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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.
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SUMMARY
Judges 21:14 encapsulates a desperate and morally compromised attempt by the Israelite tribes to prevent the extinction of the tribe of Benjamin. Following a devastating civil war that decimated Benjamin, the remaining tribes, bound by a solemn oath not to give their own daughters in marriage to the survivors, resorted to a violent raid on Jabesh-gilead. This verse records the return of the Benjamite remnant and the distribution of the captured women, yet it starkly reveals the inadequacy of this measure, highlighting that even this ethically problematic solution failed to provide enough wives, thus necessitating further, equally troubling, actions to ensure Benjamin's survival.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The passage employs significant Foreshadowing and Irony. The concluding phrase, "and yet so they sufficed them not," acts as clear foreshadowing, immediately signaling to the reader that the current solution is incomplete and that further, likely problematic, actions will be required to resolve the Benjamite crisis. This creates narrative tension and propels the story towards its unsettling and morally ambiguous conclusion in the remainder of the chapter. There is also profound Irony in the Israelites' actions. Having nearly annihilated the tribe of Benjamin in a righteous war against wickedness and abomination (the Gibeah incident), the remaining tribes then resort to morally questionable and violent means—first the raid on Jabesh-gilead and then the subsequent plan for Shiloh—to preserve the very tribe they had almost destroyed. This highlights the deep moral ambiguity and spiritual decline of Israel during this period, where their attempts at justice and adherence to an oath lead to further injustice and ethical compromises, powerfully illustrating the cyclical nature of sin and human folly in the absence of consistent divine guidance.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Judges 21:14 serves as a stark commentary on the dangers and inherent limitations of human-devised solutions when divorced from divine wisdom and righteous principles. The Israelites, caught in a dilemma of their own making—a solemn oath conflicting with the desire to preserve a tribe—resort to violence and coercion. This reflects a broader theological theme prevalent throughout Judges: the devastating consequences of a society where "every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). Their actions, though seemingly pragmatic and aimed at preserving the tribal structure, are ethically compromised and ultimately insufficient, highlighting the inadequacy of human ingenuity in truly addressing spiritual and moral crises. This narrative underscores that true resolution, flourishing, and communal well-being come only through faithful obedience to God's covenant and unwavering reliance on His guidance, not through desperate, self-serving, or violent measures.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Judges 21:14 offers a sobering and profoundly relevant lesson for believers today. It reveals the devastating consequences that arise when we attempt to navigate life's challenges and resolve problems based solely on human reasoning, even when our intentions might seem good or our dilemmas appear insurmountable, rather than seeking God's wisdom and adhering to His unchanging moral standards. The Israelites' desperate measures, born out of a self-imposed dilemma (their oath) and a failure to consistently consult the Lord for righteous solutions, led them into a cycle of further ethical compromises and ultimately, incomplete and unsatisfactory outcomes. This passage challenges us to examine our own lives: Are we prone to devising our own "solutions" when faced with difficult circumstances, or do we consistently turn to God's Word, prayer, and the counsel of the Holy Spirit for guidance? It reminds us that shortcuts, pragmatic compromises, and actions that violate God's character or command often lead to deeper problems, perpetuate cycles of unrighteousness, and leave us with a sense of insufficiency. True and lasting solutions, which bring peace and honor to God, flow from a heart submitted to Him, trusting in His sovereignty and His perfect plan, even when the path He reveals seems difficult or counter-intuitive to human logic.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did the Israelites attack Jabesh-gilead to get wives for Benjamin?
Answer: The Israelites attacked Jabesh-gilead as a desperate, albeit problematic, measure to provide wives for the surviving Benjamite men without violating a solemn oath they had made at Mizpah not to give their own daughters to Benjamin in marriage (Judges 21:1). Jabesh-gilead was chosen specifically because its inhabitants had failed to join the other tribes in the punitive war against Benjamin (Judges 21:8-9), making them subject to a form of "holy war" or communal judgment. The plan was to take virgin women from Jabesh-gilead and give them to the Benjamites, thus fulfilling the need for wives while technically upholding their oath. This was a pragmatic, yet ethically deeply questionable, solution to a self-imposed crisis.
How many Benjamite men survived the civil war, and how many women were taken from Jabesh-gilead?
Answer: According to Judges 20:47, 600 Benjamite men survived the devastating civil war and retreated to the Rock of Rimmon. From the raid on Jabesh-gilead, 400 virgin women were taken (Judges 21:12). This numerical disparity meant that even after this violent acquisition, 200 Benjamite men still lacked wives, directly leading to the further, equally morally ambiguous, plan involving the daughters of Shiloh (Judges 21:20-23). The phrase in Judges 21:14 "and yet so they sufficed them not" explicitly addresses this numerical inadequacy.
What does "and yet so they sufficed them not" mean in this context?
Answer: This phrase means that the 400 women taken from Jabesh-gilead were not enough to provide wives for all 600 surviving Benjamite men. It highlights the fundamental inadequacy of the solution devised by the other Israelite tribes and underscores that the critical problem of finding wives for the remnant of Benjamin was still unresolved. This numerical deficit directly leads to the next desperate and morally ambiguous plan, where the remaining 200 Benjamite men were instructed to seize wives from the dancing women of Shiloh (Judges 21:19-23). It emphasizes the ongoing crisis and the Israelites' continued reliance on human ingenuity and compromise, rather than divine wisdom, to solve their self-inflicted dilemmas.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Judges 21:14, with its stark depiction of human desperation, moral compromise, and ultimately insufficient solutions, powerfully points to the profound necessity of a divine deliverer. The Israelites, caught in a self-perpetuating cycle of sin and self-made problems, were utterly incapable of truly saving themselves or even one of their tribes through their own ingenuity, violence, or flawed oaths. Their desperate efforts to preserve Benjamin were marked by compromise, coercion, and numerical insufficiency, culminating in a grim "solution" that was far from God's ideal for marriage, justice, and community. This narrative, therefore, highlights the profound need for a true King, one who would not merely rule by human wisdom or pragmatic compromise but by divine righteousness and perfect love. This foreshadows Jesus Christ, the ultimate King and Messiah, who perfectly fulfills God's law and provides a complete and utterly sufficient salvation that human efforts could never achieve. Unlike the incomplete and morally compromised "solutions" of Judges, Christ's sacrifice on the cross (as seen in His triumphant declaration, "It is finished!") is entirely sufficient to atone for sin, reconcile humanity to God, and bring about true restoration. He is the one who truly restores and redeems, not through violence or coercion, but through self-giving love and abundant grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). The desperate search for continuity and preservation of God's people in Judges finds its ultimate and eternal answer in Christ, who builds His church, a new spiritual Israel, ensuring its eternal preservation not through human schemes but through His own divine power, faithfulness, and the promise that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it".