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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.
The end of the war was also the end of their wrath, and anger turned to sorrow. Then, putting off their armor, the men of Israel met together and wept much and celebrated a fast, grieving that one tribe of their brothers had perished and a strong band of people had been wiped out. They had warred rightly against the authors of the crime because of the cost of the sin, but the people had turned unhappily against their own flesh and each was afflicted with civil war. The outpouring of tears moved their minds to compassion and stirred their feelings; the plan conceived in anger was gone. Sending legates to the six hundred men of Benjamin, who for four months guarded themselves on the top of sheer rocks and by the desert’s barrenness, which was dangerous for a mass of attackers, they lamented their common hardship in losing their fellow tribesmen, relatives and allies. Yet the hope of renewing the tribe was not utterly destroyed, and they consulted together how they might agree on a pledge of faith and one tribe not perish, severed from the body.
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SUMMARY
Judges 21:2 captures the profound national lament of the Israelite tribes following their devastating civil war against Benjamin. Gathered at the tabernacle, the central "house of God," they remained until evening, overwhelmed by sorrow and weeping bitterly over the near-annihilation of one of their own tribes. This moment of deep collective grief reflects a dawning realization of the catastrophic consequences of their unchecked vengeance and rash oaths, highlighting the tragic irony of their pursuit of justice leading to the brink of tribal extinction and the desperate need for divine intervention.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Judges 21:2 opens the final, poignant chapter of the Book of Judges, serving as the immediate aftermath of the horrific civil war detailed in Judges 19 and Judges 20. The preceding narrative describes the heinous crime committed by Benjamite men in Gibeah, leading the other Israelite tribes to retaliate with extreme, almost genocidal, force. Having sworn a solemn oath at Mizpah (as recorded in Judges 20:1) not to give their daughters in marriage to Benjamin, the Israelites now face the grim reality: one of the twelve tribes is on the verge of extinction, threatening the very fabric of their covenant nation. This verse marks a crucial pivot from the brutal execution of vengeance to a desperate, sorrowful reckoning with its devastating outcomes, setting the stage for the desperate measures taken in the rest of Judges 21 to preserve the tribe.
Historical & Cultural Context: The period of the Judges was characterized by a severe lack of central authority and widespread moral decay, where "everyone did what was right in their own eyes" (Judges 21:25). This era was marked by cycles of apostasy, oppression, and inter-tribal strife. The "house of God" mentioned in this verse almost certainly refers to the tabernacle, which was situated at Shiloh during much of the Judges period, serving as the central place of worship and divine presence for the nation. The act of gathering there, abiding "till even before God," underscores the cultural practice of seeking divine counsel and expressing national lament in the presence of the Lord, particularly in times of profound crisis. The near-extinction of a tribe was a catastrophic event in ancient Israelite culture, as tribal identity was foundational to their national, religious, and social structure, rooted in the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants (e.g., the tribal allotments described in Joshua 13-19).
Key Themes: Judges 21:2 powerfully introduces several key themes that resonate throughout the book and beyond. Foremost is the theme of unintended consequences of unchecked vengeance. What began as a pursuit of justice against a grave evil spiraled into an act of near-destruction, revealing the destructive power of unbridled human anger and the severe outcomes of operating without clear divine direction. Another prominent theme is national unity and its fragility. Despite the recent conflict, there is an underlying concern for the preservation of the twelve tribes, reflecting a deeper understanding of their shared covenant identity and the importance of each tribe to the collective future of the nation. The act of "weeping sore" also highlights the theme of profound grief and lament, signaling a form of collective repentance and a desperate turning to God in their distress, acknowledging the tragic outcome of their rash actions and the desperate need for divine intervention in a situation they themselves created. This lament underscores the spiritual brokenness of the nation, a pervasive theme throughout the entire Book of Judges.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
House of God (Hebrew, _bayith _ʼĕlôhîym'__, H1004): This phrase combines the Hebrew words H1004 (bayith), meaning "house" or "temple," and H430 (ʼĕlôhîym), referring to "God" (the supreme God, often with the article). Together, "house of God" designates the tabernacle, the portable sanctuary that served as the central place of worship and the dwelling place of God's presence among the Israelites before the construction of the Temple. Its location was likely Shiloh at this time. The people coming to the "house of God" signifies their desperate attempt to seek divine counsel, express their grief, and perhaps atone for their actions in the presence of the Lord, acknowledging His ultimate authority and sovereignty even in their self-inflicted crisis. It underscores that their lament was directed towards God Himself, seeking His counsel and comfort.
Abode (Hebrew, yâshab', H3427): The Hebrew word H3427 (yâshab) means "to sit down," "to dwell," or "to remain." In this context, it signifies a prolonged, intentional stay. The people did not merely visit but "abode there till even," indicating a sustained period of waiting, reflection, and supplication. This duration emphasizes the depth of their distress and their commitment to bringing their national crisis before God, not in a fleeting moment, but in an enduring posture of lament and seeking.
Wept sore (Hebrew, bâkâh_ bᵉkîy _gâdôwl', H1058): This powerful phrase is a cognate accusative, where the verb H1058 (bâkâh), "to weep," is intensified by the noun H1065 (Bᵉkîy), "a weeping," derived from the same root. The addition of the adjective H1419 (gâdôwl), "great" or "sore," further amplifies the meaning, literally translating to "and they wept a great weeping." This is not a casual shedding of tears but an overwhelming, profound, and public outpouring of anguish and sorrow. It conveys a deep, visceral lament, indicating a collective recognition of the immense tragedy and the severity of their national predicament, bordering on despair.
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several powerful literary devices to convey the depth of the Israelites' despair. Hyperbole and Intensification are evident in the phrase "wept sore" (Hebrew: bekhi gadol), which literally means "wept a great weeping." This repetition of the verb and noun from the same root (bâkâh and bᵉkîy), coupled with the adjective "great" (gâdôwl), emphasizes the overwhelming and profound nature of their sorrow, making it clear this was no ordinary lament but a national outpouring of anguish. The Setting at the "house of God" (the tabernacle) is crucial, transforming a physical location into a symbolic space of divine encounter, judgment, and appeal. This sacred space underscores the spiritual dimension of their crisis and their desperate plea to God. Furthermore, there is a profound Irony present: the very people who had just executed a brutal, almost annihilating war in the name of justice now find themselves weeping over its devastating success. Their victory has turned into a national tragedy, highlighting the bitter fruits of human vengeance unchecked by divine wisdom. The verse also evokes strong Pathos, drawing the reader into the emotional turmoil of the Israelites, compelling sympathy for their self-inflicted plight and the tragic consequences of their actions.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Judges 21:2 serves as a stark theological commentary on the consequences of human sin, particularly unchecked anger and the pursuit of justice outside of divine wisdom. The Israelites, in their zeal to punish evil, became agents of near-destruction, demonstrating how even righteous indignation can lead to catastrophic outcomes when unguided by God's Spirit. Their "great weeping" is a form of national lament and, implicitly, a corporate confession of their tragic error. It underscores the biblical principle that true justice must always be tempered with mercy and wisdom, and that human actions, even those seemingly justified, have far-reaching consequences that can threaten the very fabric of God's covenant community. The verse highlights the importance of unity within God's people and the deep sorrow that should accompany any breach of that unity, reminding us that every member is vital to the whole and that the loss of even one part diminishes the entire body.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Judges 21:2 offers a profound lesson for individuals and communities alike, particularly in how we respond to conflict and the pursuit of justice. The Israelites' "great weeping" after their devastating "victory" serves as a powerful reminder that rash decisions, fueled by anger, vengeance, or a misguided sense of righteousness, can lead to deeply regretted and destructive consequences. This passage challenges us to consider the long-term impact of our actions, especially when operating without careful discernment and explicit divine guidance. When we, or our communities, realize the harm caused by our choices, a posture of deep lament, repentance, and turning to God is the appropriate and necessary response. It encourages us to grieve over disunity, division, or the potential loss within the community of believers, and to always seek reconciliation and preservation, understanding that God desires unity and wholeness among His people, even when difficult truths must be confronted. True healing begins with acknowledging the pain and bringing it before God, seeking His wisdom for restoration rather than relying solely on human strategies.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Where was the "house of God" located at this time?
Answer: While the text doesn't explicitly state the location in Judges 21:2, the "house of God" (Hebrew: beit ha'Elohim) in the period of the Judges most commonly refers to the tabernacle, which was situated at Shiloh. Archaeological evidence and other biblical texts (e.g., 1 Samuel 1:3) confirm Shiloh as the central place of worship and the location of the tabernacle during this era. The Israelites would gather there for major national assemblies, sacrifices, and to seek the Lord's counsel.
Why did the Israelites "weep sore" if they were the ones who had just waged a successful war?
Answer: Their "great weeping" (wept sore) was not a lament of defeat, but a profound expression of sorrow over the devastating consequences of their own actions. They had successfully avenged the atrocity at Gibeah, but in doing so, they had nearly annihilated the tribe of Benjamin, threatening the existence of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. This realization brought immense grief because it jeopardized the covenant identity and future of the entire nation. Their weeping signified a dawning awareness of the tragic irony of their "victory," the horror of their rash oath not to intermarry, and the deep disunity that had fractured God's people. It was a lament born of regret, recognizing the severe spiritual and demographic cost of their unchecked vengeance and the potential breach of God's covenant with Israel.
What was the "oath" that led to their predicament and regret?
Answer: The oath that contributed to their distress was a solemn vow made at Mizpah, recorded in Judges 20:1 and reiterated in Judges 21:1, where the Israelites swore, "There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife." This oath, made in the heat of righteous indignation against the Benjamites for their wickedness, now presented an unforeseen problem: with only 600 surviving Benjamite men and no women, the tribe faced extinction if they could not marry. The oath, intended to uphold justice, now threatened the very existence of a covenant tribe, leading to the profound grief and dilemma expressed in Judges 21:2.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The profound lament of the Israelites in Judges 21:2, weeping over the self-inflicted wounds that threatened the very existence of a covenant tribe, foreshadows humanity's deeper need for reconciliation and restoration that only Christ can provide. Their sorrow over a broken community, fragmented by sin and vengeance, points to the ultimate disunity caused by sin that separates humanity from God and from one another. Unlike the temporary and often flawed solutions devised by the Israelites in Judges to preserve Benjamin (which involved further morally questionable acts), Jesus Christ offers the perfect and complete means of reconciliation. He is the true Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, whose sacrifice on the cross not only atones for sin but also breaks down the dividing walls of hostility (Ephesians 2:14), creating one new humanity. Where the Israelites wept over their inability to maintain tribal unity, Christ wept over Jerusalem's rejection of Him (Luke 19:41), demonstrating a divine lament over human sin and its consequences, yet offering a path to true peace. Through His blood, all things are reconciled to God, whether on earth or in heaven (Colossians 1:20), establishing a new spiritual family where there is neither Jew nor Gentile, but all are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). The lament in Judges 21:2 highlights the desperate need for a divine intervention that transcends human folly, a need perfectly met in the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ, who brings true unity and everlasting peace to His people.