TRV
Translation
King James Version
Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
KJV (with Strong's)
Then they said H559, Behold, there is a feast H2282 of the LORD H3068 in Shiloh H7887 yearly H3117 H3117 in a place which is on the north side H6828 of Bethel H1008, on the east side H4217 H8121 of the highway H4546 that goeth up H5927 from Bethel H1008 to Shechem H7927, and on the south H5045 of Lebonah H3829.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then they said, "Look, each year there's a festival in honor of ADONAI in Shiloh, north of Beit-El, on the east side of the road that goes up from Beit-El to Sh'khem, and south of Levonah."
Berean Standard Bible
“But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”
American Standard Version
And they said, Behold, there is a feast of Jehovah from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
World English Bible Messianic
They said, “Behold, there is a feast of the LORD from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.”
Geneva Bible (1599)
Therefore they said, Beholde, there is a feast of the Lord euery yere in Shiloh in a place, which is on the Northside of Beth-el, and on the Eastside of the way that goeth vp from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the South of Lebonah.
Young's Literal Translation
And they say, `Lo, a festival of Jehovah is in Shiloh, from time to time, which is on the north of Beth-El, at the rising of the sun, by the highway which is going up from Beth-El to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.'
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In the KJVVerse 7,122 of 31,102
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Commentary on Judges 21 verses 16–25
16 ¶ 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?
17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.
19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21 And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.
23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
We have here the method that was taken to provide the 200 Benjamites that remained with wives. And, though the tribe was reduced to a small number, they were only in care to provide each man with one wife, not with more under pretence of multiplying them the faster. They may not bestow their daughters upon them, but to save their oath, and yet marry some of their daughters to them, they put them into a way of taking them by surprise, and marrying them, which should be ratified by their parents' consent, ex post facto - afterwards. The less consideration is used before the making of a vow, the more, commonly, there is need of afterwards for the keeping of it.
I. That which gave an opportunity for the doing of this was a public ball at Shiloh, in the fields, at which all the young ladies of that city and the parts adjacent that were so disposed met to dance, in honour of a feast of the Lord then observed, probably the feast of tabernacles (Jdg 21:19), for that feast (bishop Patrick says) was the only season wherein the Jewish virgins were allowed to dance, and that not so much for their own recreation as to express their holy joy, as David when he danced before the ark, otherwise the present melancholy posture of public affairs would have made dancing unseasonable, as Isa 22:12, Isa 22:13. The dancing was very modest and chaste. It was not mixed dancing; no men danced with these daughters of Shiloh, nor did any married women so far forget their gravity as to join with them. However their dancing thus in public made them an easy prey to those that had a design upon them, whence bishop Hall observes that the ambushes of evil spirits carry away many souls from dancing to a fearful desolation.
II. The elders of Israel gave authority to the Benjamites to do this, to lie in wait in the vineyards which surrounded the green they used to dance on, and, when they were in the midst of their sport, to come upon them, and catch every man a wife for himself, and carry them straight away to their own country, Jdg 21:20, Jdg 21:21. They knew that none of their own daughters would be there, so that the parents of these virgins could not be said to give them, for they knew nothing of the matter. A sorry salvo is better than none, to save the breaking of an oath: it were much better to be cautious in making vows, that there be not occasion afterwards, as there was here, to say before the angel that it was an error. Here was a very preposterous way of match-making, when both the mutual affection of the young people and the consent of the parents must be presumed to come after; the case was extraordinary, and may by no means be drawn into a precedent. Over hasty marriages often occasion a leisurely repentance; and what comfort can be expected from a match made either by force or fraud? The virgins of Jabesh-Gilead were taken out of the midst of blood and slaughter, but these of Shiloh out of the midst of mirth and joy; the former had reason to be thankful that they had their lives for a prey, and the latter, it is to be hoped, had no cause to complain, after a while, when they found themselves matched, not to men of broken and desperate fortunes, as they seemed to be, who were lately fetched out of a cave, but to men of the best and largest estates in the nation, as they must needs be when the lot of the whole tribe of Benjamin, which consisted of 45,600 men (Num 26:41), came to be divided again among 600, who had all by survivorship.
III. They undertook to pacify the fathers of these young women. As to the infringement of their paternal authority, they would easily forgive it when they considered to what fair estates their daughters were matched and what mothers in Israel they were likely to be; but the oath they were bound by, not to give their daughters to Benjamites, might perhaps stick with some of them, whose consciences were tender, yet, as to that, this might satisfy them: - 1. That the necessity was urgent (Jdg 21:22): We reserved not to each man his wife, owning now that they did ill to destroy all the women, and desiring to atone for their too rigorous construction of their vow to destroy them by the most favourable construction of their vow not to match with them. "And therefore for our sakes, who were too severe, let them keep what they have got." For, 2. In strictness it was not a breach of their vow; they had sworn not to give them their daughters, but they had not sworn to fetch them back if they were forcibly taken, so that if there was any fault the elders must be responsible, not the parents. And Quod fieri non debuit, factum valet - That which ought not to have been done is yet valid when it is done. The thing was done, and is ratified only by connivance, according to the law, Num 30:4.
Lastly, In the close of all we have, 1. The settling of the tribe of Benjamin again. The few that remained returned to the inheritance of that tribe, Jdg 21:23. And soon after from among them sprang Ehud, who was famous in his generation, the second judge of Israel, Jdg 3:15. 2. The disbanding and dispersing of the army of Israel, Jdg 21:24. They did not set up for a standing army, nor pretend to make any alterations or establishments in the government; but when the affair was over for which they were called together, they quietly departed in God's peace, every man to his family. Public services must not make us think ourselves above our own private affairs and the duty of providing for our own house. 3. A repetition of the cause of these confusions, Jdg 21:25. Though God was their King, every man would be his own master, as if there was no king. Blessed be God for magistracy.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 16–25. Public domain.
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Ambrose of MilanAD 397
On the Duties of the Clergy 3.19.115
The sentence, further, was that none of the people of the ancestors should give his daughter in marriage to [members of Benjamin’s tribe]. This was confirmed by a solemn oath. But relenting at having laid so hard a sentence on their brothers, they moderated their severity so as to give them in marriage those maidens that had lost their parents, whose fathers had been slain for their sins, or to give them the means of finding a wife by a raid. Because of the villainy of so foul a deed, they who had violated another’s marriage rights were shown to be unworthy to ask for marriage. But for fear that one tribe might perish from the people, they connived at the deceit.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Judges 21:19 provides the precise geographical coordinates for the annual feast of the LORD in Shiloh, a critical detail enabling the desperate and morally compromised plan devised by the remaining Israelite tribes to secure wives for the surviving men of Benjamin. This verse, situated at the culmination of the Book of Judges, underscores the profound moral and spiritual decay of the era, where even sacred institutions were leveraged for pragmatic, yet deeply flawed, human solutions to a crisis born of civil war and a rash oath.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in Judges 21:19 is Geographical Precision. The meticulous detailing of Shiloh's location ("on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah") serves not only to provide a clear mental map for the original audience but also to emphasize the calculated and pragmatic nature of the elders' plan. This precision highlights the human effort and strategic thinking employed to resolve a crisis that arose from human sin and a rash oath, rather than seeking a divine solution. There is also a strong element of Irony present. The "feast of the LORD," a sacred occasion meant for worship, joy, and covenant renewal, is perverted into a setting for an act of abduction. This stark contrast between the holy purpose of the feast and its unholy utilization underscores the profound moral and spiritual degradation of Israel during the period of the Judges, where even sacred institutions were defiled by human expediency.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Judges 21:19, while seemingly a mere geographical detail, is deeply embedded in the theological landscape of the Book of Judges, serving as a stark illustration of the consequences when a people abandon divine law and leadership. The desperate measures taken by the Israelite elders to preserve the tribe of Benjamin, culminating in the orchestrated abduction at a sacred feast, reveal the profound moral and spiritual bankruptcy of an era where "every man did what was right in his own eyes." This narrative highlights the dangers of situational ethics and the futility of human schemes when divorced from God's righteous standards. It underscores that even noble intentions (like preserving a tribe) cannot justify unholy means. The story implicitly calls for a return to God's covenant, a recognition of His sovereignty, and the establishment of righteous leadership, contrasting the chaos of human self-rule with the order of divine governance.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The detailed geographical instructions of Judges 21:19, leading to a morally compromised solution, serve as a potent reminder of the human tendency to devise pragmatic solutions to self-inflicted problems, often at the expense of divine principles. This narrative challenges us to examine our own lives and communities: when faced with difficult circumstances or perceived crises, are we tempted to compromise biblical ethics for what appears to be a practical or immediate solution? The desperation of the elders, though understandable in their context, led them down a path that further highlighted the moral decay of their society, rather than leading to true repentance and a return to God's ways. It implicitly reminds us that true solutions to human dilemmas are found not in clever schemes but in unwavering adherence to God's commands and seeking His wisdom, even when circumstances seem dire. The story compels us to reflect on the importance of righteous leadership, clear moral discernment, and the profound consequences of a society where divine authority is disregarded and "every man does what is right in his own eyes."
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What was the "feast of the LORD" mentioned in Judges 21:19?
Answer: The "feast of the LORD" (Hebrew: chag Yahweh) refers to one of the three annual pilgrimage festivals prescribed by God in the Mosaic Law, where all Israelite males were commanded to appear before the Lord at the central sanctuary. While the specific feast is not named, it is widely believed by scholars to be the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), which occurred in the autumn, often involved dancing and celebration in the fields, and was a time of great joy and communal gathering. This made it a predictable and vulnerable occasion for the Benjaminite men to ambush the women. You can read about the requirements for these feasts in Deuteronomy 16:16.
Why was Shiloh so important in this period?
Answer: Shiloh was of immense religious and historical importance during the period of the Judges because it served as the central sanctuary of Israel. It was the place where the tabernacle, the portable dwelling place of God's presence, and the Ark of the Covenant were housed for a significant period after the conquest of Canaan. It was the designated location for national assemblies, sacrifices, and worship, as seen in 1 Samuel 1:3 where Elkanah went up to Shiloh yearly to worship. Its prominence as a holy site makes its use in the morally questionable plan of Judges 21 particularly poignant, highlighting the spiritual decline of the nation.
Does this story condone the abduction of women?
Answer: Absolutely not. The Bible, particularly in the Book of Judges, often records events as they happened, even when those events are morally reprehensible, without necessarily endorsing them. The narrative of Judges 21, including verse 19, is a descriptive account of a dark and chaotic period in Israel's history when "there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). The abduction of the women at Shiloh is presented as a desperate and morally compromised solution born out of human sin, rash oaths, and a lack of righteous leadership. It serves as a negative example, illustrating the consequences of abandoning God's law and the depths of human depravity when divine guidance is ignored. The text highlights the problem, not the solution.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The chaotic and morally compromised events of Judges 21, epitomized by the desperate plan detailed in Judges 21:19, powerfully underscore the profound need for a true King and a perfect covenant. The era of the Judges, characterized by the recurring refrain "every man did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25), reveals the utter failure of human self-governance and the inability of human schemes to truly redeem or restore. The elders' attempt to preserve a tribe through abduction at a sacred feast, though pragmatic, was a stark perversion of God's design for community and worship. This points forward to Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate King, not merely ruling over Israel, but over all creation (Matthew 28:18). Unlike the flawed leaders of Judges, Christ perfectly embodies righteousness and justice, establishing a new covenant not based on human oaths or desperate measures, but on His own sacrificial blood (Hebrews 8:6). He gathers His people, the Church, not through coercion or morally dubious acts, but through His perfect love and self-giving (Ephesians 5:25-27). The "feast of the LORD" in Shiloh, used for an unholy purpose, foreshadows the ultimate Lamb of God, Jesus, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), establishing a new and true worship that is in spirit and truth, where His perfect obedience atones for all the "doing what is right in one's own eyes" that marked the era of the Judges and continues to plague humanity (Romans 5:8).