judges 21.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The narrative of Judges 21:1, with its portrayal of human folly, rash vows, and the desperate, often ethically questionable, attempts to rectify self-inflicted wounds, profoundly underscores the pervasive need for a divine solution to humanity's sin and its complex, destructive consequences. The Israelites' inability to navigate this moral dilemma without resorting to further ethically compromising actions (as seen later in Judges 21) highlights the inherent limitations of human wisdom, legalistic adherence, and even the Law itself in bringing about true redemption, reconciliation, and life. Unlike the flawed and often destructive vows of men, God's covenant promises are steadfast, unbreakable, and perfectly fulfilled, rooted in His immutable character (Hebrews 6:13-18). Jesus Christ stands as the ultimate fulfillment, the one who perfectly upholds divine justice while simultaneously extending boundless mercy and life. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), reconciling humanity to God through His own perfect, self-sacrificial death on the cross—a stark contrast to the cycle of violence, regret, and human ingenuity seen in Judges. Through Him, God's people are preserved, not by human ingenuity, the breaking of vows, or morally ambiguous schemes, but by the transformative power of the Gospel, gathering a people from every tribe and nation into His eternal kingdom (Revelation 7:9-10). He is the true King who brings order, righteousness, and lasting peace where human leadership failed.