Judges 21:1-15

A Wound Israel Cannot Repair

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1Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”

2So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly.

3“Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!”

4The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death.

6And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.

7What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”

8So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly.

9For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there.

10So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children.

11This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.”

12So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

13Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon.

14And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them.

15The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel.

Berean Standard Bible

Read aloud

Israel grieves at Bethel because Benjamin is nearly gone. Yet the men have sworn that none of them will give a daughter in marriage to a Benjamite. Their own oath stands in the way of the future they now want for their brothers.

A second oath becomes part of their proposed solution: anyone absent from the assembly at Mizpah was to be put to death. They discover that no one from Jabesh-gilead attended. Twelve thousand soldiers are sent to kill the inhabitants, including women and children, sparing only young women who have not had relations with a man.

Four hundred young women are brought to Shiloh. Israel offers peace to the Benjamites at Rimmon and gives them these women as wives. There are still not enough for all the survivors. The women have lost their community and are being used to resolve a crisis they did not create.

Israel's grief is real, and the passage attributes the breach in the tribes to the LORD. But these new orders are issued by the congregation. Mourning the earlier destruction does not make another massacre a righteous remedy.

Questions

1 What oath prevents Israel from giving wives to Benjamin?

AnswerThe men have sworn not to give their daughters in marriage to Benjamites. They now grieve the threat to the tribe’s future.

2 What other oath leads them to Jabesh-gilead?

AnswerThey had sworn death for anyone who failed to attend the Mizpah assembly. No one from Jabesh-gilead had attended.

3 What happens to the four hundred young women who survive the attack?

AnswerThey are taken to Shiloh and given to the surviving Benjamites. The arrangement still leaves some men without wives.

4 What should we ask when a proposed repair places a new burden on others?

AnswerWe should ask who will be harmed and whether they have a voice. Solving our problem cannot justify making innocent people pay for it.

What This Means for Us

Regret does not guarantee a wise remedy. Before trying to repair damage, examine whether the proposed solution creates another wrong, especially for someone with less power. Admit a rash commitment rather than make other people suffer to preserve its appearance. Seek counsel that can challenge the plan, not merely help carry it out.

Prayer

Lord, give us more than sorrow when our choices have caused harm. Lead us toward a just remedy, and protect those who could be hurt by our attempts to put things right. Amen.

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